Lok Sabha Question No. 2557 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-02
Subject: Losses to Wheat Harvest
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Srinivas Kesineni

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2557 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  AUGUST, 2022

## LOSSES TO WHEAT HARVEST

## 2557.      SHRI KESINENI SRINIWAS:

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  potential  losses  to  wheat  harvest  in  the current year owing to extreme climate patterns and heat waves;

(b)  if  so,  the  details  of  the  assessment/findings  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefore,  Statewise;

(c) the percentage of wheat production which is available for exports based on WTO norms and whether extreme climatic patterns have hampered exports of wheat;

(d)  if  so,  the  steps  that  the  Government  is  taking  to  adopt  sustainable  technologies  for production of wheat; and

(e) the steps the Government is taking to diversify agricultural output away from wheat in Northern part of the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (b): As per 2nd Advance Estimates the production of  wheat was 111.32 million tonnes which has reduced  to 106.42 million tonnes as per 3 rd Advance Estimates but is higher  than  the  last  5  years  (2016-17  to  2020-21)  average  production  of  103.88  million tones. The revision is due to the impact of a heatwave in March 2022 in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh etc.
- (c): Based on WTO norms, there has been no cap on export of wheat from the open market though export from public stock holdings is not permitted. The export of wheat was 'Free" till 12.5.2022. However, in order to manage the overall food security of the country and to support the needs of neighboring and vulnerable countries, the Central Government amended  the  export  policy  of  wheat  from  'Free'  to  'Prohibited'  vide  notification  dated 13.5.2022. However, export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the GoI

to  other  countries  to  meet  their  food  security  needs  and  based  on  the  request  of  their Governments.

(d): Steps taken by the Government to adopt sustainable technologies include climate resilient  varieties  of  seeds  in  different  crops  including  wheat  that  are  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.  and  were  developed by  State Agricultural Universities  and  ICAR  institutes  under  various  programmes.  ICAR  has  also  launched  a flagship  network  project  NICRA.  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.  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.

(e): The  Government  is  taking  steps  under  various  schemes  such  as  the  Mission  for Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY), National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM),  Mission  Organic  Value  Chain  Development  for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM), Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY),  etc.  to  diversify  agricultural  output  in  the country. A Crop Diversifications component is also operational under the RKVY Scheme.

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