Hyderabad: In a groundbreaking move to preserve the agricultural heritage of Sindh, the M. H. Panhwar Institute of Sindh Studies Jamshoro has announced the establishment of a seed bank dedicated to the conservation of indigenous seeds of staple foods.
This decision was made during a meeting held at the institute, where the concept of establishing a seed bank was floated and discussed in detail. The initiative aimed to collect, conserve, and distribute traditional and indigenous crop varieties in Sindh, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
The meeting began with discussions on the critical need to preserve the genetic diversity of traditional crops of Sindh and concluded with a concrete action plan. The key resolutions passed during the meeting included:
The Establishment of the Seed Bank, a dedicated facility will be created at the institute to conserve indigenous seeds of staple crops.
Progressive farmers and landowners willing to volunteer land for cultivating indigenous crop varieties will be identified.
A comprehensive survey will be conducted to document indigenous seeds and their places of origin.
All collected seed varieties will be catalogued, and their DNA, nutritional value, and chemical composition will be analyzed in collaboration with relevant labs. All gathered data will be systematically recorded for future reference.
Several individuals and organizations pledged their support for this initiative, such as: Mir Amanullah Talpur volunteered to provide numerous indigenous seed varieties he has preserved and offered 10 acres of his farmland for conservation cultivation.
Muzamil Farooqi from Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam promised to contribute at least five varieties of indigenous crops. Ghulam Sarwar Panhwar also offered his farmland to support the conservation efforts.
The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Wazir Ali Baloch and attended by Chairman of Institute Sani Hussain Panhwar, former Vice-Chancellor SABS University Jamshoro Prof. Dr. Bhai Khan Shar, Librarian of Digital Library Niranjan Rajani, Mir Amanullah Talpur, Ghulam Sarwar Panhwar, Prof. Dr. Ali Murtaza Dharejo, Zafar Junejo, Muzamil Farooque Jamali, Librarian of Physical Library Liaquat Rizvi and Abdul Latif Laghari.
The meeting attendees visited the institute's physical and digital libraries, which house an impressive collection of 7,000 digitized books. The delegation also witnessed the number of books of M. H. Panhwar and books donated by Zafar Junejo and Ghulam Muhammad Lakho. The delegation expressed appreciation for the institute's commitment to preserving the region's cultural and agricultural legacy.
