Under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) has engineered region-specific, high-yielding, and resilient crop varieties, particularly in pulses. Since 2014, 369 pulse crop varieties have been released and notified across the nation, with 24 varieties specifically for Bihar until September 2023.
To ensure swift availability of these improved varieties, multiple initiatives have been implemented. This includes supplying breeder seeds to public and private sector agencies for multiplication, establishing 150 Pulse Seed Hubs, 12 breeder seed production centers, and producing over 1587.74 lakh quintals of quality seeds, engaging approximately 6.39 lakh villages.
Moreover, training over 98.07 lakh farmers through the Seed Village Scheme, and distributing new high-yielding varieties via Front Line Demonstrations and Cluster Front Line Demonstrations – around 6000 and 151873 respectively, during 2018-19 to 2022-23 – have been vital steps in facilitating access to superior pulse seeds. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, disclosed these advancements in a written Lok Sabha response.