Palpa local crops at risk as hybrid seeds take charge

By Sushila Regmi, Rampur (Palpa), June 29: Hybrid seeds have gradually taken over, putting local seeds on the verge of disappearance. Farmers have been lately attracted to cultivating hybrid crops, vegetables and fruits with their relatively high production.

As a result of the use of hybrid seeds, traditional crops have taken a back seat, said Sita Devkota, a farmer of Rampur. “It is difficult to get high production from crops with the use of indigenous seeds. One cannot sustain only farming for household purposes alone. Farmers use hybrid seeds to grow vegetables, corn, wheat and paddy,” she said.

It is difficult to raise the income only on farming with the use of local seeds, she shared.

Farmers buy hybrid seeds of new species from the market as the opening of agro vet stores in the villages has facilitated. The process has become easier as agro vet outlets have lately made available hybrid seeds of new species, said a farmer Dil Bahadur Thapa.

He has grown vegetables in around 10 ropanis of farmland. “Commercial farming by taking land on lease requires hybrid seeds to make high production. Insects affect local vegetable species. I purchase seeds of new species from the market and have got high production,” he said. Production from hybrid seeds is good when it comes to investment and labour in farming, he said. Quality crops are less affected by insects, he said.

He also seeks consultation with agriculture technicians before growing crops, which he said would result in high production.

Many farmers have switched to quality seeds with the facilitation in the farming and its high production, said Ramhari Pandey, chief of the agriculture section of the Rampur Municipality. Forget the growing of local crops in a few cases, many farmers have switched to hybrid seeds, it is found,” he said.

Paddy seeds like ‘Sabitri’, ‘Sawa Mansuli’, ‘US 312 Champion’ and ‘Raja Gorakhnath’ are used in the village, he said. Paddy is the second highest-grown crop in the Palpa district.     However lately, paddy production is decreasing with the arable land turning into housing plots, said agriculture technicians. (RSS)