India: Institutes deeply engaged in developing GM seeds for 13 crops
India
Published Dec 24, 2022
Tridge summary
Indian institutions are "deeply engaged" in the development Of genetically modified seeds for 13 crops, including rice, wheat and sugarcane to improve their yield and quality, the government said on Friday. The environment ministry in October granted clearance for indigenously developed GM mustard seeds, potentially paving the way for a commercial release of the country's first food crop in about two years. Cotton is the only GM crop currently allowed for cultivation in India.
Original content
Also Read | Commercial crops edging out food grains in Karnataka Research is also being done by the state-run Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other organisations to develop GM seeds for potato, pigeon pea lentils, chickpeas and banana, the agricultural ministry said in a statement. "ICAR institutions and universities are deeply engaged in the development of GM crops for different traits such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, yield and quality improvement in 13 crops," it said. India is keen to adopt farming technologies like GM crops to ensure food security and cut a reliance on imports, as it tries to boost the output of items like edible oils for its nearly 1.4 billion people, the most in the world after China. India spent a record $19 billion importing vegetable oils last fiscal year that ended on March 31. Russia's invasion of Ukraine also disrupted imports and raised prices, before supplies improved. Scientists say India's growing population and ...
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