Lok Sabha Question No. 295 (STARRED), answered on 2018-08-07
Subject: New Farm Technologies
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 295 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07/08/2018

## NEW FARM TECHNOLOGIES

## *295.  SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k ,oa 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;

- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the number of farmers who availed benefits from such innovation/technologies during the said period;

- (d) whether the Government has launched Kisan Portal for the benefit of farmers in the country and if so, the salient features of such portal and its advantages to the farmers along with the number of farmers benefited from such portal since inception; and

- (e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=h (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

(a) to (e)

: A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO. 295 TO BE ANSWERED  ON  07/08/2018 REGARDING 'NEW FARM TECHNOLOGIES'

(a) Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  overall  102  institutions (Research Institutes 70, Bureau 6, Directorates 12 and National Research Centres 15) in agriculture  and  allied  areas  of  research;  11  Agricultural  Technology  Application  and Research Institute (ATARIs) and 82 AICRPs/Network projects mandated for coordinating,  refining  and  demonstrating  agricultural  technologies/innovation  in  the country. The ICAR has played a pioneering role in bringing food and nutritional security in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to  increase  the  production of food grains,  horticultural crops, fish,  milk and eggs , thus making a visible impact on the national food and nutritional security. During the last 4 years, ICAR laid greater emphasis on development/ adoption of new technologies such as-  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 research  efforts  in  Livestock,  Poultry  and  fisheries  sector  have  also  resulted  in  the development  of  need  based  technologies  for  productivity  enhancement  and  income supplementation by addressing the existing/ new emerging issues in order to bridge the gap  between  the  potential  and  actual  yield.  Likewise,  a  number  of  technologies  in  the areas of farm mechanization, processing and value addition of the agro produce, cotton, jute, lac and gums were also developed by the ICAR research institutes during the last 4 years.

The new initiatives  in  farm  sector  taken  and  the  technologies  developed  by  the ICAR during the last three years and the current year include;

The research efforts of the Institutes/Centres/AICRPs have led to the development and  release  of  795  high  yielding  varieties  of  crops  including  495  varieties/hybrids tolerant to various stresses (biotic & abiotic) in different field crops for cultivation under different  agro-climatic  conditions  during  2014-2018  till  date.    In  addition,  20  biofortified varieties of field and horticultural crops rich in Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin C etc. were also developed by ICAR. Besides these, 136 high yielding/ specialty varieties of  horticultural  crops  were  also  developed  by  ICAR  Institutes  during  this  period. Keeping in view the demand of the horticulture industry, ICAR, during the last 4 years, developed processable varieties of fruit and vegetable crops which include; Pomegranate (2); Grapes (5); Litchi (3); Banana (2), Mushroom (1); Onion (3); Garlic (1) and Tomato (2).

ICAR  established  150  pulses  seed  hubs  to  produce  quality  seeds  of  important pulse  crops  in  collaboration  with  Department  of  Agricultural  Cooperation  &  Farmers Welfare.  These  seed  hubs  produced  1.12  lakh  quintals  of  certified  quality  seed  during 2017-18  and  paved  the  way  for  the  record  production  of  pulses  in  the  country  and achieving self-sufficiency in pulse production.

In  livestock  and  poultry  production,  ICAR  has  developed  14  new  strains  (4  of backyard poultry, 9 of pigs and one sheep) during the last 4 years. For forecasting and forewarning of 13 important livestock diseases National Animal Disease Referral Expert System has been developed for timely and appropriate action.  Vaccines against 9 major diseases of livestock have also been developed by the Council during the last 4 years. In fisheries and aquaculture, during the last 4 years ICAR developed 5 different high -value compounds and nutraceuticals for human health (i) Green mussel extract and (ii) Green algal extract for pain & arthritis (iii) Seaweed antidiabetic extract for type-2 diabetes (iv) Seaweed  anti-obesity  extract  to  combat  obesity/dyslipidemia  and  (v)  Seaweed  antihypothyroidism  nutraceutical to combat  hypothyroid  disorder. Breeding  and  seed production  technology  developed  for  9  different  fish  species  including  5  marine  fish species suitable for open sea cage culture. Over 1600 cages have already been installed all along the coast of India. Developed a Rapid Detection Kits for detecting Formaldehyde and Ammonia contamination in fresh fish by paper strip method.

Six  hundred  twenty  three  district  contingency  plans  has  been  developed  and validated  as  well  as  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 have been tested and validated in the fields of 1250 farmers each under various different agro ecologies covering 23 states of the country.

Farm implement and machines suitable for farmers under Indian conditions being developed  and  popularized  by  ICAR.  During  the  last  4  years,  ICAR  developed  75 equipment/machines/gadgets  and  37  products/  process  protocols  for  mechanization  of farm  and  postharvest  operations.  Established  652  custom  hiring  centres  (annual  net income per centre: Rs 2 to 4 lakhs); and established 49 agro-processing centres in rural catchments to encourage entrepreneurship and processing at the production sites.

(b) & (c): To disseminate information about such innovation/ technologies among the farmers, ICAR has established a network of 700 KVKs at the district level all over the country. During the last 4  years, KVKs have provided technological support to around 6.0 crore farmers, farm women and rural youth during last four years by conducting 6.45 lakh  technology  validation  and  demonstrations,  capacity  development  of  53.96  lakh farmers,  organizing  extension  activities  for  540.04  lakh  farmers.  The  KVKs  produced and  distributed  18.46  lakh  quintals  quality  seeds  of  different  field  crops,  17.12  crore planting  materials  of  different  horticultural  crops  and  9.50  crore  livestock  strains  and

fingerlings during the period.  The KVKs also provided 10.23 crore agro-advisories on plant  protection,  weather  information,  market  related  information,  animal  husbandry, fisheries, etc. on the mobile of farmers.

ICAR, during the last 4 years, developed over 750 agriculture based start-ups and Agri-entrepreneurs  including  the  Farmer  Entrepreneurs  in  various  areas  of  agriculture. Twenty four ICAR, Institutes have established Agri-business Incubation (ABI) Centers to  provide  the  support  for  technology  incubation  activity  and  nurturing  the  technoentrepreneurs, keeping in view the spectrum of technologies, available infrastructure and the core competency of the institutes.

(d) mKisan  was  launched  to  give  a  quantum  leap  in  coverage  of  farmers  and geographical area in a timely, specific, holistic and need based knowledge dissemination among the farmers by leveraging  the  power  of  mobile  telephony  in  such  a  way  that  all sectors  use  this  platform  to  not  only  reach  out  to  the  farmers  but  also  to  address  their concerns and queries. There are more than 6000 experts registered from the Government of India  (DAC,  ICAR,  DAHDF,  IMD,  CWC)  and  State  Governments  &  its  organisations down to Block level, SAUs, KVKs and AMFUs who send regular SMS advisories to 4.18 crore registered  farmers.  Farmer  can  register  for  this  SMS  advisory  service  either  by calling  KCC  or  by  web  registration  or  by  SMS.  A  farmer  can  receive  crop  specific advisories  from  various  experts  of  Government  on  his  basic  mobile  set.  IMD  also disseminates  weather  specific  information  to  registered  farmers  through  mKisan  only. Thus,  a  farmer,  who  is  not  having  access  to  digital  infrastructure  like  computer,  laptop, smart phones, internet etc., can also get crop specific location based advisories in his/her regional language on his basic mobile set.

(e) Apart  from  mKisan,  ICAR  has  developed  a  Web  Portal-  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendra Knowledge  Network  which  provides  in-depth  inputs  regarding  the  wide  spectrum  of activities  being  conducted  by  various  KVKs  all  over  the  country.  Climate  Resilient Initiatives at 121 KVKs and the National Initiative on Fodder Technology Demonstration (NIFTD) at 100 KVKs were taken up. For providing advisories on weather, Automatic Weather  Stations  have  been  installed  by  the  Government  at  100  KVKs  through  IMD. Besides, a total of 117 mobile based Applications have been developed by ICAR/ NARS for  the  users  having  access  to  the  smart  phones  and  the  internet.  Through  these  expert systems,  the  information  about  Agro  advisory,  weather,  market  price,  plant  protection etc. are provided to farmers and other stakeholders with the click of a button. The major developments in Information and Communicating Technologies include PUSA KRISHI; 'riceXpert', PulsExpert, E-Kapas, e-Pest Surveillance, Advisory System for Horti Crops, Pest  Forewarning  application  and  National  Animal  Disease  Referral  Expert  System (NADRES) for forecasting/forewarning of 15 important livestock diseases.

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