Beauty Sarkar, Singair, Manikganj
With the facilitation support from BARCIK Jamalpur Madhyapara Krishak-Krishani Sangathan (farmer’s organization) of Baira Union of Singair Upazila under Manikgonj district recently arranged a seed fair and seed exchange event. The object of the event was to increase the local variety of seeds and reduce the market dependence of farmers. The organizing organization also along with the fair did manage to display local seeds varieties conserved by farmers and distribute paper lemon saplings to the farmers to encourage them farming with local varieties of seeds and samplings.
A brief discussion was held during the seeds fair and exchange where Md. Farhad Hossain, President of a farmer organization presided over the discussion and shared his concerns. While narrating on the importance and necessity of local seeds he said, ‘It costs money to buy seeds from the market. Conserving seeds at home reduces costs and reduces market dependence as well. Again, we can ensure and learn the quality of the seeds if we ourselves conserve them in our own houses.’ He advised the farmers to conserve the seeds in everyone’s houses. He asserted, ‘The tendency of conserving local varieties of seeds in the areas has increased since BARCIK started to work with us.’
The farmers and women who participated in the fair displayed their conserved crops’ seeds. They farmed lots of local variety of seeds in their fields and collected the matured crops for conserving their seeds. The crops that they farmed in their lands and the seeds that they conserved include: bean, dhundal, chalkumara, bitter gourd, sweet pumpkin, cucumber, gourd, mustard, coriander, puishak (spinaches), data, mustard, red bean, papaya, kidney bean, rice and kalpanath seeds etc.
During this seed display and fair the farmers exchanged seeds of local varieties like gourd, bean, sweet pumpkin, pushak (spinaches), papaya, kidney beans etc. among other 15 farmers as per their demand. Regarding the importance of seed exchange, Razia Begum, publicity secretary of the organization, said, ‘I conserve seeds at home and exchange seeds and this helps me to reduce my dependence on market. She also advised everyone to clean their yard and cultivate vegetables.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin