Seed is the most important technology for agriculture. From the ancient time, farmers collect their seed from their production, preserve and use year-round. It was sustainable practice for agriculture depended livelihood. Once upon a time every farmer house was small seed store. But due to introduce high yielding, hybrid, GM verities and market based economy; farmers have lost their traditional practice and become market dependent for seed. To reduce market dependency and establish seed security again, LEDARS is trying to develop village seed producer in coastal area under the project “Strengthening Livelihood Security of Climate Vulnerable People” supported by Bread for the World. Already 20 village seed producers has been developed their house as a village seed house.
Dipti Rani is one of them who are producing, preserving and selling different types of seed. Depti Rani is living in Fultala village of Munshigonj union under Shyamnagar Upazila. She lives in joint family and her husband Dhananjoy Kumar Mondal is a day labor. They have one son and daughter. Depti Rani has selected as a project participant of the project and she involve in Darshiel climate resilient group as a paddy cultivator. She has received training, technical support and cash grant to develop a seed store. She said “seed production, preservation and sell in market is our genetically practice. In the past, my father-in-law practiced this, then my husband and at present I am practicing this. Last 5-7 years I am preserving different kinds of vegetables, paddy and pulse seeds in house. Women of farmers families are coming to me to buy seeds from my neighboring village. Recently, i got support from LEDARS to strengthen my practice. After getting that support I have extended my plan and preserving huge seeds before than previous. Every day I am selling seeds from my house. I have popularity as a quality seeds seller to farmers of this area. By selling seeds I am contributing cash money to improve my family and my children’s education and it is empowering me”.
Shobita Joarder and Tapoti Rani Mondal said, we are buying seeds from Dipti Rani now. It is cheep and we do not need to go market for seed. Another farmer Panchanan Mandal of Jelekhali village under Shyamnagar Upazila has reorganization as a village seed producer. LEDARS has provided equipment to him for seeds preservation. He said, “I conserve different kinds of crop seeds in my house and people are coming to me to collect seed. I am suggesting farmers to conserve quality seeds for self-dependency and exchange seed between farmers to farmer”.
Under the mentioned project, LEDARS is developing 20 seed houses in 20 village to reduce seed dependency to market and make a resilient village for agriculture. The project beneficiaries and community people are collecting and exchanging seed from that seed houses. Village seed producers (Seed house) are playing significant role to establish seed security, reducing market dependency and promoting indigenous seed exchange practice which is most important for climate resilient agriculture in coastal area.
