Two union ministers Arun Jaitley and Radha Mohan Singh undertook a field visit to Pusa to see new variety of pulses on Monday in Delhi. Radha Mohan Singh gave details information about the new variety to Arun Jaitley.
Later Jaitley congratulated the Scientists of ICAR in developing the PUSA Arhar -16 and expressed hope that country will soon become self-sufficient in pulses.
PUSA Arhar-16 is extra early maturing, semi-dwarf, determinate, high yielding variety and will be available to farmers from next Kharif season. The Minister informed that while the traditional varieties take 170 days to mature this new variety take less time to mature i.e 120 days only.
On the occasion Shobhna K. Pattanayak, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, ICAR and Director, IARI, Dr. Ravindra Kaur were also present.