Mysuru: Karnataka Biodiversity Board chairman Vadnal Jagadish announced that the board is establishing Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in every gram panchayat and preparing People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) to bolster biodiversity conservation.
He made the statement while inaugurating the two-day Desi Beejotsava (Native Seed Festival) organized by Sahaja Samrudha with support from the Karnataka Biodiversity Board and Sahaja Seeds on Saturday. He urged citizens interested in biodiversity conservation to actively participate in protecting local knowledge and biological resources, emphasizing the need to prioritize biodiversity conservation at the village level.
“Indigenous seeds are not merely a part of agriculture; they are symbols of our food culture, biodiversity and cultural heritage. For centuries, local crop varieties have nourished our communities, and it is our collective responsibility to conserve them and pass them on to future generations,” he said.
Board executive officer Vijayalakshmi noted that in earlier times, gifting indigenous seeds was customary, and farming communities maintained agricultural diversity by freely sharing seeds. Native seed conservator Kanagalu Padmamma, who has conserved over 150 indigenous seed varieties for decades, highlighted the importance of seed exchange among farmers.
The Traditional Seed Conservator Award-2026 was presented to six farmers who have dedicated decades to conserving indigenous seeds, managing community seed banks, reviving rare varieties, and raising awareness among farming communities. The awardees were Kamalamma E Khanannavar of Malali village in Kundgol taluk, Parvathi of Machur Hadi in Nagarahole Forest, Mahadevappa Uppar of Thimmapur village in Haveri district, Manjula, Prabhakar B of Tondahalli village in Mulbagal taluk, and B P Ravishankar of Hudur village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district.
On Sunday, a special training program on 'Seed Conservation and Organic Seed Production’ will be held for farmers at 12:30 pm. A drawing competition for children aged 5 to 12 years will be organized at 10:30 am, followed by a seed exchange program.
