GAIBANDHA, May 23 (BSS): Speakers at a function here Thursday said setting up seed banks could play a significant role in facing the seed crisis the 'char' people experience.
"Formation of 'char' land is changed every year due to flash floods and river erosion for which the crops that are produced successfully this year, may not be produced well the next year," they said.
They made the comments while inaugurating a seed bank for the 'char' dwellers on the premises of Chinirpatal Madrasa at Kalasonarchar under Ureya union of Fulchhari upazila in the district.
Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK), a research-based development organisation, and Kalasonarchar Farmers' Organisation jointly arranged the function under Peoples Led Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation project funded by Misereor German.
Upazila Parishad Chairman Habibur Rahman addressed the function as the chief guest and UNO Mostafizur Rahman was present as the special guest.
With freedom fighter Abul Hossain in the chair, the function was also addressed, among others, by BARCIK Coordinator Towhidul Alam, agriculture researcher Amrita Sarker, chairperson of farmers' organisation M Shafi Alam and farmers Solaiman Ali and Azgar Ali.
The speakers said storing seeds of different varieties is an urgent need for cultivation on changed 'char' land in a bid to get a desired output from there to change their socio- economic condition gradually.
Many of the 'char' dwellers could not store seeds of different varieties themselves due to their inability during the emergencies, they said.
In such cases, the seed bank could help significantly to provide required seeds to the 'char' dwellers to continue their farming on the 'char' land, they added.
A large number of local farmers including 50 coming from 13 districts of the country took part in the function and exchanged their views on the importance of seed bank establishment.
