The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is developing nutrient-rich varieties of rice in its efforts towards nutritional security, a senior official said today.
"Our effort is to move towards nutrition security as well. We are moving towards that direction from food security to nutritional security. And developing varieties which are rich in nutritional content. The process has already started. We have identified two varieties of rice," ICAR Deputy Director General (crop science) J S Sandhu said.
At the Golden Jubilee Annual Rice Research Group Meeting at the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) here, Sandhu said India achieved food security and the next step is a leap towards nutrition security.
"Our present varieties (of rice) are not rich in protein content. We are increasing the protein content. Rice is mainly having carbohydrate, so we are developing zinc-rich rice varieties," he said.
"We have 44 million hectare under rice cultivation. There is no increase in area in the last 15 years. The task has become tough, but the only option is to improve the productivity through science led technology," Sandhu said.
He further said owing to unseasonal rains and hailstorm India's food grains production is estimated to slightly decline to 257 million tonne (MT) this year.
In 2013-14, food grains production stood at 265.57 MT and out of this 106.65 MT was of rice which was a record production, he added.
ICAR Director General S Ayyappan said, "Despite untimely rains, climate change, pest diseases, we have to get ready to deal (with them). We have to focus on climate smart agriculture to overcome flood, drought, cold.
