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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is launching 109 new climate-resilient and high-yielding varieties of 61 crops today, Sunday, August 11, 2024, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. During the event, the Prime Minister will also engage in discussions with farmers and scientists.
The newly introduced crop varieties include grains, horticultural crops, fodder, and others. These varieties are expected to significantly increase yields, improve crop quality, and subsequently enhance farmers' incomes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release 109 varieties of 61 crops, which include 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops. The field crops category will feature coarse grains, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fiber, and various other grains. In the horticultural segment, new varieties of fruits, vegetables, tuber crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants will be introduced. The Prime Minister has also emphasized the importance of promoting bio-fortified crops in conjunction with government initiatives like mid-day meal programs and Anganwadi centers, with the aim of making India malnutrition-free. The release of these high-yielding varieties presents a significant opportunity for farmers.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, remarked that today is a pivotal day for the nation’s farmers. In a bid to boost crop yields and ensure robust food reserves, Prime Minister Modi will be unveiling 109 climate-resilient varieties developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).