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Hon'ble Union Minister of Agriculture Shri Sharad Pawar visited Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur on January 29, 2011. He was accompanied by Mr. P.K. Basu, Secretary, DAC, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI and Dr. S. Ayyappan, Secretary DARE and Director General, ICAR, New Delhi. Mr. Raja Ram Pal, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Dr. T.P. Rajendran, Asstt. Director General (PP) and Dr. B.B. Singh, Asstt. Director General (O&P) also accompanied the Minister during the visit.
While addressing the pulse grower the Hon'ble Minister said that
the cultivable area is shrinking due to urbanisation and
industrialization while the population of the country is
increasing. So the farmers and the scientists should go with
hand in-hand to produce sufficient food for the growing
population. In this endeavour Govt. will provide all help and
assistance to make the country self sufficient in pulses. The
Hon'ble Minister honoured five progressive farmers of the area
at this occasion.
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Hon'ble Minister
visited the Genetic Stock Management Farm of the Institute and
took keen interest in the breeder seed production of different
pulse crops. The dignitaries appreciated the upkeep and
maintenance of the experimental plots and the farm. At the main
campus of the Institute, Hon'ble Minister inaugurated the Pulse
Genetic Resource Centre. He visited the experimental fields at
the main farm and took keen interest in the development of new
varieties, particularly the hybridsin pigeonpea. He also visited
the Institute museum.
In the interaction meeting with the scientists, Dr. Nadarajan,
Director presented before the Hon'ble Minister the issues
related to National pulse production scenario. He highlighted
the achievements of the Institute in development of new high
yielding varieties and matching crop production technologies. In
his address the Hon'ble Minister called upon the scientists to
develop short duration varieties of pulse crops to foster
multiple cropping system. He stressed upon developing high
yielding varieties insulated with pest and disease resistance,
with matching crop production and protection technologies. He
called for minimizing the post harvest losses. Focusing upon the
research priorities, the Hon'ble Minister asked the scientists
to develop pulse varieties
and matching production technologies
keeping in mind the changes in climate and seasons. He
called
upon to identify areas that are getting adversely due to climate
change and strategies need to be devised for developing suitable
technologies. He provided the road map for increasing pulse
production by stressing on short, medium and long term research
efforts. Hon’ble Minister stressed on efforts for developing
transgenics on pulses against pod borer. For making pulss more
competitive, greater efforts are desired for further genetic
improvement in all pulse crops. While appreciating the
technogies developed by the institute, he also advised to make
those commercial. 
