Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Unveil 109 New Crop Varieties in 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 New Delhi on Sunday. According to a statement by the 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. 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 the 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.
The Government of India is already promoting green agriculture through sustainable agricultural practices and good agricultural practices with environmental concerns. It is implementing the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which is one of the National Missions under the 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 the “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth” (PM-PRANAM) scheme in Budget 2023-24 with the objective to incentivize the States and UTs to promote the usage of alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers.
Doubts Revealed
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: He is the leader of India, like a head teacher in a school, but for the whole country.
Unveil -: It means to show or introduce something new to everyone for the first time.
Crop Varieties -: These are different types of plants that farmers grow for food, like different kinds of rice or wheat.
New Delhi -: It is the capital city of India, where many important government buildings are located.
High-yielding -: These are plants that produce a lot of food, so farmers can get more crops from the same amount of land.
Climate-resilient -: These plants can survive and grow well even when the weather is not perfect, like during a drought or heavy rain.
Biofortified -: These are plants that have extra vitamins and minerals to make them healthier to eat.
India Agricultural Research Institute -: It is a place where scientists study how to grow better crops and help farmers.
Interactions with farmers and scientists -: This means talking and sharing ideas with people who grow food and those who study plants.
Cereals -: These are grains like rice, wheat, and corn that are used to make foods like bread and rice dishes.
Medicinal plants -: These are plants that can be used to make medicine to help people feel better.
Nutrition -: It means getting the right kinds of food to stay healthy and strong.
Sustainable agriculture -: This is farming in a way that is good for the environment and can be done for a long time without harming the land.
