PM dedicates rice varieties by NRRI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated 109 biofortified, high-yielding and climate-resilient crop varieties to the nation. Of the 109, three rice varieties have been developed by ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack.Modi praised the scientists for developing varieties that would bring resilience to rice farming in the event of extreme climate change. These rice varieties are CR Dhan 108, CR Dhan 810 and CR Dhan 416.

Official sources said CR Dhan 108, a drought-tolerant rice variety for Odisha and Bihar, will be useful for the upland areas of these two states. The average productivity of these varieties is 32 quintals per hectare. The crop can be ready in about 112 days, which best fits the drought-prone upland areas of the eastern region. It will boost the income of the farmers to a great extent, official sources said.

CR Dhan 810 (gayatri sub-1) is a submergence-tolerant rice variety recommended for flood-prone lowland areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Assam where flash floods occur frequently. The average productivity of this variety is 42 quintals per hectare and its maturity duration is around 150 days. 

This article has been republished from The Times of India.