Director-General of the National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME) Glory Swaroopa called upon the women members of Deccan Development Society (DDS) to become micro entrepreneurs to ensure that more people can access their produce.
Participating as chief guest at the inauguration of the month-long bio-diversity festival at Shamshallapur village in Nyalakal mandal in the district on Thursday, Ms. Swaroopa said: “To me this festival appears to be a revolution. In my year 20 years of experience, I have never came across such farming and women farmers who are so committed to their traditional practices. Zaheerabad Agenda, needs to be an ideal document at the nation-level. Products of the Sangham women need to reach a larger audience and there is a need for encouraging micro enterprise for that. We are ready to extend all support from NI-MSME to the DDS Sangham women.”
The 21st Mobile Biodiversity Festival will travel to 23 villages before it concludes on February 15, 2021 at Machnoor.
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Director of DDS P.V. Satheesh said that the festival is the day to re-inculcate confidence among the farmers that whatever is being followed is the way forward. “Twenty years ago, I was told that our idea of farming is going to be outdated and that the entire country is going with use of chemical fertilisers. As the years pass, we realised and conveyed to the communities around us that millets are not goiing to be affected by climate change. Whatever was not welcome back then is now being looked-up to and is in demand, the reason being the Millet Movement. Amidst the pandemic, the movement continued and I extend my sincere gratitude to all the sangham women who didn’t lose hope and faith in their beliefs and practices and took it forward. The fact that all of us pulled off millet farming even when the mobility was halted shows the value it is giving to the farmer.” The festival looks like ‘riot of colours’, he added.
“The women of this region are celebrating this festival overcoming divisions like caste and groups. The women driving this are the real catalysts and examples of redefining agriculture and climate change. The festival marks the value and importance of seeds. Your driving force is the reason behind all the national and international accolades,” co-director of the DDS Jayasri Cherukuri said.
Director-General of MANAGE and NIPHM Chandra Shekara elaborating on the agrarian crisis said everyday 2,409 farmers are leaving their land and migrating to cities for work, which is an alarming issue for the present day.
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Director of the Grameena Resource Centre Rukmini and others were present.