Lok Sabha Question No. 5174 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Research for Food Production
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: ANANDRAO  ADSUL, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, DHARMENDRA YADAV

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5174 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2018

## RESEARCH FOR FOOD PRODUCTION

## 5174.  SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that still a dedicated research for enhancing the food production and exploring the new areas are required to be done in the country and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard;
- (b) whether the Government has identified the States which are environmentally more suitable for cultivation of bananas and sugarcane other than the current major producing States and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the agencies of the Government have prepared any plan for encouraging the farmers of these States to cultivate banana and sugarcane in their farms and if so, the details thereof and the efforts and achievement made so far in this regard; and
- (d) the  other  areas  identified  by  the  Union  Government  which  are  suitable  for  a particular  crops,  fruit  and  vegetable  other  than  the  current  major  producing  States  and initiatives taken in this regard?

## 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 PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) ICAR is well aware about the fact and dedicated research is being carried out to enhance food production through National Agricultural Research System. The NARS is continuously  developing  improved  varieties,  value  added  products,  production  and protection  technologies  which  resulted  to  increase  production  and  productivity  of  food crops in the country. As per second advanced estimate a record production of 277.48 mt of  food  grains  and  305.42  mt  fruits  and  vegetables  have  been  achieved  in  the  country

during  2017-18  which  provides  food  and  nutritional  security  of  people  of  the  country. ICAR  is  initiating  the  new  research  programme  in  the  areas  of  Hybrid  technology, Transgenic,  Molecular  Breeding,  Gene  Editing,  Agro-biodiversity  and  Bio-fortification etc. to fulfil the future food requirement of the ever growing population of the country.

(b) Banana & Sugarcane are being cultivated in Tropical and subtropical areas of the country  due  to  suitable  agro-climatic  conditions  and  availability  of  adequate  irrigation facility.

The Government has  recognized  the  states  of  Punjab,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Rajasthan, Haryana,  Uttarakhand,  Jharkhand  etc.  as  non-traditional  states  for  banana  cultivation. States  where  banana  was  grown  as  a  back-yard  crop  have  also  taken  up  commercial cultivation especially North Eastern states like Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Sugarcane is being cultivated mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana.  However there is very little scope to extend the sugarcane area in other states of the country.

(c) & (d): The  Government  is  encouraging  banana  cultivation  through  sensitization, training,  supply  of  quality  planting  material  and  other  inputs.    Besides,  Govt.  has introduced  CHAMAN  (Co-ordinated  Horticulture  Assessment  and  Management  Using geoiNformatics) Scheme for 7 horticultural crops (Potato, Onion, Chilli, Tomato, Mango, Banana  and  Citrus)  in  12  major  states  in  180  districts  to  carry  out  research  on horticultural crop condition studies, diseases assessment and precision farming.

*******