Raised a question in Rajya Sabha today on saving and preserving traditional seed varieties which are on the verge of extinction.

Raised a question in Rajya Sabha today on saving and preserving traditional seed varieties which are on the verge of extinction. There is no doubt that Green Revolution shifted the focus of our agriculture away from biodiversity to increased yield. With modernization of agriculture, agricultural practices and cropping patterns changed and genetic diversity started getting lost resulting in genetic base of traditional seed varieties reduced considerably and several traditional seed varieties are now facing extinction.

These varieties were inherently more compatible with local farming conditions, economically practical and environmentally sustainable than the high yielding varieties being used today. They were also more resistant to pests, diseases, droughts and floods. Now, due to agricultural modernization, farmers are increasingly purchasing seeds more of their seed requirements. This ‘bought-in’ seed replaces older, local varieties and these varieties become increasingly unavailable in many communities.

So, I sought to know from the hon. Minister of Agriculture as to what efforts his Ministry is making to encourage farmers to save and use traditional seed varieties since they are more compatible with local farming conditions.