Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 184 new improved varieties of 25 crops

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, released 184 new improved varieties of 25 crops at an event organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi on Sunday.

On this occasion, the Union Agriculture Minister 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 Narendra Modi, the pace of variety development has accelerated significantly in the last 11-12 years, with 3236 high-yielding varieties approved during this period alone, compared to 3969 varieties notified from 1969 to 2014. The 184 improved varieties launched today will provide farmers across the country with benefits such as higher yields, better quality, and climate resilience.

He explained that institutions of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, state and central agricultural universities, and private seed companies have made significant contributions to the development of these varieties under the Council's coordinated crop projects. Several varieties with special traits, such as drought tolerance, salinity and alkalinity tolerance, and disease and pest resistance, will provide farmers with a protective shield against changing weather patterns and climate change.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that India has entered a new era of revolution in agriculture, driven by the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient seeds. The Union Minister stated that this achievement is the result of the collective efforts of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's All India Coordinated Projects on crops, state and central agricultural universities, and private seed companies. ICAR institutions, universities, and private sector seed companies contributed to the development of these 184 recent varieties with 60, 62, and 62 varieties, respectively.

Many newly released varieties possess special traits such as drought, flood, salinity, and pest and disease resistance, which will ensure stable production amidst weather uncertainties. Along with high yields, these varieties also have qualities like improved quality, nutritional richness, and suitability for processing, which will fetch better prices for farmers in the market and provide consumers with high-quality food grains.

He said that our resolve is to ensure that high-quality seeds reach every farmer's field so that India becomes a food-producing nation not only for itself but for the entire world. The Union Agriculture Minister, calling Indian agriculture the foundation of building a 'developed India', said that the country has surpassed China in rice production, setting a new record with 150.18 million tonnes. He said that India has now ensured food security and has become a nation that provides food to the world. The Minister congratulated the farmers, scientists, research institutions, and the private sector for this achievement.

A total of 122 varieties of cereal crops were released at the event, including 60 new varieties of paddy and 50 of maize. These also include improved varieties of sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, minor millets, and proso millet, which will strengthen nutritional security and climate resilience.

Six new varieties of pulses (pigeon pea, mung bean, and black gram) have been released, which will accelerate protein security and crop diversification. For oilseeds, 13 new varieties, including mustard, safflower, sesame, groundnut, rapeseed, and castor, and 11 varieties of fodder crops will prove to be important resources for livestock farmers.

Six varieties of sugarcane and 24 varieties of cotton, including 22 Bt cotton varieties, were released for farmers at the event. A new variety each of jute and tobacco was also released, which will provide farmers in the respective regions with the opportunity for higher yields and better returns.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi and ICAR Director General Dr. M.L. Jat were also present during the event. On this occasion, Dr. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Chairperson and Managing Director of the National Seeds Corporation and Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture, presented a dividend check of ₹33.26 crore to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.