Indigenous seeds
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 02 2019: The 3rd National Indigenous Seed Festival will be organised at CAU, Iroishemba, from October 12 to 14, in a bid to protect and conserve indigenous seeds in the face of the rapidly changing climatic conditions.

Speaking to media persons at ICAR complex at Lamphel today, Chairman of the Organising Committee, as well as Inner Lok Sabha MP, Dr RK Ranjan said that the festival will be organised by All Manipur Trained Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Consortium and the Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch (India Seed Sovereignty Alliance).

The MP claimed that the loss of an indigenous seed leads to the loss of a word or term and spoke of an example of how 'Hentaak' is not commonly eaten nowadays leading to younger generation not knowing the term anymore.

Stating that the indigenous seeds had been sidelined for some time due to the arrival of new agricultural technologies and methods, Dr RK Ranjan said that with the rapid climate change, fear that the indigenous seeds would be completely lost cropped up and as such the National Indigenous Seed Festival came to fruition.

He explained that climate change has mostly negative impact on the high yielding seeds and plants and added that indigenous seeds/plants are often resilient to such change in climate, like Taothabi rice and Tumai rice varieties which can survive in flood and drought respectively.

During the festival, prizes for Best Stall Award will also bee conferred to the deserving farmers, he added.

On the other hand, the co-Chairperson of the committee, retd IAS officer Dr RK Nimai said that farmers will not have to pay any money for opening stalls during the festival but nominal fees will be collected from the Government Departments.

Till date, 190 State farmers, 31 participants from outside the State are confirmed for the festival, he explained and added that farmers from all parts of the State can take part in the festival.

Lamenting that aromatic coriander and Ishing Tilhou are disappearing from the State, he said that nowadays, they are being replaced by produces from Myanmar side.

Speaking to media persons, All Manipur Trained Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Consortium president Potshangbam Devkanta said that now, around 30-40 indigenous rice varieties have disappeared from Manipur, including Fouren Tujombi.

On the other hand, ICAR (NEIST) Imphal Senior Principal Scientist Dr H Birkumar said that the only plants or seeds which can safely grow in today's climatic conditions are the indigenous seeds.

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