<span style="color: #222222;">A national traditional paddy cultivation festival was held on Tuesday in Nagapattinam, right in the heart land of the Cauvery Delta region in Tamilnadu.<br />''<br />''More than 110 traditional paddy varieties were exhibited in the day long festival. These included various lesser known items in the samba variety like kottaram samba, keerai samba etc.<br />''<br />''Outdoor practical sessions of traditional paddy cultivation techniques were another attraction of the festival.<br />''<br />''Traditional farmers, modern agriculturists, agriculture scientists and environment protection volunteers took part in the festival.<br />''<br />''Farmers were given information about the specific characteristics and advantages of various kinds of traditional varieties. They were also provided information on the kind of precautions to be taken and manure to be applied to these varieties.<br />''<br />''The initiative by Cauvery Delta farmers to popularise traditional paddy varieties and agricultural practices has been widely appreciated in the region.</span><br />