The Hindu Business Line : Seed savers' conference will focus on local cultivars

Mangalore May 23 The decline in the availability of native seeds and the need to create awareness about them will be discussed at the `seed savers' conference' at Dharmasthala on May 29 and 30.

The Dakshina Kannada-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) - Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) - in association with the Bangalore-based Green Foundation will conduct the conference.

Dr L.H. Manjunath, Executive Director of SKDRDP, told Business Line that the availability of local cultivars has become a mirage to small and marginal farmers, and globalisation has made the availability much tougher.

"At this juncture, we have to create awareness among farmers to save the local cultivars. Local cultivars are the heart of agriculture. Due to modern agriculture technologies and high-yielding varieties, their number has drastically reduced and a majority of them are in the list of `endangered species'," he said.

Stating that seed savers' conference will share the experience of seed conservation, he said the event is likely to attract more than 500 seed conservers. There will be sessions on `globalisation', `cautions of gene revolution', `seed development techniques' and `community seed bank' at the conference. The panel of experts includes Mr Claud Alvares from Goa, Mr Chelamuthu from Coimbatore and Ms Kavitha Kurugunti from Hyderabad.

Green Foundation is an institute working to conserve the biodiversity. The foundation has been organising such conferences at different places of the state every year, he said.

Mr Bandeppa Kashampur, Karnataka Agriculture Minister, will inaugurate the conference, and Dr D. Veerendra Heggade, SKDRDP President, will preside over the inaugural session, he added.

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