Assam Farmers Learn to Register Indigenous Crop Varieties at Golaghat Training Programme

A one-day training and awareness programme on the registration of farmers' indigenous crop varieties was held on Tuesday at the Khumtai Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Golaghat district, organised under the initiative of Assam Agricultural University and conducted under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA).

Around 100 farmers from different parts of Golaghat district attended the programme, which combined awareness sessions, expert talks, and an on-site exhibition of locally preserved crop varieties.

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Dr Atul Chandra Sharma, Deputy Registrar of the PPV&FRA from Guwahati, gave a detailed explanation of the process for registering farmers' own indigenous crop varieties and the legal and economic benefits associated with doing so.

Dr Kishore Sharma, Head Professor of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, attended as a resource person and emphasised the importance of conserving and formally registering local crop varieties to protect them for future generations.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr Madhusmita Kataki, Senior Scientist of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Golaghat, who outlined the objectives of the event. The meeting was chaired by Dr Tulsi Prasad Saikia, Chief Scientist of the Borlakhachan Sugarcane Research Centre.

An exhibition of indigenous crop varieties was organised during the programme, where farmers displayed the local varieties they had preserved over the years — a visible demonstration of the region's agricultural biodiversity.

By the end of the day, applications were submitted for the registration of 10 indigenous crop varieties. Farmers also exchanged ideas with attending scientists on various agricultural topics, making the session interactive and practically useful.