Hyderabad: Mobile biodiversity festival celebrated in Zaheerabad

Hyderabad: Deccan Development Society (DDS) celebrated the Zahirabad Mandal Jathara of 23rd mobile biodiversity festival at the Government Degree College here on Sunday.

The event began with traditional songs and the installation of seeds by the Sangham women farmers.

DDS founding member P V Satheesh said that the mobile biodiversity festival has grown from 2 carts and one village to 16 carts and 25 villages in a span of two decades.

“Every year the rate of biodiversity loss in native seed varieties is rising rapidly. I am glad that over the years, DDS has saved Zaheerabad as one of the standing agro-biodiversity hotspots in Telangana, especially for millets. It is our mission to conserve and promote the cultivation of these crops for generations to come,” he said.

After his speech, a short film called “20 years of Mobile Biodiversity Festival” was screened.

Zaheerabad’s assistant director of agriculture B Bikshapathi said that 2023 has been declared as an international year of millets.

“Governments are realizing the importance of millets as nutri-cereals and is resolving to bring more acreage under millet cultivation,” he said.