Launching 35 crop varieties with “special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content”, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon the academicians, agricultural scientists and institutions to start a campaign to impart knowledge to farmers about “protection” from climate change.

Speaking on the occasion, via video conferencing, Modi said, “Today I will ask all the academicians, all the agricultural scientists, all the institutions that you too should set your goals for the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi. Start a 75-day campaign. 

“Such a campaign can be launched in every district of the country at an individual level and also at the level of institutions. In this, information can be given to farmers about new crops, fortified seeds, protection from climate change… The effort of all of us will save the country’s agriculture from climate change. It will also ensure the prosperity of the farmer and the health security of the country.),” Modi said.

Modi said that he has made a similar request to Olympic champions to spread awareness about malnutrition. “I urged every athlete to attend at least 75 schools in the coming year or two and talk to students there about nutrition, sports and physical exercise.”

Modi  observed that due to climate change, new types of pests, new diseases, epidemics are emerging, because of this, there is a big threat to the health of humans and livestock and crops are also being affected. Intensive continued research on these aspects is necessary, he said adding that when science, government and society work together, results will be better.

Such an alliance of farmers and scientists will strengthen the country in dealing with new challenges, he added, according to The Indian Express. 

On this occasion, Modi also inaugurated the newly constructed campus of the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh  and distributed the Green Campus Award to agricultural universities. The crop varieties, which the Prime Minister launched on Tuesday, have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to “address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.”

According to an official statement, “Thirty-five such crop varieties with special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content have been developed in the year 2021.”

“These include a drought tolerant variety of chickpea, wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpea, early maturing variety of soybean, disease resistant varieties of rice and biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean,” said the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday.

“Other varieties with special traits have been developed in soybean, sorghum, and baby corn, among others,” it added.