Farmers urged to adopt drought-resilient indigenous crop varieties

With the El Nino phenomenon and deficient rainfall posing a threat to horticultural crops, Joint Director of Horticulture, Mysuru, Manjunath Angadi, has urged farmers to adopt preventive measures and prioritise the cultivation of drought-tolerant indigenous crop varieties.

Inaugurating the 12th Annual General Meeting of the Desi Seed Producers Company at the Institution of Engineers Hall in Mysuru on Wednesday, Mr. Angadi said inadequate rainfall could adversely affect horticultural crops by slowing plant growth, delaying flowering, and increasing the incidence of pests and diseases, ultimately reducing yields.

Seed conservationist Shivalli Boregowda, who is also a Director of the company, said farmers should produce and market seeds of traditional crop varieties that are better adapted to changing climatic conditions. He said Sahaja Seeds, the company’s brand name, has been playing a significant role in promoting such climate-resilient indigenous seed varieties.

President of Rotary Club, J.P. Nagar, Mysuru, D.M. Nagaraj, the chief guest, said the Rotary Club would extend support to farmers’ markets and fairs organised to create awareness among consumers in Mysuru about organic and indigenous farm produce.

The Desi Seed Producers Company, described by its founder G. Krishna Prasad in a press statement as “India’s first farmer-owned organic seed company”, was established by like-minded seed conservers from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Dharwad districts.

The company has since evolved into a successful farmer-owned enterprise. Under the Sahaja Seeds brand, it markets indigenous organic seeds across the country. With the support of the Department of Horticulture, it also operates the Kisan Mall organic retail outlet on the Kukkarahalli Lake premises in Mysuru to promote and sell organic products.

During the financial year 2025-26, the company recorded a turnover of ₹1.1 crore and distributed a profit share of ₹75,000 among its seed-producing farmer members, the statement said.

Presiding over the meeting, Mr. Krishna Prasad said Sahaja Seeds was born out of the vision of a small group of dedicated seed conservers. “Today, our indigenous seeds have customers across India. The governments of Meghalaya, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are also procuring seeds from Sahaja Seeds,” he said, adding that the company had emerged as a model for other Farmer Producer Companies by promoting seed self-reliance.

During the programme, Arpitha C.P. was felicitated for her contribution to the growth of the Sahaja Seeds Farmer Producer Company.