Lok Sabha Question No. 3031 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: Climate Hunger Crisis
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao, Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3031

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 th  AUGUST, 2023

## CLIMATE HUNGER CRISIS

3031.  SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN: SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of climate hunger crisis in the country and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that the climate crisis, extreme weather, irregular rainfall and drought has led to decline in food grains production and increased structural rural poverty; (c) if so, the steps taken by the Government to provide food and financial security to the affected people; (d) whether it is also a fact that one-fourth of the population is facing food insecurity in the country; and

- (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government so far to improve this scenario?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (c): Presently there is no specific information available on climate hunger crisis in the country.  Climate change events like extreme weather, irregular rainfall and drought, are known to have impact on food grains production. To deal with the impact of climate change in food  grains  production,  the  Government  is  implementing  National  Mission  for  Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). NMSA is one of the Missions within the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient  to  the  changing  climate  and  to  sustain  food  grains  production.  NMSA  was approved for three major components i.e. Rainfed Area Development (RAD); On Farm Water Management (OFWM); and Soil Health Management (SHM). Subsequently, new programmes such as namely Soil Health Card (SHC), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Per Drop More Crop, National Bamboo Mission (NBM) etc. were also included. The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) scheme is being implemented in all the 28 States and Union Territories of

Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh with the objectives of increasing foodgrains production through area expansion and productivity enhancement in a sustainable manner, restoring soil fertility and productivity  at  the  individual  farm  level  and  enhancing  farm  level  economy  to  restore confidence amongst the farmers.

To address the impact of climate change, the National Agricultural Research System (NRSA)  under  the  aegis  of  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR),  Ministry  of Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare,  Government  of  India  has  released  2279  high  yielding varieties / hybrids of field crops for different agro-climatic conditions during 2014-15 to 202223, out of which 1888 varieties are biotic and abiotic stress tolerant, and 217 are less water requiring / drought/ heat /moisture stress tolerant.

Although  climate  change  is  understood  to  have  its  negative  impact  on  food  crops, through the help of technology, the negative impacts have been dealt with effectively. With the Government  interventions,  the  food  grains  production  has  continuously  increased  in  the country during last 5 years despite the impact of climate change which can be seen in the below table.

(In million tonnes)

| Year                      |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 | 2022-23                              |
|---------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------------|
| Production of food grains |    285.21 |     297.5 |    310.74 |    315.72 | 330.53 (As per 3rd Advance estimate) |

(d) & (e): Government enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013 which provides food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity. The Act provides for coverage of up to 75% of the rural and up to 50% of the urban population, i.e. about two-thirds of the total population of the country, for receiving food grains at prices specified in ScheduleI prices of the Act, which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore persons. The Coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act is being successfully implemented in all the States/UTs and at present, against  the  intended  coverage  of  81.35  crore,  the  States/UTs  have  identified  80.24  crore persons.

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