ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Ranchi organizes “Biodiversity Fair cum PGR Awareness Workshop” in Bano block of Simdega district in Jharkhand

ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Ranchi, organized a one day “Biodiversity Fair cum Plant Genetic Resources Awareness Workshop” in Papuda village in Bano Block of Simdega district of Jharkhand on 26th March 2018. The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the KVK Bano (Simdega) of the Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi.

Dr. T.R. Sharma, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, graced the occasion as chief guest. In his address as the chief guest, Dr. Sharma lauded the role of native communities in protection of the precious agro-biodiversity and highly appreciated the agro-biodiversity conservation efforts of the ICAR-NBPGR. He said that the diversity in traditional crops is the key to eradicate the rampant malnutrition among the native folks particularly the women and children and should be conserved as such. He also emphasized the need of these fair cum workshops as a tool of awareness generation among the local tribal farmers who are the true custodians of this invaluable diversity and highly appreciated the efforts of Ranchi Station of ICAR-NBPGR in this direction.

Dr. Lalit Kumar Das, Project Coordinator, KVK Simdega welcomed the chief guest and the farmer participants and delivered the introductory lecture. This was followed by the expert addresses by Dr. S.B. Choudhary, Scientist ICAR-NBPGR, RS, Ranchi and Dr. Himanshu Singh of KVK Simdega. More than 200 farmers, mostly women and young farmers attended the workshop and were sensitized about the need and importance of the conservation of agobiodiversity by the speaker resource persons. A number of farmers including women farmers also put forth their point of view on agro-biodiversity and its conservation during the workshop.

The role of ICAR-NBPGR in the conservation of the plant genetic resources of agri-horticultural crops of India was highlighted by Dr. S.K. Bishnoi, Scientist and Officer Incharge in his address as the organizer of the workshop. An exhibition of agri-horticultural germplasm was put on the occasion and was visited and appreciated by the participating farmers and the honorable chief guest. The kitchen garden seed kits containing seeds of locally important seasonal vegetables were distributed among 150 participating farmers.

(Source: Dr S.K. Bishnoi, ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station Jharkhand)