Why is it important for farmers to preserve indigenous seeds? Know the tradition of saving indigenous seeds from the progressive farmer Prem Singh

Indigenous seeds: Seeds play an important role in a good crop. In the older days, farmers used to save the seeds themselves every year for the next year. But now with the changing times, the technology of farming is changing and farmers are forgetting the old tradition and running towards hybrid seeds. Farmers have forgotten to save indigenous seeds. As a result, farmers have gradually lost the indigenous seeds. Hybrid seeds produce good yield, but have lost flavour and nutritional value. This has increased the cost of cultivation but farmers have become dependent on foreign companies as hybrid seeds are mostly produced by indigenous companies. Prem Singh, a progressive farmer of Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, spoke with Gaurav Manral, correspondent of Kisan of India, on this very important issue about the tradition of keeping seeds safe and why it is important to preserve indigenous seeds.

Tradition of saving indigenous seeds 

Progressive farmer Prem Singh explains that desi seed means traditional seed. Our ancestors have been saving it and it is passed on from one generation to another. To preserve the seeds in Bundelkhand, Beejotsav is celebrated in the month of Shrawan. It is called Kazilia. Under this tradition the field is changed for seeds every year i.e. the seed of one field is sown in another field the next year. And then in the third year the seed of one village is sown in another village. The advantage of this tradition is that it leads to the cultivation of seeds. Due to this, the ability to tolerate all types of soil and environment develops in the seeds. Prem Singh believes that such a tradition would be necessary in every field. If these traditions are known and followed properly, then indigenous seeds can be easily preserved.

Hybrid seeds losing flavour and nutrients 

Prem Singh believes that the hybrid variety may result in higher crop yield for some time, but it is losing its flavour and nutritional value. Just as the protein in pulses is decreasing, the carbohydrate in wheat is decreasing. This also harms health. In hybrid seeds, the quality of one seed is transferred to another and the quality of another seed to the third, due to which continuity is not maintained and the nutritional value is reduced.

Earlier the cost of seeds was zero 

Prem Singh says that till years ago, farmers used to prepare their own seeds and keep them safe. He has seen farmers doing this till the time of his grandmother. At that time when the crop was about to ripen, the farmers used to choose some good quality crops and keep them as seeds for the next year. Like plucking some good pods from the tur crop, plucking some fine hairs of wheat and drying them in the sun every day in the courtyard and saving them for the next year. There was no cost in this and the farmer became self-sufficient. But now it is not so. Now farmers are buying hybrid seeds prepared by foreign companies and when these seeds are not according to the environment, farmers have to buy pesticides etc.  

cost of farmers starts increasing

These pesticides are also manufactured by foreign companies. Due to this, the cost of farmers starts increasing continuously and profits start decreasing. Whereas this does not happen when the indigenous seed is kept safe. Due to the excessive use of hybrid seeds, the country’s money is going abroad and the self-reliance of the farmers is decreasing. Progressive farmer Prem Singh believes that till now we have lost the best quality indigenous seeds of most of the crops.

Prem Singh believes that if the initiative to preserve indigenous seeds is taken even now, then farmers can reduce their losses a little further. If you want to ask any questions related to how to preserve and protect seeds from farmer Prem Singh, then do let us know in the comment box.