Seeds of change: Food security with high-yielding seed mission and Gene bank

In a bid to bolster agricultural productivity and future food security, the Union Government has announced a two-pronged approach. This includes the launch of a National mission on high yielding seeds, focusing on research, development, and propagation of climate-resilient seeds, and the establishment of a second Gene bank to conserve 10 lakh germplasm lines.
While presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha , Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government would set up a National mission on high yielding seeds to strengthen the research ecosystem.
“It will help develop and propagate seeds with high yields, pest resistance and climate resilience. More than 100 seed varieties have been released since July 2024 for commercial use,” she said.
She also reminded the National mission for edible oilseed to achieve self-reliance in edible oils. “Our farmers can grow enough for our needs and more,” she said.
Germplasm Bank
The Finance Minister said the 2nd Gene bank with 10 lakh germplasm lines would be set up for future food and nutritional security. “This will provide conservation support to both public and private sectors for genetic resources,” she said.
Ram Kaundinya, Advisor to the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), said the Budget’s emphasis on high-yielding, climate-smart seeds was a vital step forward.
“This will not only foster agricultural innovation and sustainability but also directly address the pressing need for increased productivity and resilience in cotton farming. Also the 2nd Germplasm bank for 10 lakh lines is a futuristic initiative that can help the cotton sector too,” he said.
“The mission on seeds rightly focuses on improving the climate resilience of the seed varieties while improving yields. However, it should not only look at the kilograms of output but also the micronutrient profile of the output,” Abhishek Jain, Director, Green Economy and Impact Innovations, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said.
“Chasing quantity, our produce is increasingly becoming deprived of important micronutrients, contributing to a rampant issue of micronutrient deficiency in the country,” he cautioned.
‘Strategic approach’
Palat Vijayaraghavan – Founder & CEO, Lawrencedale Agro Processing India (LEAF), said the Budget proposals reflected a strategic approach to improving productivity, fostering sustainability, and enhancing resilience within the sector—particularly for the most marginalised and vulnerable farmers.
Welcoming the emphasis on cotton and high-yielding varieties, the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) felt that last year’s allocation for ‘Atmanirbhar Oilseed Abhiyan’ was too low for a visible and impactful result on the oilseed production and productivity.
Source: Thehindubusinessline