Lok Sabha Question No. 131 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Effects of Heat Wave on Agri-Produce
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

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

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 131 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  JULY, 2022

## EFFECT OF HEAT WAVE ON AGRI-PRODUCE

*131.  SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

Will the Minister of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is finding ways and initiating steps to tackle the issue of increasing temperature and heat wave which are resulting in lower yield in all agri-produce thereby affecting the income of the farmers; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  study  the  effect  of  heat  wave  on  the agriculture plantation by which certain new diseases are spreading and spoiling the plants thereby affecting the yield of the crops; and (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) (a) to (d):     A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 131 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 26 TH  JULY, 2022

(a)  to  d):        The  Government  is  finding  ways  and  initiating  steps  to  tackle  the  issue  of increasing  temperature  and  heat  wave.  The  DA&FW  issues  advisories  to  the  States through the Crop Development Directorates (CDDs) in consultation with State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) / Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) for creating an awareness campaign and to implement contingency plans as per local need.  Besides, the India Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Earth Sciences issues weather based operational agrometeorological  advisories jointly  with  ICAR  and  SAUs  under  the  Gramin  Krishi  Mausam Sewa (GKMS) Scheme. Agromet advisories are  also communicated to  farmers  through multichannel  dissemination  systems  like  the  print  and  electronic  media,  Doordarshan, radio, internet etc.  A mobile App viz., 'Meghdoot' has been launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, to help farmers to obtain weather information including alerts and related agromet  advisories  specific  to  their  districts.  The  Kisan  Suvidha  App  of  Ministry  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare also issues alerts & advisories to farmers.

Climate  resilient  varieties  of  seeds  in  different  crops  tolerant  to  climatic  stresses have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). 177 varieties were evaluated in the farmers field across the country for different climate extremes like floods, droughts, heat wave etc. that were developed by State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes in various programme. ICAR has also launched a flagship network project NICRA. 8 climate resilient varieties have been developed exclusively under the 'National Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture'  (NICRA)  programmes.  The  project  is  being implemented  through  different  components  viz.,  strategic  research  on  adaptation  and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers' fields in 151 clusters of villages one each  from  climatically  vulnerable  districts  and  creating  awareness  among  farmers  and other  stakeholders  to  minimize  the  climatic  change  impacts  on  agriculture.  The  project aims  to  develop  and  promote  climate  resilient  technologies  that  help  the  districts  and regions prone to extreme weather conditions like droughts, floods, frost, heat waves, etc., to cope with such extremes.

Indian  Council  for  Agricultural  Research  Institute  for  Dryland  Agriculture  Central Research  Institute  for  Dryland  Agriculture  (ICAR-CRIDA)  formulates  District  Agriculture Contingency  Plan  (DACP)  for  650  districts  to  mitigate  the  impact  of  weather  related challenges and circulates to all State Agriculture Departments. The plan contains suitable technology interventions.

To  address  the  adverse  effect  of  natural  risks  on  crops,  DA&FW  ensures comprehensive  risk  cover  for  crops  of  farmers  against  all  non-preventable  natural  risks including heat waves, pest and diseases from pre-sowing to post - harvest stage under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) which is being implemented in the country from Kharif 2016. It is a voluntary scheme for States and farmers. To  deal  with  long  term  impacts  of  Climate  Change,  the  Government  of  India  is taking  several  steps.  National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA)  is  one  of  the Missions within the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The mission aims to  evolve  and  implement  strategies  to  make  Indian  agriculture  more  resilient  to  the changing  climate.  NMSA  was  approved  for  three  major  components  i.e.  Rainfed  Area Development (RAD); On Farm Water Management (OFWM); and Soil Health Management (SHM).  Subsequently,  four  new  programmes  were  introduced  namely  Soil  Health  Card (SHC), Paramparagat  Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Mission Organic Value Chain Development  in  North  Eastern  Region  (MOVCDNER).  During  2015-16,  Pradhan  Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was operationalised wherein the OFWM component of NMSA  was  subsumed  under  Per  Drop  More  Crop  (PDMC)  component  of  PMKSY.  In addition  to  the  aforementioned  programmes  under  NMSA,  the  Restructured  National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched in April 2018. To study the impact of extreme heat events that occurred recently and to evolve steps  to  tackle  them  the  ICAR-CRIDA  has  conducted  a  study  on  'Heat  Wave  2022 Causes, Impacts and Way Forward for Indian Agriculture'.

The  study  on  real  time  pest  dynamics  in  relation  to  climate  variability  has  been conducted  in  India  by  ICAR-CRIDA  and  ICAR-National  Centre  for  Integrated  Pest Management  (NCIPM)  under  NICRA.  ICAR  has  adopted  the  NICRA  project  which  is operational  throughout  the  country  involving  almost  all  SAUs/  ICAR  institutes.  Important crops  and  pests/  diseases  are  taken  care  of  and  remedies  are  provided  through  agro advisories/ extension services.

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