The 97th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society, chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi, laid out a roadmap for demand-driven, farmer-centric agricultural research.
Chouhan stressed that India’s journey towards a developed nation depends on transforming agriculture from farm to global market, with research delivering timely, measurable benefits to farmers and raising incomes, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
He called for integrated farming, quality seeds, balanced fertiliser use, improved soil health, climate resilience and stronger ICAR-industry partnerships to accelerate technology transfer. Union Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary emphasised self-reliance in pulses, oilseeds, seeds, livestock and processing, while stressing stronger FPOs and market linkages.
ICAR DG M.L. Jat highlighted major achievements, including a 19-million-tonne rise in foodgrain production and 386 new crop varieties, 94% climate-resilient and 29 biofortified. Genomics, genome editing, livestock health and fisheries research also advanced.
Around 805 IP applications were filed, while technology commercialisation expanded across 36 institutions, reinforcing ICAR’s role in building a resilient, sustainable and self-reliant farm sector.
