85 pc seeds have climate resilience in them now: ICAR
![85 pc seeds have climate resilience in them now: ICAR 85 pc seeds have climate resilience in them now: ICAR](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/h-upload/2025/01/29/1886179-himanshu.webp)
Hyderabad: Dr Himanshu Pathak, director general (ICAR) and secretary (DARE) stressed the importance of bringing in resilience to climate change in the new varieties being released. He stated that 85% of the seeds being released now have one trait of climate resilience to withstand drought and flooding.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the International Conference on Rainfed Agriculture: Building Pathways for Resilience & Sustainable Livelihoods organized at ICAR-CRIDA on 29th January 2025.
“The country produced 332.5 million tonnes of food grains, 355 million tonnes of horticulture crops, livestock and fishery is growing by 9% to 10% every year. This has happened despite climate change. Agriculture has grown by 3.7% the highest so far in the last 10 years. Developing climate resilient varieties is imperative now as the same area or district can have drought and flooding in the same crop season. Even areas like Cherrapunji which has the highest rainfall faces water shortage in summer months.”
V. K. Singh, director, ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad said, “The inputs from research organisations, NGO’s, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and 1,000 farmers from different states are here. The nine symposia happening will discuss livestock, horticulture, fishery among others. We are focusing on carbon trading also by following sustainable agriculture practices. How to save energy, reduce water usage and increase productivity and protect the environment will be deliberated.”
Elaborating on the collaborations being made Himanshu Pathak said, “The country has collaboration with many countries and thus the institutes there. We have 81 MOUs and exchange and support with our technology. Collaboration is crucial in the times of climate change. All departments are doing their bit for a viksit bharat by 2047. There is a need for increasing farmers income, nature friendly and climate resilient and substitute import.”
The nation has to do food processing, do value addition and marketing for our products, he added.