India Region

ICAR released 309 varieties/ hybrids of field crops during 2021-22

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23 March 2022, New Delhi: The Indian Government has been actively promoting use of new technology in Agricultural Research. The Research by ICAR focuses on genetic enhancement crops/livestock/fish for high yield, quality and climate resilience, conservation of resources and, development of intelligent IT enabled platform for technology transfer among farmers and stakeholders. 

In a written response in Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar cited,  ICAR during 2021-22 developed and released 309 varieties/ hybrids of field crops including 35 varieties with special traits and 94 varieties of Horticultural crops for cultivation by ICAR. 

During 2020-21 and 2021-22, the government had allocated Rs 1756.3 and Rs. 2422.7 crores to the States for introducing new technologies including drones, artificial intelligence, block chain, remote sensing and GIS etc in agriculture. The Government also allocated Rs. 7302.50 and Rs. 7908.18 crores in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively to ICAR for undertaking Research and Development in Agriculture for developing new technologies, their demonstration at farmer’s field and capacity building of farmers for adoption of new technology.

The Government also accords adequate emphasis towards reducing transaction costs, promotion of FPOs to improve their bargaining power. 

High-yielding, cost-saving, disease/pest resistant and climate-resilient varieties along with advancement in mechanisation and post harvest technology developed by ICAR has played important role in increasing production and productivity, reducing cost of production and enhancing income of the farmers. 

The National Agricultural Research System in India comprising of a total of 102 Research Institutions, 63 State Agricultural Universities, 3 Central Agricultural Universities and 4 Universities having agriculture faculty besides 82 All India Coordinated Research Projects/Network Projects, each having a large number of coordinating centres across the nation, is amongst the largest and strongest research systems of the World. As adequate number of research centres are existing in the country, no new research centres was established during the last three years by the Government.

Due emphasis is given by ICAR to shift research from a commodity-based to farming systems based approach. ICAR has created multidisciplinary research complexes in different regions of the country to address this. A dedicated Institute “ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR), Modipuram” is working on characterizing, creating, studying and refining the farming system models in all the agro-climatic regions. Another institute, ICAR – Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute has been established to facilitate and promote coordination and dissemination of the technology for integrated farming through network/consortia approach. Sixty-three Region Specific Integrated Farming System models developed by ICAR are demonstrated through the network of research Institutes and KrishiVigyanKendras all over the country.

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