BIOFORTIFIED CROPS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture)

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India released 109 high yielding, climate resilient and biofortified varieties of crops at India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

Biofortified Crops

• Definition: Biofortified crops are developed through conventional breeding or genetic modification to enhance their nutrient content.
• Objective: The aim is to create crops that are naturally rich in essential micronutrients, offering higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
• Importance: These crops play a crucial role in combating malnutrition, targeting vulnerable populations, and improving climate resilience.
• Some Biofortified Crop Varieties Developed in India: 87 biofortified cultivars in 16 crops. These include zinc-enriched rice, protein and iron-rich wheat, lysine and tryptophan-enhanced maize, and calcium, iron, and zinc-rich finger millet varieties.
• India’s Biofortification Efforts

oField Crops: The released field crops include seeds for cereals, millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fiber crops, and other potential crops.

oHorticultural Crops: The horticultural crop releases cover various fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, tuber crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal crops.

Government Initiatives

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Focuses on promoting high-yielding, nutrient-rich crop varieties and distributing biofortified seeds.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendras: KVKs offer training, on-farm trials, and demonstrations to promote the cultivation of biofortified crops.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana: Provides financial support to states for agricultural development and biofortified crop initiatives.