NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today unveiled 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at the NASC Complex, New Delhi.
The event was organized under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and was attended by scientists, senior officials, and agricultural experts.
These 184 varieties have been developed by ICAR scientists after years of research, testing, and evaluation, taking into account various agro-climatic conditions, soil types, and farming practices.
During the program, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Dr. M.L. Jat, Director General, ICAR, were also present and shared their views.
Dr. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Chairperson and Managing Director of the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, presented a dividend check of Rs. 33.26 crore from NSC to the Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
On this occasion, Minister Shivraj Chouhan said that India has achieved unprecedented success in the development of high-yielding seeds. Since the gazette notification process began in 1969, a total of 7205 crop varieties have been notified, including paddy, wheat, sorghum, maize, pulses, oilseeds, fiber crops, and other crops. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the pace of development of new varieties has accelerated in the last 11-12 years; 3236 high-yielding varieties have been approved during this period alone, while 3969 varieties were notified from 1969 to 2014.
“Now, 184 notified improved varieties have been launched, which will provide farmers across the country with benefits such as higher yields, better quality, and climate resilience”, he added.
Chouhan informed that under the coordinated crop projects of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the council’s institutions, state and central agricultural universities, and private seed companies have jointly contributed significantly to the development of these varieties. Several species with special traits, such as drought tolerance, the ability to yield in saline-alkaline soils, and disease and pest resistance, will provide farmers with a protective shield against changing weather patterns and climate crises.
He said Parliament may take a bill on Seed Act in the coming days for the betterment of the farmers.
