A mother of two, Jayashree Shirdhone of Shedshal village is perpetually concerned about the health of her family, especially with regard to the food they eat. Her worries grew when she learned about the excess use of chemicals in hybrid varieties of food grains and vegetables from Shamshadbi Pathan, another resident of the village, located in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, known for sugarcane cultivation. It is then that Shirdhone, Pathan and other women from the village, decided to preserve and promote seeds of native crop varieties that do not need much chemicals. “These are the varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases and can provide stable crop yields,” says Pathan.
In 2019, their efforts resulted in the formation of “Late Appasaheb alias Sa Re Patil Desi Beej Bank”, which stores the seeds of over 50 varieties of indigenous foodgrains and vegetables like kidney beans, tomato and brinjal. Pathan, who is now the president of the seed bank, says, “We were motivated to start the initiative after watching videos of Rahibai Popere, referred to as the ‘seed mother’ of Maharashtra.” Known for an extraordinary understanding of crop diversity and conservation of native plant varieties, Popere helps farmers practice sustainable agriculture. “We were able to source some seeds of indigenous crops from Popere with the help of a sugar factory owner in the region, and set up the seed bank in a small, rented room in the village,” recalls Pathan.
Now the bank has grown in size and is being managed by 130 women who have formed self-help groups. “The seed bank operates on a give-and-take mechanism. People borrow seeds from the bank, depending on their requirement during different seasons, grow in their backyard and then return a little extra than what they had borrowed for further distribution,” explains Shirdhone.
The seed bank has also come to the aid of farmers in the village. “Salinity had damaged my 1.2 hectares of land, and it took a lot of effort to reclaim it. To maintain the soil health, I borrowed indigenous tur (pigeon pea) seeds from the seed bank. Though the yield was low, the crop helped me maintain my reclaimed land,” says Sunil Suryavanshi, a farmer from the village. “Most are still apprehensive about the duration and yield of the native crop varieties. Yet, there is a growing demand for our seeds. In recent years, farmers from other districts of Maharashtra like Latur, Ahilyanagar and from bordering districts in Karnataka have approached us for the indigenous seeds. But we always lend the seeds, never sell them,” says Pathan.
This was first published in the 16-30 November, 2024 print edition of Down To Earth