Govt aims to cover 25% of kharif paddy area with climate-resilient seeds

In a bid to combat the growing challenges posed by climate change, the government is targeting to bring 25 per cent of the total kharif paddy area under climate-resilient seeds, a senior agriculture ministry official said on Monday.

The move comes as erratic rainfall patterns have become increasingly common in recent years, threatening rice production in the country.

India, the world's second-largest rice producer after China, cultivates paddy on over 410 lakh hectares during the kharif season.

Speaking on the sidelines of ICAR's 96th Foundation and Technology Day celebrations, ICAR Director General Himanshu Pathak said, "While we have achieved 75 per cent coverage of climate-resilient seeds in wheat cultivation, the adoption in paddy is still limited."

Pathak revealed that ICAR has developed paddy seeds resistant to drought and lodging. These seeds were sown in 16 per cent of the total paddy area during the 2023 kharif season.

"For the ongoing kharif season, we aim to increase th