New Delhi, January 4, 2026: An ICAR Leadership Programme highlighting research and development efforts across 25 crops, leading to the release of 184 new crop varieties, was organized at the A.P. Shinde Auditorium, NASC Complex today.
During the programme, Dr. D.K. Yadava, DDG (Crop Science) highlighted the significance of the newly developed varieties. He explained the ICAR varietal development and notification process and provided an overview of the newly released crop varieties, emphasizing their role in enhancing agricultural productivity and farmers’ income.
Addressing the gathering, Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) & DG (ICAR) outlined ICAR’s future planning aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat. He informed that ICAR has developed more than 3,200 crop varieties over the past ten years. He also stressed the importance of breeding programmes focused on acid soils, organic and natural farming systems, and regenerative agriculture.
Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, discussed the roadmap of the Ministry of Agriculture towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat. He highlighted the crucial role of the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) in seed multiplication, which has contributed to enhanced agricultural productivity and achieved a turnover of ₹200 crore.
In his address, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Union Minister of Rural Development emphasized the critical role of quality seeds in ensuring food security and appreciated India’s achievement of becoming the world’s leading rice producer. He stressed the need to enhance productivity of legumes and oilseed crops while maintaining balance across all crop productions. He also called for regulation of seed prices to benefit farmers, faster seed multiplication for timely availability of newly released varieties, and the development of climate-resilient crop varieties. The Hon’ble Minister further highlighted the importance of regional meetings and conferences for the development of region-specific technologies and crop varieties.
The Hon’ble Minister also underlined that several of the newly released varieties possess special traits such as tolerance to drought, flood, salinity, and resistance to major pests and diseases, which will help farmers cope with climate variability and ensure stable production.
The Minister stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, agriculture plays a key role in building a self-reliant and strong India. He emphasized that seeds are the foundation of any production system and noted that India is now moving beyond food security towards the production of nutritious food. He further highlighted the government’s focus on convergence of agricultural schemes to promote water conservation, agroforestry, and livestock development, while prioritizing increased productivity, price stability, and processing infrastructure for pulses and oilseeds.
Among the 184 newly released varieties, one rice hybrid and four maize hybrids/varieties have been developed by ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), reflecting the Institute’s significant contribution to strengthening India’s seed and varietal development ecosystem.
The programme was organized under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and witnessed participation of scientists, senior officials, agricultural experts, and staff members.
