Lok Sabha Question No. 752 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Promotion of Traditional Agricultural Products
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Alok Kumar Suman, Dileshwar Kamait

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 752

TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

## 752.  DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN: SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the new schemes formulated by the Government for the protection and promotion of traditional agricultural products;
- (b) whether the Government is also planning to expand the research centre to conduct research in Bihar to improve the existing varieties of agricultural products and seeds and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  community  seed  bank  has  been  established  by  the  Government  in  Bihar also and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the status of expansion of 'Sarvashrestha Set' - 'Seeds for Needs' project in Bihar particularly in Gopalganj?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (d): Yes  Sir,  Government  is  giving  due  attention  to  conserve  the  traditional varieties/ farmers' varieties and land races of various crops. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi has conserved 95,602  traditional  varieties/  farmers  varieties/  land  races  in  the  National  Gene  Bank  for long term storage of which 13,670 accessions are of traditional varieties.

For  the  protection  and  promotion  of  traditional  agricultural  crops  like  millets  and traditional varieties of other crops the subsidy on seeds is also available /provided to the farmers under Seed Village Program as well as National Food Security Mission.

The details of institutes funded by the Government for various scheme of protection and formulation of traditional agricultural products in Bihar is at Annexure-I

Besides,  the  details  of  Traditional  Agricultural  Products  identified  and  registered  in Bihar under Geographical Indication (GI) are given below:

1. Katarni Rice - GI tag no. 551 (2018).
2. Maaghi Paan - GI tag no. 551 (2018).
3. Mango- Bhagalpuri Zardalu - GI tag no. 551 (2018).
4. Sahi Litchi of Bihar - GI tag no. 552 (2019).
5.  Mithila Makhana - GI tag no. 696 (2022).

For promotion of above Traditional Agricultural Products following research /promotional activities is being carried out at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour.

Katarni Rice -Improvement of  existing  variety  is  being  carried  out  for  semi-dwarf,  early and high yielding varieties with same texture and quality characteristics and seeds of the existing variety of Katarni Rice is being made available among the growers.  The following research/promotional activities are being carried out:

1. A  project  on  'Breeding  for  Architectural  Modification  of  Katarni  Rice  worth  ₹    21.5 lakh funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST)(during 2013-2017).
2. A  project  for  promotion  of  Katarni  Rice  worth  ₹  375  lakhs  is  going  on  since  2019 under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas  Yojana-Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sectors Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR).

Mithila Makhanais a specialty product of Bihar and 80% of its production in the country comes  from  Bihar.  For  promotion,  area  expansion,  yield  improvement  and  other  plant protection technology of Makhana various research/promotional activities are being carried out under Makhana Development Scheme with a total outlay of ₹ 596 lakhs.

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) encourages  the  community  and  individuals  engaged  in  conservation,  improvement  and preservation of plant genetic resources by awarding, who have played stellar roles in such activities.  It  has  also  registered  2,028  farmers'/  traditional  varieties  of  seeds  (up  to  31 st January, 2023).

In  addition,  a  scheme/component  namely  National  Seeds  Reserve  (NSR)  is  being implemented under 'Sub- Mission on Seeds and Planting Material' in the Country. In Bihar State,  the  scheme  is  implemented  through  Bihar  State  Seeds  Corporation  Ltd.  The Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has allotted the physical target of 5900 qtls. of seeds to the Bihar State Seeds Corporation Ltd. for maintaining seeds (including Gopalganj) during the current year i.e. 2022-23 in the National Seed Reserve.

## Annexure-I

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 752 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 th  FEBRUARY, 2023 REGARDING PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

## Institutes funded by Govt. / ICAR operating in Bihar

|   1 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, (RPCAU) Pusa, Samastipur (Bihar)               |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   2 | Bihar Agricultural University, (BAU) Sabour, Bhagalpur (Bihar)                                      |
|   3 | ICAR-Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Centre, Motihari, Bihar                             |
|   4 | ICAR-National Research Centre on Lichi, Muzzafarnagar, Bihar                                        |
|   5 | ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Regional Station, Pusa, Samastipur                      |
|   6 | ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research Regional Centre, Motipur                                |
|   7 | ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research Regional Maize Research & Seed Production Centre, Begusarai |
|   8 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Seed, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar                             |
|   9 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Seed, BAU, Sabour, Bihar                             |
|  10 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar                             |
|  11 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice, RPCAU, Patna, Bihar                            |
|  12 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Forage, RACAU, Pusa, Bihar                           |
|  13 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Wheat, BAU, Sabour, Bihar                            |
|  14 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice, BAU, Bihar                                     |
|  15 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Honeybee, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar                         |
|  16 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Small Millets, RPCAU,Dholi                           |
|  17 | ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Maize, RPCAU, Dholi, Bihar                           |
|  18 | ICAR-Consortium Research Project on Agro biodiversity, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar                           |

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