'Desi Beejotsava' (Native Seed Festival) Kicks Off in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The 'Desi Beejotsava' (Native Seed Festival) has been organized by the Institute of Agricultural Technologists, in collaboration with Sahaja Samruddha Organic Farmers' Collective, Crops4HD, and Key Stone organizations. The two-day event commenced today, June 14, and will continue until June 15, at the Institute of Agricultural Technologists on Queen's Road in the city.

G. Krishnaprasad, convenor of the Sahaja Samruddha Organic Farmers' Collective, stated, "Native seed varieties possess the capacity to effectively confront the challenges posed by climate change. Efforts are underway to identify these as solutions to the problems plaguing the agricultural sector. Against this backdrop, the Seed Festival has been organized with the objective of disseminating the importance of native seeds to a wider farming community."

This two-day festival will see the participation of approximately three hundred seed savers from Karnataka and various other states. Over a thousand varieties of paddy, millets, pulses, tubers, greens, and vegetables will be showcased across 50 stalls. Groups of indigenous farmers will bring forest plant resources that have been conserved for dozens of generations. In total, more than 1,500 native seed varieties will be on display at the exhibition, he informed.

The Seed Festival was inaugurated by Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairman of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority of India. A.B. Patil, President of the Institute of Agricultural Technologists, presided over the event.

As part of the Seed Festival, various programs including discussions, sharing of experiences, and dialogues are planned. In addition to honoring accomplished seed savers, a directory of germplasm conservators will also be released, according to the press release.

For more details, interested individuals can contact Eshwar at 99721 59714.