ICAR–CCARI Promotes Indigenous Seed Conservation Through Community Seed Bank Awareness Programme in Goa

15 November 2025, Goa

As part of the ongoing Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada 2025, the ICAR–Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa, organised an awareness programme on ‘Community Seed Banks for Conservation of Indigenous Crop Varieties’ at its Old Goa campus today. The initiative aimed to strengthen the capacity of tribal farmers in conserving traditional crop diversity and promoting long-term seed sovereignty through community-managed seed systems.

The programme began with a technical orientation on establishing and maintaining community seed banks, highlighting scientific methods of seed collection, drying, grading, and storage. The importance of decentralised seed banks in safeguarding local varieties threatened by the growing use of commercial hybrids was emphasised.

A technical session underscored the ecological and agricultural value of climate-resilient indigenous seeds adapted to Goa’s agro-ecological conditions. Farmers were encouraged to revive seed exchange networks and adopt community-based conservation approaches to enhance biodiversity, climate resilience, and self-reliant farming.

Participants were taken on an exposure visit to the ICAR–CCARI Farm Section, where five institute-developed rice varieties (Goa Dhan 1–5) and the collection of 166 conserved indigenous rice varieties were showcased. At the Fisheries Farm Unit, farmers learned about the institute’s Live Fish Gene Bank, which maintains 40 native freshwater species and plays a key role in conserving threatened aquatic biodiversity. A visit to the KVK Seed Unit provided hands-on training in indigenous vegetable seed conservation, followed by the distribution of ladyfinger and clusterbean (Chitki) seeds.

In the valedictory session, a brief overview of the 15-day Pakhwada activities was presented. Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR–CCARI, appreciated the active participation of tribal farmers and highlighted the importance of conserving indigenous genetic resources for ecological sustainability, nutritional diversity, and future food security. He reiterated the significance of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada in honouring the contributions of tribal communities and reflected on the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose leadership continues to inspire community resilience and self-reliance.

Dr. Kumar reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to supporting tribal farmers through capacity building, technology dissemination, and collaborative initiatives focused on sustainable livelihoods and natural resource conservation.

A total of 30 farmers from Corlim, Azossim, and Cumbharjua participated in the programme.

(Source: ICAR–Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa)