In a significant boost for indigenous agricultural research, former Rajasthan agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini has been granted patents for three new varieties of date palm. The Indian Agriculture Research Council (ICAR) in New Delhi awarded the patents, marking a first-of-its-kind achievement for date palm varieties in India.
A Decade of Research Yields Fruitful Results
Prabhu Lal Saini, a resident of Aawan village in Tonk district, applied for the patents on September 16, 2021. The patented varieties, named ST-1, ST-2, and ST-3, were developed on his own farm after an extensive 10-year research period. Saini emphasized the nutritional value of these new types and shared a key finding from his work: date palms can be successfully cultivated even using saline water, a breakthrough for arid regions.
The productivity of these patented plants is notably high. According to Saini, each plant can yield between 80 to 150 kilograms of dates annually. This development promises to enhance the economic prospects for farmers in Rajasthan's desert districts, where date palm cultivation is already concentrated in areas like Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Jodhpur.
Building on a Legacy of Agricultural Development
Saini's recent success is rooted in his earlier initiatives as a minister. He recalled that in 2007, during his tenure as the state's agriculture minister, 25,000 date palm plants were imported from a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These were distributed to Rajasthan's farmers with a substantial 90% subsidy under the National Agriculture Development Scheme.
He also highlighted foundational policies from his term that set the stage for such innovations. "When I was agriculture minister in the state, Rajasthan was divided into 10 ‘agro climatic zones' and agriculture development plans were prepared," Saini said. "Also, many centers of excellence were established across the state, which gave momentum to agriculture."
Paving the Way for Self-Reliant Farming
This patent grant represents a major shift towards atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in Indian agriculture. Saini pointed out that earlier, date palm varieties for planting had to be imported from countries like Afghanistan. "Now, for the first time, three indigenous varieties have been developed," he stated with pride.
His vision extends beyond personal achievement. "My objective is to inspire talented farmers of the state to do profitable farming with modern innovations," Saini explained. By securing formal recognition for homegrown crop varieties, he aims to motivate a new generation of farmers to engage in research-driven and commercially viable agriculture, reducing dependence on foreign imports and strengthening the local farming ecosystem.
