Girijan farmers in the picturesque Araku valley in the Eastern Ghats of Visakhapatnam district are showing the way to their counterparts in the plains in quality seed production and preserving bio-diversity.

They are helped by NGOs such as Sanjeevani, Samata and CRYNET.

Old seeds festival was organised at Panasavalasa in the valley on Saturday. “It is a wonderful result of community and NGOs participation and farmers could get quality seeds,” said B. Sarat Babu, Principal Scientist of National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource's Regional Centre, Hyderabad.

Rebbapragada Ravi, the Executive Director of Samata, said that efforts being made for the last 18 years had resulted in farmers of this area regularly going to markets in Visakhapatnam.

He urged the Girijans to form cooperative societies and grow many kinds of crops. Coffee and pepper cultivation can be taken up, he said and exhorted the educated younger generation of Girijans to contribute to the welfare of the community.

Krishna Prasad of Sahaja Samudha Organic Producers Company (Bangalore) expressed the opinion that farmers must market the products on their own. They must mill the paddy and sell rice to retain its quality. He was happy that many old varieties were being cultivated here.

President of CRYNET K. Manmadha Rao explained the activities of the network and how Sanjeevani's efforts helped it to win the prestigious Plant Genome Saviour Community Award for 2011-12 of the Union Government.

The ninth edition of the old seeds festival also marked the launching of the Dhimsa paddy and millets seed bank. Fifteen varieties of paddy and millets are available for distribution to the farmers.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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