India has earned more than Rs 18,000 crore foreign exchange per year from the export of basmati rice, especially from the variety 1121 developed by the country’s top agri-institute ICAR. The institute is playing an important role in fulfilling the government’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
Much of the ICAR research so far was on raising farm output to reduce the country’s dependence on imports but the institute should also focus on raising crop yields, increasing nutrition level, developing climate resilient crop varieties besides attracting youth in the farm sector.
Highlighting measures taken to boost farmers’ income, the government had recently raised MSP of Kharif crops that is 50 per cent higher than the cost of production.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed many new varieties and technologies which have helped transform the food importing nation to a food exporting country
The institute has released 189 varieties in last six month. Processable varieties in tomato (H391) and onion (HR6) have been released, which will help boost farmers’ income.