Assam: Consultation Program Held In Udalguri, TERI Chief Urges Preservation Of Native Crop Varieties

UDALGURI: During a recent stakeholder consultation in Udalguri, Assam, Vibha Dhawan, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), underscored the critical need to preserve and cultivate high-yielding native crop varieties. “High-yielding native crop varieties suitable for this region should be preserved and cultivated for the well-being of society,” she stated.

The event, organized by Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organization, was held to focus on increasing soil fertility and drought-tolerant crops. The project is under the GEF-UNDP Small Grants Programme to foster human-elephant coexistence (HEC) and biodiversity in the region.

Dhawan stressed the need for community participation and the creation of a sustainability plan to ensure the long-term success of the project. Dipankar Saharia, Senior Director of TERI, spoke on local issues and the importance of collaborative action in biodiversity conservation, especially through agrobiodiversity as a strategy to address climate change.

During her visit, Dhawan met the community members and opened a children's library for the nursery workers' children, saying, "This library will be a rich resource for the children, fuelling their curiosity and giving them access to knowledge outside of the classroom."

The consultation, which had a turnout of over 70 attendees, held discussions revolving around government schemes and minimum support prices (MSPs) for farmers. Aaranyak was recently recognized with the SGP Best Innovation Award by UNDP & TERI for the successful implementation of conservation and community development initiatives.

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