Bihars Magahi Pan Producers Honored with National Award for Agricultural Heritage

Nawada, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : Bihar’s agricultural heritage has received significant recognition with the recent awarding of the prestigious Plant Genome Savior Community Award to the Magahi Pan Producers Welfare Committee. This honor, conferred by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, acknowledges the committee’s efforts in preserving and promoting the traditional varieties of Magahi pan, a unique agricultural product from the Nawada district.

The award ceremony took place on November 12 at the National Agricultural Science Complex in New Delhi, coinciding with the authority’s 22nd foundation day. Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, presented the award to representatives of the committee.

Notable attendees included Atish Chandra, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Dr. Mangilal Jat, Secretary of the Agricultural Research and Education Department, and Dr. Virendra R. Tiwari, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority. The ceremony was also graced by Dr. D. R. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University, and other distinguished guests who celebrated this achievement.

The award recognizes the significant contributions of farmer communities and organizations in conserving traditional crop varieties, genetic resources, and indigenous agricultural knowledge. The selection of the Magahi Pan Producers Welfare Committee is seen as a national acknowledgment of the collective efforts and traditional knowledge of Bihar’s pan-producing farmers.

Dr. D. R. Singh congratulated the committee officials and farmers, emphasizing that this recognition reflects the hard work and commitment of Bihar’s farmers to biodiversity conservation. He noted the university’s ongoing efforts to enhance the preservation of traditional crops, develop scientific production techniques, and increase farmers’ incomes.

The Magahi pan has already received Geographical Indication (GI) status, further highlighting its unique identity. Scientists from Bihar Agricultural University have played a crucial role in promoting scientific farming techniques and providing technical support to farmers. The contributions of the staff and scientists at the pan research center in Islamapur have also been instrumental in this achievement.

This award not only strengthens the national identity of Magahi pan but also encourages Bihar’s pan-producing farmers in their efforts to preserve their agricultural heritage through scientific farming practices.