: K.P Laladas, Secretary, Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB), said here on Thursday that establishing decentralised seed production units at the grama panchayat level was the need of the hour to conserve agro biodiversity of the state.
Addressing the opening session of the Wayanad community seed fest at Community Argo-Biodiversity Centre of the M. S. Swaminathan Research foundation (MSSRF) at Puthurvayal, Dr. Laladas said that seed production had been a service by the traditional farmers to society and now it was time for the local self-governments to take over this responsibility.
The KSBB had requested the State government to make necessary amendments in the Panchayat Raj Act to constitute standing committees for Environment and Biodiversity in three-tier local bodies, he said.
District panchayat president T Ushakumari inaugurated the programme. The fest, being organised by Wayanad District Tribal Development Action Council, Seed Care, a collective of traditional rice farmers, Kerala State Biodiversity Board, and NABARD, is aimed at making Wayanad a role model for other tates in conserving traditional seed varieties and thus complimenting the biodiversity conservation efforts.
As many as 25 stalls had been put up at the venue to showcase the rare collection of gene bank of various crops. The organisers have also arranged facilities to the farmers to exchange their traditional seeds of various crops.
‘Seed, Soil, Food-Rights and Responsibilities’ is the slogan of the fest.
Farmers from all grama panchayats in the district and neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu will exhibit and exchange their varied seed varieties in the three-day fest. Various programmes, including seminars, a photo exhibition and an agriculture-based film festival, would also be held.
