Erosion of Traditional Seed Supply System in Murshidabad District of West Bengal

Abstract

This study aims to explore the erosion of traditional seed supply system (TSSS) in Murshidabad district of West Bengal with reference to the erosion of rice diversity in the district. Agriculture is the main occupation of Murshidabad because of its favourable climate and quality of soil. The investigators had interviewed 400 cultivators from all the 26 community development blocks in the district and found that 164 varieties of rice were once available in the farmers’ fields and at present only 12 are being cultivated marginally. In the case of high yielding varieties (HYV), farmers generally prefer to buy seeds from the market for consistent yield. A very little percentage of farmers keep HYV seeds for the next year’s planting material.

Keywords

• traditional seed supply system
• biodiversity
• traditional knowledge
• traditional rice
• west bengal