Agri Ministers commend Pusa Institute for improving Basmati Rice varieties

The three improved varieties are resistant to scorch and blight disease

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Kailash Chaudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare visited the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, and inspected the paddy field of IARI, Pusa and the paddy being cultivated there. 

They inspected an advanced line of coarse rice, an improved high yielding variety of Pusa 44, and commended the work being done by the Pusa Institute. They observed three varieties which are resistant to scorch and blight disease of Basmati rice, – the Pusa Basmati 1847 which is an improvement of Pusa Basmati 1509, Pusa Basmati 1885 which is an improvement of Pusa Basmati 1121 and Pusa Basmati 1886 which is an improved form of Pusa 1401. There will be no need to spray pesticides in these varieties, which will reduce the cost as well as produce Basmati rice free from chemical residues, which will fetch good price in the international market and directly benefit farmers’ income.

The three improved varieties are resistant to