(a) whether any vitamin `A` enriched new Golden rice variety has been developed to prevent blindness;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action taken to popularise the variety?
(a) whether any vitamin `A` enriched new Golden rice variety has been developed to prevent blindness;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the action taken to popularise the variety?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) The vitamin `A` enriched golden rice variety in indica rices suitable for growing in Indian conditions has not yet been developed.
(b) As stated above, the golden rice in Indica background has not yet been developed. However, earlier Vitamin `A` enriched golden rice has been developed by Prof. Ingo Potrykus of Switzerland in collaboration with Prof. Peter Beyer of Germany through genetic engineering in the background of Japonica rice, i.e. Taipei 309. The transfer of golden rice trait, i.e. beta-carotene biosynthetic genes to Indian rice varieties has been initiated at Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad and other centres such as Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore and University of Delhi, South Campus.
(c) As the golden rice with Beta-Carotene rice endosperm has not yet been developed in Indica background, the question of its popularization at this stage does not arise.