Two-day Desi Beejotsava begins

Mysuru: The two-day Desi Beejotsava (native seed festival) organised by Sahaja Samrudha in association with Karnataka Biodiversity Board and Sahaja Seeds began at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry in city this morning.

The Desi Beejotsava was inaugurated by Karnataka Biodiversity Board Chairman Vadnal Jagadeesh. Renowned seed conservator Beeja Mathe Paddamma, environmentalist Vijayalakshmi and seed conservator Siddanahundi Srinivasamurthy were present on the occasion.

The Desi Beejotsava will remain open from 10 am to 9 pm on both days.

More than 30 seed conservators and members of community seed banks from Dharwad, Haveri, Kolar, Mysuru, Mandya, and Belagavi districts are participating in the festival. They have displayed a wide range of traditional crop varieties. Farmers from Kudgol have exhibited 25 different wheat varieties, including Pigamberi, an ancient wheat believed to date back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. The festival showcases over 1,000 indigenous seeds, tubers, leafy vegetable varieties and rare fruits.

Rare fruit plants such as Juice Bilwa, Shankara Red Jack, Peanut Butter Fruit and Mulberry are available for sale. Traditional flours prepared from black wheat, black chana, jowar, green gram, and several other traditional grains and pulses are also available.

Sasyadhama Nursery, Mysuru and Beluvala Thota are offering fruit saplings of various indigenous varieties. Seeds of ragi, paddy, millets, pulses and vegetables are also being sold at the venue.

As part of the festival, a farmer training programme on “Bamboo Cultivation: Opportunities and Marketing” was organised. Bamboo expert Jabiulla of Davanagere shared insights on bamboo cultivation, uses, value addition and marketing opportunities. Different bamboo varieties are also available for sale at the venue.

A special training programme on “Seed Conservation and Organic Seed Production” will be held tomorrow at 12 noon. Visitors can also explore and purchase a variety of products including millets, traditional rice varieties, pulses, cold-pressed oils, naturally ripened mangoes, jackfruits.