Lok Sabha Question No. 5244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Effect of Climate Change on Crops and Animals
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, DHARMENDRA YADAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5244

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27/03/2018

## EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CROPS AND ANIMALS

5244.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the  challenges of unknown biotic stress in crops/animals due to climate change and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken up the matter with the State Governments for effective cooperation to lessen the effect of climate change on crops/animals and if so, the details thereof and the response of the State Governments thereto;
- (c) whether the Government has extended funds to States for this purpose and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government for developing biotic stress resilient crops and breeding animals using indigenous as well as wild resources and the outcome thereof?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) Yes,  Madam.    Although  the  effects  of  climate  change  on  emergence  of  biotic stresses are hard to predict. Effect of climate change on emergence of new pests, shift of minor pests as major ones, increasing aggressiveness, altering distribution of hosts, pests and diseases are under investigation.

For  the  scientific  estimation  and  handling  consequences  of  climate  change  on crops  and  animals  effectively,  network  national  projects  are  ongoing  in  most  of  the States.

(b) The causative climate  driven factors and climate variability in their incidence is under  investigation  through National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture (NICRA)  launched  by  ICAR  since  2011  in  a  network  mode  to  address  challenges  of unknown  biotic  stress  through  Real  Time  Pest  Dynamics  (RTPD)  program  having exploratory surveys and real time ICT based surveillance.

In  addition  to  four  specifically  Plant  Protection  ICAR  Institutes  viz.  National Centre  for  Integrated  Pest  Management,  National  Bureau  of  Agriculturally  Important Microbes, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects and National Institute of Biotic  Stress  Management;  Crop  Science,  Horticulture  Science,  Fisheries,  Poultry  and Veterinary  Institutes,  various  all  India  project  (AICRP)  centres  on  specific  field  crops, horticultural crops, poultry and animals located at different State Agricultural Universities /States/ ICAR Institutes are the partners of the program.

(c) Yes,  Madam.    Government  has  extended  funds  to  states  for  the  projects/ programmes exclusively  dealing  with  the  challenges  of  unknown  biotic  stresses  (pests and diseases) that includes the followings:-

1. National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  NICRA  Project  with  an annual budget of 50 crores and 73% of the budget shared with 12 States.
2. Central  Integrated  Pest  Management  Centres  (CIPMC)  (with  35  Centres  in  29 States)
3. Crop Pest  surveillance  and  advisory  project  (CROPSAP)  with  a  budget  of  3.74 lakhs
4. Consortia Research Platform on molecular breeding for improvement of tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, yield and quality traits in crops (chickpea) - 28.80 lakhs.
5. Studies on climate volatility and its impact on pests of crop plants at micro level in varied agro-ecosystem of Uttar Pradesh - 24.2 lakhs.

(d) India has effectively managed many evolving pest and disease exigencies which otherwise could have resulted in national calamities. A total of 242 biotic stress resistant varieties of different crops have been released which include rice (34), wheat (23), maize (18), sorghum (4), pearl millet (20), other millets (9), pulses (37), oilseeds (27), forage crops (20), cotton (21), other fibre crops (9) and sugarcane (20). Use of genetic resources, modern  technologies,  including  biotechnology  are  being  applied  to  develop  resilient crops/ animals.

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