Lok Sabha Question No. 3750 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Effect of Climate Change on Agriculture Sector
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey, Feroze Varun Gandhi

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3750

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16 TH   JULY, 2019

## EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE  SECTOR

3750.    SHRI RITESH PANDEY: SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

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

- (a) whether the Government considers climate  change  to  be  an  imminent  and ongoing threat  to  the  agriculture  sector, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  details  of  the  studies  conducted  by  the  Government  to  measure  and  quantify  the adverse  effects of  climate  change  on agriculture,  which  incorporated  the projected climates of 2020, 2050 and 2080;
- (c) whether it is  true  that  the  major crops affected by the same include rice and wheat in the Indo Gangetic Plain and maize in the Southern Plateau; and
- (d) if  so,  the  long term measures, the Government plans to take, other than the subsidies and insurance schemes already  in  place,    to    mitigate    the    effects    of    climate  change    on agriculture,  increase  land productivity  and  counter  the  spatio-temporal variations in climate?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a) to (c):   Yes Sir.  Climate change has the potential to adversely affect agriculture globally, in a  business  as  usual  scenario.  Extensive  field  and  simulation  studies  were  carried  out  in agriculture and allied sectors by several network centers such as Indian Agriculture Research Institute  (IARI),  New  Delhi.,  Central  Research  Institute  for  Dry  land  Agriculture  (CRIDA), Hyderabad.,    Indian  Institute  of  Maize  Research  (IIMR)  and  State  Agricultural  Universities located in different parts of the country.  The Climate Change impact assessment was carried out using the crop simulation models by incorporating the projected climates of 2020, 2050 & 2080.  Simulation studies using integrated modeling framework showed that Rainfed rice yields in India are projected to reduce by 6% in 2020 scenario, but the decline was marginal (<2.5%) in 2050 and 2080 scenarios.  On the other hand, irrigated rice yields are projected to reduce by 4% in 2020, 7% in 2050 and by 10% in 2080 scenarios. climate change is projected to reduce the irrigated kharif maize yields by 18% in 2020. scenario , if no adaptation is followed. Spatiotemporal   variations   in   projected   changes   in   temperature  and rainfall are likely to lead to

differential  impacts  in  different  regions.  The  major  crops  classified  as  risk  prone  under  the impacts of Climate Change with reduced productivity are rice and wheat especially in the IndoGangetic  Plains,  Maize  in  mid  Indo-Gangetic  Plains  (MIGP)  and  Southern  Plateau  (SP), Sorghum & Potato in West Bengal and Southern Plateau.

However, the productivity is expected to increase in Soybean, Groundnut, Chickpea and Potato in Punjab, Haryana & Western Uttar Pradesh, Apple in Himachal Pradesh.

(d): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has launched a flagship network project National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  (NICRA).  The  project  aims  at  strategic research  on  adaptation  and  mitigation,  demonstration  of  technologies  on  farmers  field  and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

Under  NICRA  project,  large  number  of  germplasm  collected  from  different  hotspot locations of the country are characterized as a source material for breeding programs. Attempts are made to develop heat & drought tolerant wheat, flood tolerant rice, drought tolerant pulses, water logging and high temperature tolerant tomato etc.

Government is committed to provide security to farmers.   To provide claims against the crop yield losses due to natural risks/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests & diseases etc. two major crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) are being implemented by the Government.   PMFBY provides comprehensive risk coverage from pre-sowing to post harvest losses against non-preventable natural risks.  The RWBCIS provides indemnification for likely  crop  losses  due  to  deviation  in  weather  indices.   Further,  to  provide  adequate  risk coverage  the  sum  insured  has  been  equated  to  scale  of  finance  at  minimum  uniform  fixed premium rate payable by farmers i.e. maximum 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crop and 5% for  annual  commercial/horticultural  crops,  with  balance  of  actuarial/bidded  premium  being shared  by  the  Central  and  State  Government  on  50  :  50  basis;   lowering  of  unit  area  of insurance  to  village/village  panchayat  level  for  major  crops  and  to  individual  farm  level  for localised risks of hailstorm, landslide and inundation and post-harvest losses thereby promoting more realistic assessment of losses.  In addition, assistance is also provided to farmers through other  schemes  namely,  PM  KISAN  (for  regular  income),  PM  ASHA  (Price  support),  National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief due to natural calamities etc. Due to the adaptation preparedness in the country, record production has been achieved for food grains pulses and horticulture produce in the country.

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