PM Modi to unveil 109 climate-resilient and biofortified crop varieties tomorrow

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient, and biofortified crop varieties at an event at the India Agricultural Research Institute in the national capital on Sunday.

According to a statement by Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the PM will also interact with farmers and scientists during the event.

The release will encompass 109 varieties spanning 61 crops, including 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops.

Among the field crops, seeds of various cereals, including millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fiber crops, and other potential crops, will be introduced, the statement added.

For horticultural crops, the varieties will include fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, tuber crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal crops.

PM Modi has consistently advocated for sustainable farming practices and the adoption of climate-resilient methodologies.

He has also emphasized the promotion of biofortified crop varieties by integrating them with government initiatives such as the Mid-Day Meal scheme and Anganwadi programs to combat malnutrition across the country.

According to PMO's statement, these efforts not only aim to improve nutrition but also to secure better income for farmers and create new entrepreneurial opportunities.

The release of these 109 high-yielding crop varieties is seen as a significant step towards achieving these goals and reinforcing India's commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Government of India is already promoting green agriculture by way of green and sustainable agricultural and good agriculture practices with environment concern.

It is implementing National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) which is one of the National Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

NMSA aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.

In addition, the government has also announced "PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth" (PM-PRANAM) scheme in Budget 2023-24 with the objective to incentivise the States and UTs to promote usage of alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilisers.