ITANAGAR, 18 Feb: Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Papum Pare organized a training and awareness programme on protection of plant varieties and farmers’ rights at Naharlagun on 17 February.
Attending the programme, agriculture director Balung Mengu encouraged the farmers to adopt traditional crop varieties to conserve biodiversity. He urged them to register their crops under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) to avail benefits, recognition and rewards for conserving plant genetic resources.
Retired director of agriculture T.D Neckom suggested that the farmers register high yielding paddy variety IR-8 and asked them to follow ‘distinctiveness, uniformity and stability’ of the crop variety to get it registered under PPV&FRA.
Director of AHV&DD Dr. Danjan Longri emphasized the importance of similar programmes to bridge the gap between scientific, legal frameworks and traditional agriculture practices for farmers of the state.
Resource person Dr. Atul Chandra Sharma, deputy registrar of PPV & FRA, ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare, spoke on the registration process and highlighted the legal framework for protecting farmers’ rights.
Another resource person Dr. Lenmem Yosung, assistant professor at College of Agriculture, RGU, highlighted the importance of PPV & FR Act 2001.
An exhibition was also held during the programme, where KVKs of Kurung Kumey, Upper Subansiri, Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri and North Lakhimpur participated along with the farmers from respective districts.
Germplasm of traditional crop varieties like rice, maize, millet, soybean, yam, mangosteen, colocasia, ginger, chestnut etc were showcased during the programme.
Earlier, Papum Pare KVK head Dr. Bangkeng Perme highlighted the importance of the PPV & FR Act in safeguarding the rights of farmers and conserving traditional crop varieties.
Over 100 farmers from Papum Pare, Kurung Kumey, Upper Subansiri, and North Lakhimpur (Assam) attended the programme.
