Mysuru hosts festival celebrating indigenous seeds, conservators

Published 13 June 2026 · india

Stressing the need to protect native seed varieties, Karnataka Biodiversity Board chairman Vadnal Jagadish urged citizens to actively participate in biodiversity conservation and help preserve

Stressing the need to protect native seed varieties, Karnataka Biodiversity Board chairman Vadnal Jagadish urged citizens to actively participate in biodiversity conservation and help preserve indigenous seeds for future generations. He was speaking after inaugurating the two-day ‘Desi Beejotsava’, organised by Sahaja Samruddha with the support of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board and Sahaja Seeds at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry in Mysuru on Saturday. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Jagadish said indigenous seeds are not merely agricultural resources but symbols of the nation’s food culture, biodiversity, and cultural heritage. “Local seed varieties have sustained communities for centuries.

Conserving them and passing them on to future generations is a collective responsibility,” he said. Vijayalakshmi, executive officer of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board, said the traditional practice of exchanging indigenous seeds among farming communities had played a vital role in preserving agricultural diversity. She noted that conserving native seeds has become increasingly important and that seed festivals help create awareness among the public. Indigenous seed conservator Kanagalu Padmamma, who has preserved more than 150 traditional seed varieties over several decades, emphasised the need to safeguard native seeds for the sake of health, agriculture, and future generations.

She also highlighted the importance of seed exchange among farmers. Another seed conservationist, Srinivasamurthy S.R., expressed concern over declining awareness about traditional paddy and other local crop varieties. He said indigenous varieties are better adapted to local climatic conditions, produce quality food, and support cost-effective farming. Presiding over the event, Sahaja Samruddha head G. Krishnaprasad said the festival had brought together seed conservators, organic farmers, and agriculture enthusiasts from across Karnataka on a common platform. He added that the event would help consumers understand the significance of indigenous crop varieties. Sahaja Samruddha secretary Anandatirtha Patil outlined the objectives of the festival.

A highlight of the inaugural programme was the presentation of the Traditional Seed Conservator Award-2026 to six farmers for their contributions to preserving indigenous seeds, maintaining community seed banks, reviving rare crop varieties, and creating awareness among farming communities. The award recipients were Kamalamma E. Khanannavar of Malali in Kundgol taluk, Parvathi of Machuru Hadi in the Nagarahole forest region, Mahadevappa Uppar and Manjula of Thimmapur village in Haveri district, Prabhakar B. of Tondahalli in Mulbagal taluk, and B.P. Ravishankar of Huduru village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district.