Shadananda Municipality in Bhojpur district of Koshi Province has established a seeds bank, aiming at preserving and promoting indigenous agricultural seeds. The local government decided to launch a campaign to conserve the indigenous seeds for the long run so that it would help minimize growing threat to native crops.
"The major objectives of the campaign are to provide farmers with quality native seeds, to revive the production of locally endangered varieties of crops and to protect the agricultural biodiversity," said Mayor Surendra Kumar Udas.
The drive is expected to contribute substantively in the preservation of native crops, he said.
Through the bank, seeds of millet, buckwheat, barley, Chino (Proso millet), Kaguno (Foxtail millet), gahat ( horse gram), soybean, bean, maize and other local crops have been collected and stored safely. The bank has so far conserved 115 species of 27 sorts of crops that are locally produced, said Municipality's agricultural section chief Dipen Thapa.
Farmers have access to such store on 50-percnet subsidy, it is said.
Similarly, various initiatives including the training to farmers on the selection of seeds, conservation and promotion techniques are being implemented through the bank.
Deputy-Mayor Pramila Rai expressed hope that such initiatives would prove significant in preventing invasive crops species and protecting traditional groups. The local government also aims to further enhance the marketing, branding and reasonable pricing of home-grown crops, thereby increasing farmers' proceeds.
Former President Bhandari pays tribute to Madan-Ashrit
Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has paid tribute to the then general secretary of the CPN UML, Madan Bhadari, and chief of Organization Department, Jibraj Ashrit.
She reminded the constructions of late Bhadari and Ashrit in Nepali communist movement. The leaders had worked untiringly for reaching communist movement among general people, she added.
In a message of tribute she released today, the 33rd Memorial Day of Madan Bhandari and Jibraj Ashrit, Bhandari said the 'people's multi-party democracy' propounded by the popular leader Madan Bhandari is instrumental in ensuring social justice, prosperity and transformation via democratic system.
She further argued the leaders had played vital roles in establishing the UML as a dominant political party in the country.
Similarly, UML chairman KP Sharma Oli paid tribute to the late Bhandari and Ashrit. He remembered the roles they played in consolidation of party organization and development. "I revere their contribution and pay tribute," he stated in a press release today.
According to leader Oli, both Bhandari and Ashrit were his close friends and leaders. "Although those past were painful, the haunting memory is further touching," he observed.
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