This farmer conserves over 800 types of organic vegetable seeds; sells across India

While growing up in Kushalnagar, Karnataka, Aftab MB developed a keen interest in farming. Though he pursued a diploma in mechanical engineering, he continued reading books on agriculture, visiting farmers, and attending farming seminars. He often thought of reviving old organic practices to reverse the harm done by chemicals. However, fate had other plans. 

“Back in the 1980s, there were limited career options. I completed my diploma in 1988 and began working at a salary of Rs1500 per month. To earn better and fund my children’s education, I worked in the construction sector in Dubai and Oman for over 10 years and then returned to India,” says Aftab, now 55.

His dream of reviving chemical-free organic farming was intact after all these years. In 2018, he bought two acres of land to build a school for organic farming, but that project could not take off due to resource crunch. 

Organic vegetable farming to save seeds

“Meanwhile, I began collecting vegetable seeds in 2019 by contacting organic farmers, who conserve native seeds. I have seeds from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari and Nagaland and Chhattisgarh to Gujarat. My friends also helped me get in touch with growers cultivating native vegetables without using chemicals,” he says.

“I believe seed conservation is the only way to protect plant biodiversity and ensure food safety for future generations,” Aftab tells 30Stades. 

With a growing collection of seeds, he needed land to multiply and save them.

“I took a piece of one acre barren land on lease. There, I began cultivating organic vegetables. Most of them are extinct from mainstream farming, but I have saved their seeds and I share them with organic farmers and gardeners,” he says.

Also See: Five seed savers protecting plant biodiversity

Aftab has over 800 types of vegetable seeds. They include 270 varieties of brinjals or aubergines, radishes in 20 colours, 34 varieties of okra, 100 types of tomatoes, 40 types of cowpeas, and 70 varieties of chillies including Carolina Reaper (the world’s hottest pepper as ranked by the Guinness Book of World Record), North East’s Bhüt Jolokia (ghost pepper) in six colours and China’s Thunder Mountain Longhorn pepper. 

All these vegetables thrive well in the Indian climate. “Over 300 years back, India had just a handful of vegetables. From tomato to potato and bell peppers, all vegetables came to India from other countries. Today, India is a leading producer of vegetables because the weather here is suitable for their cultivation,” Aftab explains.

Conservation of organic seeds

Since over 90 percent of these vegetables have been in India for over a century, they have adapted well to the local climatic conditions. Seeds comprise about 15 percent of the agricultural cost for farmers. 

Native seeds can be stored for the next season, unlike hybrid seeds and cut this cost. Additionally, they don’t require chemicals because they are well-adapted to the local climate and are naturally resistant to pests and diseases. That reduces farming costs further.

Also Read: Five ways to buy genuine organic seeds in India

“I prepare organic inputs like jeevamruth (or jeevamrit), cow dung manure, vermicompost, and leaf compost on the farm and use natural mulching as it reduces water requirements. I cultivate vegetables in small patches of land through organic farming, and save their seeds,” he says.

Aftab propagates and multiplies the seeds every year.

“To avoid cross-pollination, I manually pollinate the flowers and cover the plants. Then I harvest the vegetables to make seeds.  It is a time-consuming process,” he points out. 

He does not sell the vegetables. “After harvest, I clean the vegetables and ferment them to procure the seeds. Then he cleans and sundries the seeds. This yields bright seeds (instead of black ones) with a high probability of germination, about 85 percent,” he explains. 

Aftab stores the seeds in a 350-litre refrigerator as they sell out quickly. “The prices are nominal as I want people to take up organic farming and kitchen gardening using these seeds,” he says. The price of a seed packet starts at Rs50. They are sent across India by courier. 

“So far, over 10,000 people have bought seeds from me and I want more and more people to join this biodiversity conservation movement and move away from chemicals,” he says.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai- based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)

Also Read: How tribal women farmers are conserving native seeds & ensuring nutritional security 

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