Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 2 AUG: Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar has informed in Lok Sabha today that a total of 304 high yielding varieties of pulses have been notified for commercial cultivation in the country during the last eight years.
The pulses include 81 of Gram, 50 of Arhar, 38 of Mung, 35 of Urd, 33 of Lentil, 23 of Fieldpea, 19 of Cowpea and 25 of other pulses.
During this period, a total of 20 high yielding varieties of pulses including 6 of Gram, 5 of Arhar, 3 of Fababean, 2 each of Fieldpea and Mung and 1 each of Lentil and Urd have been notified for commercial cultivation in the state of Bihar, Mr Tomar said in a written reply.
According to Mr Tomar, the ICAR is mandated to produce breeder seed of different crop varieties against the indent from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW). The breeder seed is provided to various public and private seed producing agencies for downstream multiplication into foundation and certified quality seed categories and distribution to farmers.
During the last five years, total 96731 quintals of breeder seed of high yielding varieties of pulses were produced by the NARS against the total indent of about 77499 quintals and supplied to the seed producing agencies for further multiplication into foundation and certified quality seed categories and distribution to farmers, Mr Tomar said.
He also said about 2329 quintal breeder seed of pulses was produced during the last five years against the total indent of 1562 q by the state of Bihar.
Tags: #NarendraSinghTomar #HighYieldingVarieties #Pulses #CommercialCultivation
