The movement against monopoly of patented seeds is gaining traction in the State, with hundreds of activist-farmers forming a loose network to propagate the use of indigenous crops and promote the use of patent-free seeds.
The issue of patent-free seeds came to the fore during the International Seed Day observed on Sunday by the Millet Network of India (MINI). K.N. Ramachandra, convenor of MINI, cautioned against the use of genetically-modified crops and said suicides by cotton farmers would extend to the entire agricultural sector if the current free-ride of corporates on farming continued.
Traditional system
He said MINI advocated the imperatives of reverting to the traditional seed system in which the farmers exercised the freedom to save, use and propagate the seeds, without having to revert to the market time and again. MINI plans to have series of meetings with farmers, public, media, etc. to espouse its cause so that traditionally preserved seeds get priority over those sold by corporates, said Mr. Ramachadnra.
The concept of patent-free seeds is percolating among various farmer networks and Sahaja Seeds, India’s first organic seed company, has a network of over 2,000 farmers who are involved in the movement.
Founder of Sahaja Seeds, Krishnaprasad, told The Hindu that there were many loose groups of farmers conserving indigenous varieties of crops. A case in point is S.R. Srinivasmurthy of T. Narsipur who has conserved more than 200 varieties of rice and Ghani Khan who has over 500 varieties of rice.
“These are all indigenous varieties and the farmers are free to grow and propagate their use,” said Mr. Krishnaprasad. The launch of the Karnataka chapter of the Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch during Badanvalu satyagraha last Sunday is also expected to give momentum to the movement for patent-free seeds, he added.
