PM Modi launches 35 crop varieties to address climate change, malnutrition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday the launch of 35 crop varieties with special traits created by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to combat climate change and malnutrition.
A video conference was held at all ICAR institutes, state and central agricultural colleges, and Krishi Vighyan Kendra to dedicate the new crop varieties to the country.
In 2021, the PMO claims to have produced 35 crop types with unique traits such as climatic resilience and higher nutritional content.
Drought-tolerant chickpeas, wilt- and sterility-resistant pigeonpeas, early-maturing soybeans, disease-resistant rice varieties, and biofortified wheat, pearl millet, maize, and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean, and faba bean are among them.
These distinguishing characteristics Crop types that address anti-nutritional elements identified in some crops that harm human and animal health are also included.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar claimed that 86 percent of farmers in the country are small farmers, and that the Prime Minister’s priority has been on increasing their income.
Farmers, according to the PM, should not rely on others’ compassion, but should instead rely on their own strength. Several schemes, such as PM-KISAN and transportation via Kisan railways, have been launched to help them, he added.
From seed to market, facilities are being provided to ensure that their revenue doubles and that they contribute to India’s agriculture sector being self-sufficient, he added.
Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, thanked the Prime Minister for laying the foundation stone for the National Institute of Biotic Stress Tolerance’s new campus in Raipur.
He claims that the institute would help the state’s agriculture.
“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, and stressed on conducting an extensive study to ascertain the impact of climate change in the country.
The event was attended by Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Poultry, Ministers of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary and Shobha Karandlaje, and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh.