Lok Sabha Question No. 5255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Development of New Farm Technologies
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5255 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2018

## DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FARM TECHNOLOGIES

5255.  SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the initiatives taken by the Government for innovation/development of new technologies in the farm sector across the country during each of the last three years and the current year;

- (b) whether the Government has developed any mechanism to disseminate information about such innovation/technologies to the farmers during the said period, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has launched Kisan Portal for the benefit of farmers in the country, if so, the salient features of the portal and its advantages to the farmers along with the number of farmers benefited from the portal since inception; and
- (d) the other steps taken by the Government in this direction?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) Yes,  Madam.    Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  overall  102 institutions  comprising  of  67  Research  Institutes,  6  Bureaux,  14  Directorates  and  15 National  Research  Centres  mandated  for  conducting  research  in  agriculture  and  allied areas besides 11 Agricultural Technology Application and Research Institutes (ATARIs) and 81 AICRPs/Network Projects mandated for coordinating, refining and demonstrating Agricultural Technologies/ innovation in  the country.  ICAR is giving focused attention towards development, promotion and propagation of new technologies i.e. high yielding and multi-stress resistant/tolerant varieties/hybrids using conventional and genomic tools in major crops; multi-nutrients rich varieties of rice, wheat, maize, lentil and pearl millet and improved quality of mustard and soybean; blast resistant wheat varieties; transgenic varieties in cotton, pigeonpea and chickpea; exploitation of gene editing technology for

improving desired traits in rice and wheat and development of extra-early/early maturing varieties  of  pulses  especially  mungbean  and  pigeonpea.  The  technologies  developed  in farm sector across the country during the last three years and the current year are:-

-  The research efforts of the Institutes/Centres/AICRPs have led to the development and release of 748 high yielding, stresses (biotic & abiotic) tolerant varieties/hybrids  in  different  field  crops  for  cultivation  under  different  agroclimatic  conditions  during  2014-2017.  Besides,  130  improved  varieties  of  54 important  horticultural  crops  and  105  improved  crop  management  technologies and package of practices for horticultural crops were also developed.  More than 3.50 lakh quintals of breeder seeds of improved varieties of field crops and 18.5 lakh  grafted  plants,  12  lakh  rooted  cuttings  and  tuber  crops,  90  tonnes  of breeder/truthfully labelled seeds of vegetable crops, 5500 tonnes of breeders seed of potato and tropical tuber crops were produced and distributed during the period (2014-2017) for sustaining the effective seed chain in the states. These varieties and improved management practices have contributed significantly in increasing the production in field crops e.g. the production of total food grain increased from 252.02 million tons in 2014-15 to 275.68 million tons in 2016-17. The vegetable production increased from 166.6 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 176.2 million tonnes in  2016-2017.  Similarly  fruits  production  increased  from  89.5  million  tonnes  in 2014-15 to 93.7 million tonnes in 2016-2017.
-  During  the  last  3.5  years  ICAR  developed  13  improved  poultry,  pig  and  sheep varieties and released (4 backyard poultry: Kamrupa in Assam, Narmadanidhi in MP, Jharsim in Chhattisgarh and  Himsamridhi in HP; 8 pig varieties: HD-K75, Rani  and  Asha  in  Assam;  Jharsuk  in  Jharkhand;  Mannuthy  White  in  Kerala; Lumsniang  in  Meghalaya;  TANUVAS  KTM  Gold  Crossbred  Pig  (Large  White Yorkshire x Desi) in Tamil Nadu and 'SVVU-T 17 Crossbred Pig', (Large White Yorkshire x Desi) in Telangana and Avishan breed of Sheep suitable for rearing in dry zones of the country.
-  Developed 36 diagnostics and 9 vaccines / vaccine candidates for prevention and control  of  diseases  (Diagnostics:  JE,  Brucellosis,  FMD,  Theileriosis,  Listeriosis, Avian Influenza, E. coli in neo-natal kids, type-specific ELISA kit for differentiation  of  EHV1  &  amp;  4  Infection,  Equine  piroplasmosis,  Sandwich ELISA for PPR antigen with high sensitivity (95.34 to 96.81%), for detection of 110 5 ppt AFM1 in milk, etc. Vaccines: PPR, Sheep pox, Equiherpabort, Updated equine  influenza  vaccine,  Classical  swine  fever  and  Johne's  disease  etc.).  In addition, more than 145 new animal husbandry technologies were also developed by ICAR during the last 3.5 years.
-  In the area of fisheries, ICAR developed breeding and seed production technology of 9 food fish species (Cobia, Milkfish, Seabass, Silver pompano, Orange spotted grouper, Pink ear emperor, Long whiskers catfish, C hocolate  mahseer, Pangusia labeo,    Putia,  Chaguni  puti,  and  Mahanadi  rita);  the  technology  of  marine  cage

farming and its dissemination through 1500 cages (principally in Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, TN and AP); 4 feeds for different life stages of important fish and shrimp species and their commercialization, breeding and seed production technology for 9 ornamental fishes and  5 high-value compounds and nutraceuticals for human health (Green mussel extract - Cadalmin TM  GMe for pain & arthritis; Green algal extract - Cadalmin TM  GAe for pain & arthritis; Seaweed antidiabetic  extract  -  Cadalmin TM Ade for type-2 diabetes;  Seaweed anti-obesity extract -Cadalmin TM Ace to combat obesity/dyslipidemia and Seaweed nutraceutical drink - Nutridrink' for enhancing micronutrients).

-  To  increase  productivity,  reduce  cost  of  cultivation,  reduce  drudgery,  improve value  addition,  conserve  resources  and  provide  alternate  means  for  energy generation  through  improve  farm  mechanisation  during  the  last  3  years,  ICAR developed  72  new  farm  equipment/machines/gadgets  and  34  new  products/ process protocols and supplied over 16500 prototypes of agricultural machinery to farmers/  entrepreneurs.  ICAR  trained  710  rural  youth  for  establishing  Custom Hiring  Centres  in  different  parts  of  the  country  out  of  which  652  entrepreneurs established  Custom  Hiring  Centres.  ICAR  equipped  194  startup  companies  and agri-entrepreneurs  by  providing  necessary  training  and  skills  to  start  their  new agri-ventures.
-  ICAR has developed and validated 623 district contingency plans and conducted skill development programs for 40.9 lakh farmers. Mridaprarikshak a minilab for soil  analysis  developed  to  support  Government's  initiative  of  Soil  Health  Card. ICAR  has  also  developed  45  Integrated  Farming  Systems  (IFS)  models  in  23 states  and  1  Union  Territory  covering  all  the  15  agro-climatic  regions  of  the country.  These  models  were  tested  and  further  validated  in  the  fields  of  1250 farmers  each  under  various  different  agro  ecologies  covering  23  states  of  the country.

(b) For delivering the benefits of research to the farmers, the ICAR has established a network of 690 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country, mandated for conducting front  line  demonstration  at  the  farmer's  field,  technology  refinement,  training  and capacity building. The technologies duly tested and refined  are thereafter passed on to line departments for large scale demonstration and transfer among farmers.

(c) In  mKishan,  around  2.75  crore  farmers  are  registered  who  are  continuously receiving crop specific advisories in their local language on their mobile sets. No internet is  required  for  receiving  such  advisories.  Experts  from  ICAR,  IMD,  State  Government down to the block level send crop specific advisories to registered farmers.

(d) Apart from mKishan, Kishan Suvidha mobile App has been developed for use of the farmers having smart phones and access to internet. Information about Agro advisory, weather,  market price, plant protection etc. are provided to farmers with the click of a button.

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