January 4, 2026 8:55 PM

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Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan releases 184 new varieties of 25 crops; Says India has surpassed China in rice production

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today released 184 new varieties of 25 crops with improved traits developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at New Delhi. It includes 60 rice varieties, 50 maize and 13 oilseeds.
 
Addressing the event, Mr Singh said that India has ensured its food security, and the nation’s rice production exceeded over 150 million tons in 2025, which led to surpassing China to become the leading rice-exporting nation in the world. Mr Chouhan added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than three thousand two hundred new varieties of seeds have been developed in the past 10 years. 
 
The Minister said that the government is working to ensure that various schemes launched should reach farmers across the country within 3 years. The Agriculture Minister highlighted that the government has made six zones for regional conferences before the national Rabi and Kharif conferences, for the preparation of the Krishi roadmap for the states.
 
Mr Chouhan also said that the government is considering presenting the Seed bill at the upcoming parliament session.