Amit Shah Reviews Efforts to Promote Traditional Seeds Under BBSSL

During the meeting, Shri Shah highlighted the organization’s continuous efforts to preserve India's rich agricultural heritage by ensuring the sustainable availability of indigenous seeds.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi today regarding the conservation and promotion of traditional and sweet seeds under the Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL). During the meeting, Shri Shah highlighted the organization's continuous efforts to preserve India's rich agricultural heritage by ensuring the sustainable availability of indigenous seeds.

In a significant directive, Shri Amit Shah instructed that organic production of selected traditional seeds from different regions of the country should be initiated and made widely available in markets by the Kharif season of 2025. The primary seeds identified for this initiative include:

• Amreli millet (Gujarat)
• Uttarakhand Gahat (Horse Gram)
• Uttarakhand Mandua (Finger Millet)
• Bundelkhand Methi (Fenugreek)
• Kathia wheat
• Munsiyari Rajma
• Kala Bhatt
• Four varieties of Kala Namak paddy
• Juhi paddy (West Bengal)
• Gopal Bhog paddy (West Bengal)

Shri Shah underscored the importance of creating a comprehensive database cataloging all traditional seeds of fruits, vegetables, and food grains from across the country. He emphasized the necessity of implementing a well-defined action plan for their conservation and widespread promotion.

The meeting also deliberated on various strategies to encourage farmers to adopt traditional seed varieties, ensuring their organic production and marketing to enhance sustainability and biodiversity in Indian agriculture. The BBSSL's ongoing initiatives in this regard were praised, with discussions focusing on expanding outreach programs, facilitating farmer training, and establishing robust supply chains for these traditional seeds.

The Minister reiterated the government's commitment to supporting indigenous agriculture through scientific interventions and cooperative frameworks. The initiative aligns with India's broader vision of self-reliance in agriculture, sustainable farming practices, and the promotion of organic food production on a national scale.

Further action plans and timelines were also discussed to ensure a structured approach towards achieving these goals. The BBSSL will play a crucial role in facilitating partnerships with farmers, cooperatives, and market stakeholders to ensure the success of this initiative.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Cooperation, BBSSL representatives, agricultural experts, and key stakeholders committed to strengthening India's traditional seed conservation efforts.