Lok Sabha Question No. 460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Impact of Weak Monsoon on Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dayakar Pasunoori, Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta, Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.460

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  19 TH  NOVEMBER, 2019

## IMPACT OF WEAK MONSOON ON AGRICULTURE

460.   SHRI PASUNOORI DAYAKAR: SHRI VENKATESH NETHA BORLAKUNTA: SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH: SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to assess the impact of weak monsoon/ deficient rainfall in the country in the last three years;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  impact  of  such  situations  on  the  farmers  and production of various agricultural items in the country, State-wise;
- (c) the steps being taken by preparing any contingency plan to tackle such situations; and
- (d) the  steps  being  taken  to  educate  and  train  farmers  to  overcome  such  situations  in future with modern techniques and the latest technology?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a)  to (d): Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has assessed the impact of deficit rainfall in the country in the last three years under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture  (NICRA) project.  Field  experiments and simulation studies were carried out in agriculture  and  allied  sectors  by  ICAR  Institutes  located  in  different  parts  of  the  country. Studies indicate that there seems to be a direct relation between deficit rainfall and yields of maize and rainfed rice.

Under NICRA, attempts are being made to develop drought tolerant rice, wheat and pulses. Findings of NICRA have led to release of a few drought tolerant crop varieties.

ICAR-CRIDA along with other ICAR institutes, State Agriculture Universities and KVKs has prepared District Agriculture Contingency Plans (DACP) for 650 districts recommending location specific climate resilient crops and varieties and management practices for use by the state departments of agriculture and farmers.

The district-based agriculture contingency plans are also being updated in consortium mode  with  participation  of  State  agriculture/horticulture  and  veterinary  universities,  Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ICAR institutes.

The technologies/practices to cope with delayed onset of monsoon/deficit rainfall have been demonstrated. Demonstration of location specific climate resilient technologies is being taken up in 151 climatically  vulnerable districts to  enable farmers to  cope  with  the  current climatic  variability  and  to  enhance  their  adaptive  capacity.  In  the  past  six  years,  14,407 training programs were conducted throughout the country under NICRA project to educate farmers on various aspects of climate change and resilient technologies, covering 3,72,897 farmers  so  as  to  enable  wider  adoption  of  climate  resilient  technologies  and  increase  in yields.

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