PM highlighted the significance of sustainable and farmer-friendly agriculture

Farmers stated that the new varieties will be highly beneficial in helping reduce expenditure and have a positive impact on the environment

PM acknowledged ICAR scientists for the development of these new crop varieties

11 August 2024, New Delhi

Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, dedicated 109 new crop varieties, marking a major advancement in the nation's agricultural sector. These varieties, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, were released at the research fields of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi today.

  

The Prime Minister released 109 varieties of 61 crops including 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops. Among the field crops, seeds of various cereals including millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fibre, and other potential crops were released, whereas the horticultural crops consisted of different varieties of fruits, vegetable crops, plantation crops, tuber crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal crops were released. The ceremony highlighted their importance in enhancing food security, boosting agricultural diversity, and tackling pressing nutritional issues in the country. These new varieties are climate-resilient, nutritionally rich, and adaptable to environmental changes. The launch of these varieties represents a significant advancement in the government’s effort to strengthen and future-proof Indian agriculture.

The new varieties encompass a wide range of crops, including cereals (rice, wheat, maize), millets (barley, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet), pulses (chickpea, pigeon pea, lentil, field pea, faba bean, mung bean), oilseeds (safflower, soybean, groundnut, sesame), fibre (cotton, jute), forage (peral millet, berseem, oats, maize, sorghum), sugar crops (sugarcane), potential crops (buckwheat, amaranth, winged bean, adzuki bean, pillipesara, kalingda, perilla), fruits (mango, pomegrnate, guava, bael, pummelo, musk melon, water melon), vegetables (potato, tomato, sem, bottle gourd, okra), flowers (crossandra, gladiolus, marigold, tuberose,), plantation crops (coconut, coca, cashew), spices (ajwain, fennel, mango ginger, nutmeg, small cardamom) and medicinal plants (ashwagandha, mandukparni, velevt bean).

  

Approximately 30 farmers shared their personal experiences and the challenges they face in agriculture with the Prime Minister. Shri Modi encouraged the farmers to collaborate and organize efficiently to tackle common issues in the farming community. The discussion also featured the difficulties associated with quickly adopting new crop varieties and explored ways to address these challenges.

PM highlighted the importance of millets, highlighting their significant potential in addressing malnutrition and enhancing the country’s food security. In his interactions with farmers and scientists, he emphasized the need to promote the nutritional benefits of millet, not only among farmers but also among the general public, especially women. He also urged initiating a dialogue series involving key stakeholders such as farmers, traders, hotel chefs, and startups to explore innovative avenues for enhancing millet production and consumption. Among the millet varieties presented, "Pooja 1801" stood out for its exceptional iron and zinc content and received notable praise. Shri Modi expressed hope that this variety could play a key role in combating child malnutrition, in partnership with the Ministry of AYUSH.

During the event, PM visited a field showcasing ‘Pusa 2002,’ a millet variety that matures in just 70 days, compared to the 110 days required by most other varieties. He emphasized the need to adopt such climate-resilient crops to diversify agricultural practices and ensure food security amid unpredictable climatic conditions. The rapid maturation of this crop variety is expected to be a game-changer for farmers, allowing them to adapt more quickly to changing weather patterns and agricultural cycles.

He also acknowledged the groundnut variety ‘Girnar 6’ for its high oil content. He encouraged ongoing efforts to boost the oil content in other crop varieties to improve their nutritional and economic value. Additionally, the Prime Minister spoke about investigating the potential of sorghum and other millet crops as sources of bioethanol, underscoring the importance of diversifying energy sources and advancing sustainability in the agricultural sector.

The Prime Minister expressed particular satisfaction with the chickpea variety "Nandyal 1267," which is well-suited for mechanical harvesting. He stressed the importance of developing more such varieties in pulses, as timely harvesting and secure storage are vital for enhancing farmers’ productivity and profitability.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, highlighted in his media address that the newly released seed varieties are climate-friendly and resilient in adverse weather conditions. He also emphasized their rich nutritional value.

The event highlighted the government’s steadfast commitment to advance agricultural innovation, tackle nutritional challenges, and secure food supplies through the development and widespread adoption of enhanced crop varieties. The Prime Minister's active interaction with farmers focused on climate resilience, and endorsement of natural and organic farming reflect a holistic strategy for modernizing Indian agriculture while ensuring the well-being of the farmers.

Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Bhagirath Choudhary and Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Secretary DARE & Director General ICAR, Dr Himanshu Pathak were also present on the occasion along with all Deputy Director Generals and other senior officials of ICAR.