Ten seed festivals where you can buy native seeds

Native seeds are more than just planting material. They are the result of years of hard work of farmers and seed savers, resulting in ecological resilience, and nutritional diversity. Unlike commercial hybrids that are costly, demand chemical inputs and cannot be reused in the next season, native or heirloom seeds are naturally adapted to local soils, climates, and farming practices.

The resilience of native seeds to drought, pests, and floods makes them important in this era of climate change.

The people preserving these seeds are farmers, tribal communities, NGOs and grassroots networks. They carefully conserve, exchange, and replant traditional varieties each season. By maintaining thousands of landraces of rice, millet, pulses, and vegetables, they safeguard a genetic library for future generations.

In many rural seed festivals across India, farmers gather to exchange these heirlooms, strengthening community bonds while reducing dependence on costly external inputs.

Here are ten annual seed festivals where one can buy or exchange native seeds:

1. Wayanad Community Seed Fest (Kerala)

This seed festival is held each year at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Wayanad. Farmers and tribal seed-savers gather for exhibitions, seed exchange, soil testing, and the “Genome Saviours” awards. It is a major hub for agrobiodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats. 

2. Desi Seed Festival – Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Also known as “Desi Beejotsava,” this two-day indigenous seed festival takes place annually in June at the Institution of Agricultural Technologists in Bengaluru. Organized by IAT with Keystone Foundation and local farmer groups, it spotlights native seed preservation. Farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka and many others associated with seed conservation networks bring their saved varieties to share and sell.

Also Read: With Rs 150 and a bike, this farmer saved 300 native vegetable seeds; sells across India

3. Native Seed Festival – Tiruvarur (Tamil Nadu)

Held annually since 2006 in Thiruthuraipoondi, this event celebrates traditional varieties of grain, showcasing over 200 native types like Mapillai Samba. Smallholder and organic farmers in the region, who have been cultivating these varieties for generations, bring their seeds.

Commonly known as Nel Thiruvizha or Paddy Festival, it focuses on organic methods, heritage grains, and local preservation.

4. Seed & Food Fest – Mysuru (Karnataka)

A recurring two-day event organized by Sahaja Samrudha, Swissaid, and FiBL, it usually takes place in June. Farmers can buy, exchange, and explore over 250 varieties of traditional rice, millet, vegetable, and fruit seeds. Also, rare jackfruit saplings such as Siddu Halasu, Shankara, Sarvarutu are available for purchase. The festival includes workshops on organic seed production, gardener meet-ups and cultural food displays.

5. Beej Utsav – Central India (Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat)

An expansive, multi-village festival organized annually by NGO Vaagdhara, this four-day celebration spans over 60 events and 250 villages. It focuses on seed sovereignty, biodiversity fairs, seed dialogues, and hands-on activities like seed-ball making with hundreds of traditional seed varieties exchanged. Tribal women, youth, and children play central roles. Seed Mitras and Seed Mothers are honoured for carrying forward the legacy.

The programmes also include seed dialogues, biodiversity fairs, seed-ball making, tribal marches, and community pledges.

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

6. Burlang Festival (Kutia Kondh community, Odisha)

Held annually since 2013, this indigenous seed festival features earthern/bamboo seed pots, locally called “burlangs”, as a central motif. Communities exchange seeds, celebrate with dance and music, and revive 60 native crop varieties, ranging from pulses to millets and herbs. Deeply rooted in tradition, the seeds are exchanged alongside music, dance, and community bonding.

7. All-India Kisan Swaraj Sammelan Seed Mela, Mysuru, (Karnataka)

This recurring national-level seed mela includes about 50 stalls and brings together over 150 seed savers from across India. Farmer Producer Organizations and seed custodians display and exchange rare indigenous seeds. 

8. Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Fair (Andhra Pradesh)

Also called Patha Vithanala Pandaga, this annual two-day indigenous seed festival takes place in Killoguda, Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Farmers and tribal communities from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh come together with over 60 stalls of heirloom seeds and organic produce. The activities include seed exhibitions, field visits to natural farming sites, and interaction between tribal communities and visitors.

9. Indigenous Seed Festival – Sundarbans (West Bengal)

While it began more recently in February 2024, this Deshaj Beej Utsav titled "Roots and Rights" is a community seed festival held annually in the Sundarbans region. It promotes seed exchange and natural farming among smallholders in Sundarbans. The seeds are local resilient varieties adapted to deltaic, saline conditions.

10. Seed Festival, Balodabazar, (Chhattisgarh)

Hosted annually by KALP in the Kasdol block, this seed festival brings together nearly 800 farmers from over 30 forest villages. It focuses on indigenous seed conservation, exchange, traditional crops, sustainable farming practices, and cultural performances. The festival includes conservation, exchange programmes, cultural performances, and awareness on sustainable and organic farming.

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture.)

Also Read: Sun-dried veggies and 800 native seeds

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