Ranchi Station of ICAR-NBPGR organised a one day Biodiversity Fair cum PGR Awareness Workshop in East Singhbhoom

A one day Biodiversity Fair cum Plant Genetic Resources Awareness Workshop was organized by ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Ranchi at Darisai village in East Singhbhooom district of Jharkhand in collaboration with the KVK Darisai of the Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi. Mrs. Uma Mahto, the Director of the District Rural Development Agency, East Singhbhooom, graced the occasion as chief guest. In her address as the chief guest, she highly appreciated the agrobiodiversity conservation efforts of the Ranchi Station and the NBPGR as a whole and emphasized the need of these workshops to be organized regularly involving the local tribal farmers who are the true custodians of this invaluable diversity. Dr. Arti Beena Ekka, Project Coordinator, KVK Darisai welcomed the chief guest and delivered the introductory lecture. This was followed by the expert addresses by Dr. Arun Kumar, Assistant Professor, BAU, Ranchi, Dr. Sudarshan Maurya, Senior Scientist, ICAR-RCER, RC, Ranchi and Dr. S.B. Choudhary, ICAR-NBPGR, RS, Ranchi. A large number of farmers, mostly women attended the workshop and were apprised about the need and importance of the conservation of agobiodiversity. Dr. S.K. Bishnoi, Scientist and Officer Incharge in his address as the organizer of the workshop, highlighted the role of NBPGR in the conservation of the plant genetic resources of agri-horticultural crops of India. He lauded and emphasized upon the very crucial role of the native farmers in the conservation of precious landraces of the crop plants.
An exhibition displaying germplasm of agri-horticultural crops including medicinal and other economic plants was put on the occasion and was visited and appreciated by a large number of farmers including the honorable chief guest. Few unique germplasm/stocks of Mango (Apple shaped) and jackfruit (Small size and very hard flesh even after ripening) were also identified during the peogramme with the help of the farmers.
The kitchen garden seed kits containing seeds of ten important seasonal vegetables for growing in the kitchen garden for enhanced nutrition in the ethnic tribal backdrop was distributed among 150 tribal farmers. The event was covered by DD Bihar and most of the local news papers.