New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- On the first day of 2026, the government released around 185 new high-yielding seed varieties and hybrids across crops such as rice, maize, cotton, millets, pulses, oilseeds and sugarcane, aimed at raising agricultural productivity by expanding access to quality seeds.

The move significantly expands the list of planting material-seeds, saplings and nursery plants-that can be legally produced and sold for agricultural use across the country.

Of the 185 varieties released on Thursday, cotton seeds accounted for around two dozen hybrids and varieties approved for sale across major cotton-growing states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, and Haryana, according to ...