Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept.28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 35 crop varieties with special traits on Tuesday. These varieties are developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.
The new crop varieties were launched through a video conference organised at all ICAR institutes, state and central agricultural universities and Krishi Vighyan Kendra.
According to the PMO, these 35 crop types with unique characteristics such as climatic resilience and better nutrient content have been developed in 2021. Drought-tolerant chickpea, wilt- and sterility-resistant pigeonpea, early-maturing soybean, disease-resistant rice varieties, and biofortified wheat, pearl millet, maize, and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean, and faba bean are among them.
These unique crop types address anti-nutritional elements discovered in some crops that harm human and animal health.
According to the PM, farmers should not rely on others’ compassion, but should instead rely on their own strength. Several initiatives, such as PM-KISAN and transportation via Kisan railroads, have been created to help them, he said.
On this occasion, Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel thanked the PM for inaugurating the newly constructed campus of the National Institute of Biotic Stress Tolerance, Raipur. He said that this institute will promote and advance agriculture in the state.
“Climate change is a cause of concern across the world. We are seeing its impact in our area. There are two reasons — one is natural and the other one is reduction in carbon in soil,” he said. He also stressed on conducting an extensive study to ascertain the impact of climate change in the country.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Poultry Parshottam Rupala, Ministers of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary and Shobha Karandlaje, and former-CM of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh were also present in this event.
