New Delhi: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi dedicated 35 crop varieties with special traits to the Nation. The crop varieties was launched by the Prime Minister in a pan-India programme organised at all Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institutes, State and Central Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs)
The 35 varieties include aa drought tolerant variety of chickpea, wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpea, early maturing variety of soybean, disease resistant varieties of rice and biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and fava bean.
These special traits crops include varieties that address the anti-nutritional factors found in some crops that adversely affect human and animal health. Examples of such varieties include Pusa Double Zero Mustard 33, first Canola quality hybrid RCH 1 with less than 2 per cent erucic acid and less than 30 ppm glucosinolates and a soybean variety free from two anti-nutritional factors namely Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase.
Other varieties with special traits have been developed in soybean, sorghum, and baby corn, among others.
The Prime Minister also dedicated the newly constructed campus of National Institute of Biotic Stress Management Raipur to the nation.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister also distributed the Green Campus Award to Agricultural Universities. He interacted with farmers who use innovative methods and address the gathering.
Addressing on the occasion, the Prime Minister said in the last 6-7 years, science and technology are being used on a priority basis to solve the challenges related to agriculture. ”Our focus is very high on more nutritious seeds, adapted to new conditions, especially in changing climates,” said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister recalled the massive locust attack in various states last year, in the midst of the Corona pandemic. India had tackled this attack by making a lot of efforts, saving farmers from incurring too much damage, he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that whenever farmers and agriculture get a safety net, their growth becomes rapid. He informed that 11 crore Soil Health Cards were issued for the protection of the land, he said. The Prime Minister listed the farmer friendly initiatives of the Government such as campaigns to complete about 100 pending irrigation projects for providing water security to the farmers, providing new varieties of seeds to farmers to protect crops from diseases thus getting higher yield.
He added that along with increasing the MSP, the procurement process was also improved so that more and more farmers can get the benefit. More than 430 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has been procured in the Rabi season and farmers have been paid more than 85 thousand crore rupees. Wheat procurement centres were increased more than three times during the pandemic.
