Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the development of two genome-edited rice varieties at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC Complex, New Delhi. The launch marked a significant milestone in India’s agricultural innovation efforts, drawing participation from a large number of scientists and farmers.
Chouhan stated that the new varieties are a result of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)’s advanced work in agri-science. These rice varieties are expected to increase production efficiency while delivering environmental benefits by conserving irrigation water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Highlighting the importance of balancing productivity with sustainability, Chouhan called this development a dual achievement for agriculture and the environment. He stressed the need to enhance food security and nutritious food production to meet both domestic and global demands, aiming to position India as the food basket of the world.
The Minister also highlighted India’s annual Basmati rice exports worth ₹48,000 crore and underlined the need to boost the production of soybean, arhar, tur, lentils, urad, oilseeds, and pulses.
Introducing the “Minus 5 and 10” formula, Chouhan proposed reducing the rice cultivation area by 5 million hectares while increasing output by 10 million tons through higher productivity. The freed-up land could be redirected towards pulses and oilseed cultivation.
He urged young farmers to embrace advanced agricultural technologies and emphasised the importance of collaboration between scientists and cultivators to bring transformative changes to the sector.