Lok Sabha Question No. 3746 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-17
Subject: Impact of Climate Change on Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sarmistha Sethi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3746

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2020

## IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FARMERS

## 3746.  SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the impact of climate change on farmers in India; and
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Government  intends  to  bring  out  any  action  plan  to  protect  our farmers from the impact of climate change, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a)  &  (b):  The  country  has  initiated  action  to  address  the  problems  likely  to  arise  due  to climate  change. These efforts have provided valuable inputs in terms of the regional and national  level  impacts  of  climate  variability  and  climate  change  on  crops,  horticulture, livestock  and  fishery.  Through  its  programmes  and  schemes,  focus  on  climate  resilient agriculture, appropriate adaptation strategies have been devised for ensuring food security, enhanced livelihood opportunities and economic stability.

National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA),  one  of  the  Missions  under National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), includes programmatic interventions like Soil Health Card (SHC), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Mission Organic Value Chain  Development for  North  Eastern  Region  (MOVCDNER),  Rainfed  Area  Development (RAD), National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Sub-mission on Agro Forestry (SMAF). These and  other  programmes  including  Prime  Minister  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)  are ensuring  judicious  use  of  natural  resources.  Assistance  is  provided  under  National  Food Security  Mission  (NFSM)  for  inter  alia  stress  tolerant/climate  resilient  varieties  of  food grains.

Under NMSA following ten deliverables are monitored i)  Area under organic farming, ii) Production of Bio-fertilizers, iii) Precision Irrigation, iv) SRI/ Direct Seeded Rice from Transplantation, v) Crop diversification, vi) Additional Area under plantation in Arable land, vii) Climate Resilient Varieties (CRV) Identified/ Released, viii  a)  Identification  of  genotypes  of  crops  with  enhanced  CO2  fixation  potential  and  less water consumption & Nutrients, viii b) Climate Resilient genotypes with greater adaptation to drought,  flood,  salinity  and  high  temperature,  ix)  Coverage  of  milch  animals  under  ration balancing programme  and  x)  Establishment of bypass protein feed making unit.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed 45 models for climate resilient  Integrated  Farming  Systems  (IFS)  which  are  replicated  in  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras (KVKs)  for  demonstration  and  extended  through  the  Rainfed  Area  Development  (RAD) programme.  Climate resilient villages  have been  developed, one in  each of 151 districts under the project National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). This follows a  multi-pronged  strategy  encompassing  strategic  research  on  adaptation,  mitigation  and demonstration  of  technologies  on  farmers'  fields  to  create  awareness,  aiming  mainly  to evolve crop varieties tolerant to climatic stresses like floods, droughts, frost, inundation due to cyclones and heat waves. An atlas on vulnerability of Indian agriculture to climate change has been prepared by Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.  District Agriculture Contingency Plans for 648 districts have been prepared for managing weather aberrations for sustainable agriculture.

Due to preparedness and introduction of climate resilient varieties, total food grain has increased from 208.60 Million Tonnes in 2005-06 to 284.95 Million Tonnes in 2018-19 (4 th Adv. Est.) and horticulture production from 116.9 Million Tonnes in 2004- 05 to 313.85 Million Tonnes in 2018-19 (3 rd Adv. Est.).

*******