Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Monday inaugurated the first-of- its-kind “National Speed Breeding Crop Facility” at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali.
The facility will help farmers improve the quality and quantity of their crops, leading to an increase in their income.
“Biotechnology speedy seeds facility will cater to all the states of India, but it will especially be useful for the North Indian states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and the UT of J&K,” Singh said.
The facility will aid in the development of advanced crop varieties that can withstand climate change. By employing speed breeding cropping methods, it will contribute to meeting the growing food and nutritional demands of the population. The facility will also help scientists and researchers engaged in agricultural and biotechnology research as well as plant breeders working on crop development.
Singh also pointed out that India’s bio-economy has expanded thirteenfold over the past decade: from $10 billion in 2014, it has surged to $130 billion in 2024.