New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS): Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said that a total of 304 high-yielding varieties of pulses have been notified for commercial cultivation in the country since 2014.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Tomar said, "The high-yielding varieties of pulses included 81 of Gram, 50 of Arhar, 38 of Mung, 35 of Urd, 33 of Lentil, 23 of Field Pea, 19 of Cowpea and 25 of other pulses."

During this period, a total of 20 high yielding varieties of pulses including six of Gram, five of Arhar, three of Faba Bean, two each of Field Pea and Mung and one each of Lentil and Urd have been notified for commercial cultivation in the state of Bihar.

The Minister said that the Indian Council of Agricultural ResearchI (CAR) is mandated to produce breeder seed of different crop varieties against the indent from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW).

The breeder seed is provided to various public and private seed producing agencies and certified quality seed categories and distribution to farmers.

During the last five years, total 96,731 quintals of breeder seed of high yielding varieties of pulses were produced by the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) against the total indent of about 77,499 quintals and supplied to the seed producing agencies for further multiplication into foundation and certified quality seed categories and distribution to farmers.

About 2,329 quintal breeder seed of pulses was produced during the last five years against the total indent of 1,562 quintals by the state of Bihar.