Government to promote traditional varieties through various schemes: Agriculture Secretary
Union Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the need to promote traditional varieties of agriculture and horticulture. He stated that the Ministry is keen to encourage traditional varieties through various schemes
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Addressing the Multi-Stakeholder Convention on "Reviving Agro-Biodiversity in Rainfed Areas through Traditional Varieties for Climate-Resilient Agriculture" in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi emphasized the need to promote traditional varieties of agriculture and horticulture. He stated that the Ministry is keen to encourage traditional varieties through various schemes, including NMNF, Farmers' Producer Organizations (FPOs), seed development programs, and NFSM.
Highlighting the importance of traditional varieties, he noted their unique traits such as better taste, aroma, color, cooking quality, and nutritional richness. He suggested that these varieties should be grown in clusters and marketed for higher price realization, as there is demand from buyers who value these traits. Dr. Chaturvedi also shared specific examples to illustrate his points.
Dr. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary (DA&FW) and CEO, NRAA, elaborated on the role of the National Rainfed Areas Authority (NRAA). He explained that NRAA supports rainfed areas by analyzing investment patterns across states and schemes. The aim is to motivate states to allocate more funds to these areas, addressing the gap between investment needs and their vulnerability.
Experts such as Dr. K.S. Varaprasad, Former Director, ICAR-IIOR, stressed the importance of recognizing traditional varieties, noting that approximately 50% of the country’s agricultural area is rainfed, with about 60% of farmers meeting their seed requirements through informal systems. He highlighted that released varieties and traditional varieties can coexist to benefit farmers. Dr. K.S. Varaprasad and Gyanendra Singh, Director, ICAR-NBPGR, discussed the need for in-situ conservation and called for stronger government policies to support preservation through the use of traditional varieties.
Progressive farmers, seed saviors, and state representatives from 10 states, including Tamil Nadu and Odisha, displayed indigenous seeds and shared their experiences—both successes and challenges—in conserving traditional varieties. Panel discussions underscored the importance of formalizing community-managed seed systems, the need for government support in infrastructure and Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the involvement of grassroots organizations in seed conservation efforts.
The National Rainfed Areas Authority (NRAA), in collaboration with the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN) and the Watershed Support Services & Activities Network (WASSAN), organized this Multi-Stakeholder Convention in New Delhi.
