Lok Sabha Question No. 628 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-25
Subject: Effect of Climate Change on Food Grain Production
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.628

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  25 TH  JUNE, 2019

## EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD GRAIN PRODUCTION

## 628.   SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

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

- (a) whether it is true that there has been adverse impact on foodgrains production in the country due to irregular climate;
- (b) if  so,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  control  adverse  impact  of  climate  on agriculture production by using better and favourable scientific techniques; and
- (c) whether  agriculture  research  institutes  like  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research have  started  unique  research  projects  for  developing  meaningful  measures  to  tackle  the irregular climate impact for different crops, fruits and vegetables of Rabi and Kharif, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a) &  (b): Occurrence of events like drought, frost, floods, hailstorms etc, due to climatic aberrations  may  impact  the  food  grain  production.    However,  due  to  preparedness  and introduction  of  resistant  varieties,  total  food  grains  production  have  increased  from  251.57 million  tonnes  in  2015-16  to  283.37  million  tonnes  in  2018-19  (3 rd Advance Estimates) and horticulture production from 286.19 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 314.80 million tonnes 201819 (2 nd Advance Estimates).

The  National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA),  one  of  the  sten  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  Sinchai  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.

The progress of  ten deliverables are reported quarterly  namely  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.

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