Armed with a degree in archaeology and museology from the University of Mysore, Ghani Khan of Kirugavalu in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district nurtured dreams of being a curator in a museum, conserving and showcasing heritage artefacts.
But fate had other plans. He became a farmer, a family tradition, and his dreams of a museum got a quiet burial.
However, his yen for traditional practices led Mr. Khan to explore the diversity in agriculture, which he saw was being supplanted by monoculture. It awakened the conservator in him and in 1996 he began collecting varieties of rice to conserve them for posterity. Today, he has set up the State’s first on-site and live rice museum with 968 varieties of paddy planted on a small plot of land.
His collection is the highest by a farmer in the State and second in the country — the highest being held by Debal Deb, an Odisha-based rice conservationist.
“My aim is not only to conserve the rare varieties, but to educate the public and fellow-farmers of the rich agricultural diversity and heritage which is being lost and supplanted by the monoculture of high-breed varieties,” Mr. Khan told The Hindu .
Though he nurtures plans to establish a full-fledged museum to showcase his collection, it is yet to materialise due to paucity of funds. “I will need ₹15 lakh to showcase my collection and I’m saving for it,” said Mr. Khan.
For now, he has set aside 0.75 acres of his plot for an on-site exhibit, where the more exotic varieties of rice have been planted. “I have planted one variety for every 5 feet, and this is drawing farmers and conservationists from across the country to visit and appreciate the rich diversity we have inherited,” says Mr. Khan, who vouches for the medicinal value of some of the traditional varieties. “The yield may be low, but they also require less water and less fertilizers and is ideal in the present times of soaring cost of cultivation amidst declining income,” he added. His quest for unique varieties has taken him to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Assam. Among his collection is the Komal of Assam — a naturally occurring instant rice which needs only to be soaked in warm water before it is ready for consumption.
So far, over 8,000 farmers have received his seeds and they have cultivated them for both consumption and conservation. His future plans: to create greater awareness among the new generation on conservation of agricultural diversity.
