By Hiralal Gaund
On the 19th of June 2019 a one-day Training cum Awareness program was organised for the members of the Sawa Salhar Sadhati Beej Bank Committee of the Baiga village of Silpidi village, Baigachak, Dindori District, MP. A community seed bank was established in the Baiga village of Silpidi in 2018 through the Using Diversity Network. The purpose of the seed bank was to promote the revival of a variety of traditional seeds and make them available to Baiga farmers across Baigachak. The villagers of Silpidi subsequently named the seed bank – the Sawa Salhar Sadhati Beej Bank and a seed bank committee was responsible for the management of the seed bank. The Sawa Salhar Sadhati Beej Bank Committee comprises of 10 women villagers with Jwalin Bai Baiga as the President and Lahri Bai Baiga as the Secretary. The seed bank currently has over 15 varieties of traditional millet, beans, pulses and vegetable seeds. In 2018 the seed bank committee ensured that these seeds were distributed to 84 Baiga farmer families across Baigachak.
This training program revisited the concept and focus of the Community Seed Bank and the initiative to make traditional seeds available to farmer families. The importance and benefits of traditional crops was discussed as well as the challenges facing them. The challenges in promoting and safeguarding traditional seeds were shared and discussed. A joint strategy for ensuring that the Community Seed Bank becomes a reliable source of traditional seeds for the farmers of the region was developed. The committee members discussed their roles and formulated plans for upcoming seed distribution drive and subsequent returning of seeds by farmers to ensure expansion of the seed bank. The farmers of the region were finding it very difficult to get access to several traditional seeds and they are very happy that they are now able to access these seeds through the community seed bank and are keen to work for its expansion and continued survival.
