The minister announced that 'our scientists have already developed eight to nine new varieties of wheat' with better resistance.

Meanwhile, Pawar exhorted the states to accord top priority to water conservation and said India could become a 'seriously water starved area' if joint efforts were not made by the central and state governments to save water.

He said: 'India has 4.2 percent of the world's water, 2.3 percent of the world's land and 17 percent of the world's population.'

The country had to address the needs of 17 percent of the world's population with 4.2 percent water, he added

Pawar said the central government's major focus was on preserving water and this was why weightage was being given to taking up conservation projects even under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.