Delhi: PM Modi releases 109 varieties of seeds; interacts with farmers and scientists at IARI

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient and biofortified varieties of crops at the India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He also interacted with the farmers and scientists on the occasion.

Discussing the importance of these new crop varieties, the Prime Minister stressed the significance of value addition in agriculture. The farmers said that these new varieties will be highly beneficial as they will help reduce their expenditure and also have a positive impact on the environment.
He discussed the importance of millets and underlined how people are moving towards nutritious food. He also talked about the benefits of natural farming and the increasing faith of common people in organic farming, adding that people have started consuming and demanding organic foods. The farmers appreciated the efforts undertaken by the government to promote natural farming.
The farmers also lauded the role played by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) in creating awareness. The PM suggested that KVKs should proactively inform farmers about the benefits of the new varieties being developed every month to enhance awareness about their benefits.
PM Modi also lauded the scientists for the development of these new crop varieties. The scientists informed that they have been working in line with the suggestion given by him to bring unutilised crops into the mainstream. The 109 varieties of 61 crops released by the PM included 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops.
Among the field crops, seeds of various cereals including millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fibre and other potential crops were released. Among the horticultural crops, different varieties of fruits, vegetable crops, plantation crops, tuber crops, spices, flowers and medicinal crops were released.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "109 varieties of seeds of 65 crops have been prepared ...I congratulate the scientists for producing these varieties of seeds. The 109 varieties of seeds will increase the profit of farmers, be useful for the nutrition of the public and increase the export...PM Modi wanted information directly from the lab to the land."
"In three different places, PM Modi has dedicated 109 varieties of seeds to the nation...PM Modi had a conversation with farmers and scientists...PM Modi also gave some suggestions to the scientists...It is the resolve of the government to increase the income of the farmers...It is an ongoing process, those seeds which are released today then it will take one year from the breeder to foundation seed..." he added further. (ANI)