Community Seed Festival celebrates indigenous seed conservation & sustainable farming
Bhubaneswar (18/02/2025): In a significant move towards promoting organic and natural farming, the Snehamandali, women farmers' group of eight villages in Karsing Gram Panchayat, Buguda Block, Ganjam District, organized a Community Seed Festival at Baradasahi village that saw the participation of around 400 people from 30 villages across Buguda, Odagaon, and Nuagaon Blocks of Ganjam and Nayagarh Districts. The festival began with a warm welcome address by Dr.Sabarmatee, Padmashree Awardee & Co-Founder of Sambhav.
Dutikrushna Patra, BDO, Buguda Block, Ganjam graced the occasion as Chief Guest and discussed about the importance of indigenous seeds in promotion of natural farming.
Amongst others, Dr.Anita Patra, Senior Scientist, Puspanjali Satpathy, Noted Forest Land Right Activist, Dr.S.K.Jata, Senior Scientist, CTCRI, Government of India, Rakhi Ghosh, Senior Journalist, Dr.Md.Imran Ali, State Facilitator, NCNF-Odisha, Ramkrushna from Sambhav, Dr.Surya Narayan Sahoo, Ayurvedic Doctor joined the occasion and highlighted the importance of seed conservation, organic/ natural farming and role of farmers, particularly women in their villages.
The Community Seed Festival was organized as part of the “Bhala Khaiba, Bhala Khuaiba” initiative, meaning “We will eat safe and good food, and we will feed safe and good food.” This initiative aims at producing organic products for both farmers and consumers.
So also, it promotes soil health and biodiversity.
From the seed exhibition, farmers have exchanged seeds among themselves and have taken oath for conservation of indigenous seeds.
The seed festival focused on producing no plastic garbage or waste by using biodegradable stuff.
The festival was echoed with traditional tribal musical beats, cultural performances by children and youths.
Our initiative is to help farmers to conserve the native seeds towards promotion of natural farming.
We promote safe and good food for both farmers and consumers, said Dr.Sabarmatee.
Dr.Suresh Bisoyi, Namita Apa, Manoj Pati from Sambhav and community volunteers like Lipu Pradhan, Prasanna Pradhan, Barsha and Reeta coordinated the festival.
