Odisha farmer saves 380 varieties of native seeds, helps growers shift to organic farming

In a small village in Odisha’s Bargarh district, Hrushikesh Padhan collects and saves seeds that were slowly disappearing from farmers’ fields. Inside his seed bank in Bargaon village, shelves and racks are lined with carefully stored bundles of indigenous paddy, as well as seeds of pulses and vegetables, to preserve native crops for future generations.

Over the decades, indigenous paddy varieties declined as high-yielding crops became the preferred choice from the mid-1960s onwards following the Green Revolution.

“To check this erosion of native seeds, I set up the Maheswari Community Seed Bank (MCSB) in 2017 to conserve indigenous landraces, grow them on my farm, and encourage other farmers to do the same,” Hrushikesh tells 30Stades.

Farmers in seven villages now cultivate indigenous paddy, pulses and vegetables using seeds from the bank. About 70 farmers are active members of MCSB. 

Organic farming and collecting seeds

Between 2015 and 2017, Hrushikesh worked as a village animator (community development worker) with Kolkata-based Sarva Seva Samity Sanstha (SSSS) in Bargarh. There, he learned not only the techniques of organic farming but also about the diversity of indigenous paddy varieties.

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“I understood how the extensive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in high-yielding varieties gradually degrades soil quality and adversely affects human health,” he says.

That’s when Hrushikesh decided to establish a seed bank for native paddy. He travelled across villages, attended seed festivals, and interacted with farmers in western and southern Odisha to collect and exchange seeds. 

Over time, he expanded to include seeds of pulses, vegetables and micro-greens. 

Today, his seed bank has conserved about 380 varieties of indigenous paddy, pulses and vegetables collected from farmers and organisations across Odisha. Of these, 246 are paddy varieties.

His efforts were supported by Sambalpur-based Deshi Bihana Surakshya Manch (DBSM). Bhittibhumi Seva Sangathan (BSS) at the Bargarh district headquarters provided seed containers, racks and other storage tools free of cost.

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Driving change

“After passing class 12 in 1998, I helped my father, late Gaura Chandra Padhan, in farming. He was growing high-yielding varieties like ‘Swarna’ and ‘Puja’ in 10 acres, while indigenous varieties such as ‘Magura’ and ‘Sunakathi’ were limited to two acres,” Hrushikesh recollects.

“When I worked with SSSS under the ‘Basic Krushi’ project, I learned about the toxic impacts of high-yielding varieties and the medicinal value of nutrient-rich indigenous crops. That changed my approach to farming. I began prioritising indigenous varieties, a clear shift from my late father’s practices,” adds Hrushikesh, who completed his graduation in 2020 through correspondence from Bharathiar University.

On his 2.5 acres, Hrushikesh now grows more than five indigenous paddy varieties, including ‘Mugdhi’, ‘Kalabati’ and ‘Kalajeera’, along with the pulse variety ‘Chaiti’ on half an acre.

He also cultivates vegetables such as tomatoes of the ‘Kundru’ variety, potatoes of ‘Kulfi Jyoti’, red and green cowpeas (‘Jhudanga’) like ‘Burburi’, lady’s finger ‘Hati Sundha’, and green gram varieties ‘Samnat’ and ‘Chikini Kali’.

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How the seed bank works

Every year, Hrushikesh cultivates rare paddy varieties such as ‘Kadali Kenda’ and ‘Rani Saheb’ on one acre to conserve organic rice biodiversity. Pulses and vegetables are similarly grown to maintain diversity. Farmers can procure these seeds in quantities of 200 to 250 gm from the seed bank.

Seeds are mostly exchanged through a barter system. Farmers usually provide one variety in return for another.

“If a farmer borrows seeds without exchange, the quantity must be returned with interest in the next season. For instance, borrowing one kg of paddy seed requires returning 1.5 kg after harvest,” Hrushikesh explains.

Gopal Motari, a farmer from Khaliapali village, says, “In 2024, I exchanged one kg of aromatic ‘Pusa Basmati’ to get the same quantity of ‘Mugdhi’ from MCSB. I also used Pusa Basmati to obtain indigenous vegetable seeds like bitter gourd, cucumber (‘Kakudi’) and three varieties of pigeon pea (‘Kandula’), each ranging from 200 to 250 gm.”

Occasionally, Hrushikesh also sells seeds from the bank, earning about Rs 40,000 annually. This income supplements his overall annual turnover of over Rs 25 lakh from dairy, fruit, flower and paddy farming.

“I spend the entire Rs 40,000 on wages for two workers who maintain the seed bank and on materials needed for seed conservation. Each worker is paid Rs 400 per working day,” Hrushikesh adds.

MCSB began modestly with just 46 indigenous paddy varieties such as ‘Sunakathi’, ‘Magura’, ‘Bagni Jhuli’ and ‘Bhulu’. Today, it houses plain ‘Jhuli’, black rice ‘Sona’, brown ‘Kempu Dadi’, red ‘Suka Bhel’, yellow ‘Makhura’, and even a green paddy variety whose name is yet to be identified.

Dr Debabrata Panda, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources at the Central University of Odisha, Sunabeda, corroborates Hrushikesh’s understanding of indigenous crops.

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“Indigenous paddy varieties are rich in protein, vitamins E and C, zinc, and many other minerals and nutrients. Black, red, and brown rice varieties, in particular, are rich in antioxidants, fibre, and medicinal properties. Fibre helps reduce diabetes, while phenols protect cells and enhance anti-inflammatory capacity,” Dr Panda says.

 “When we noticed Hrushikesh’s interest, we linked him with like-minded organisations and took him on exposure visits to collect different seeds. We also trained him to prepare bio-fertilisers such as ‘Jivamruta’ and ‘Bijamruta’, and bio-pesticides like ‘Nimastra’, ‘Agniastra’ and ‘Bramhastra’,” says Manoj Kumar Mohanty, convener of DBSM.

How native seeds are conserved

The seed bank now conserves 246 paddy varieties, 30 types of green gram, 12 black gram varieties, 30 millets, eight sweet potato varieties, 18 sesame types, 14 horse gram varieties, and several kinds of vegetables, micro-greens and wheat. 

Smaller quantities are kept in airtight glass containers. Paddy bundles (‘kenda’ in Odia) are hung on racks inside the seed bank. Some seeds are stored in plastic drums after being mixed with powdered dried neem, nirgundi, or kancha leaves to repel pests. Paddy seeds are sun-dried to prevent infestation, and the building is netted to block flies and mosquitoes.

Through patience, persistence and seeds passed hand to hand, Hrushikesh Padhan is quietly rebuilding a living archive that restores biodiversity and brings the community together in farming.

(Niroj Ranjan Misra is a Cuttack-based freelance writer. He writes on rural and tribal life, social issues, art and culture, and sports.)

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