Lok Sabha Question No. 244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Productivity
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS' WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS' WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 244

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 02 ND  DECEMBER, 2025

## IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

244. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS' WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any recent assessment of the impact of climate change, including erratic rainfall, heatwaves, and droughts, on agricultural productivity across various agro-climatic zones in the country;
- (b) the details of districts identified as climate-vulnerable under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture  (NICRA)  programme,  along with the interventions implemented therein,
- (c) whether the Government proposes to expand financial and technical assistance to small and marginal farmers to promote the adoption of climate-resilient crops, micro-irrigation, and drought-mitigation technologies; and
- (d) if so, the details of budgetary allocations and measurable outcomes achieved under such initiatives during the last three financial years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI  RAM NATH THAKUR)

(a) & (b): Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  is  implementing  a  projectNational Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), that studies the impact of climate change on agriculture, conducts district level risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture  to  future  climate  change  and  integrated  simulation  modelling  studies  for estimating the future projections of climate change. Under the project, risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture to climate change has been carried out at district-level for 651 predominantly  agricultural  districts  as  per  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change (IPCC) protocols. 310 districts were identified as vulnerable out of which 109 districts have been categorized as 'very high' and 201 districts as 'highly' vulnerable. For enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, location-specific climate resilient technologies such as system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, direct seeding of rice,  zero  till  wheat  sowing,  cultivation  of  climate  resilient  varieties  tolerant  to  extreme weather conditions such as drought and heat; in-situ incorporation of rice residues etc. have been demonstrated under the project through KVKs in 448 Climate Resilient Villages  of 151 climatically vulnerable districts covering 28 states / UTs for adoption by farmers. Capacity building  for  establishing  village  level  seed  banks  and  community  nurseries  is  being undertaken under the project to ensure availability of seeds in the adopted villages.

Further, to address the impact of climate change, ICAR has released 2900 varieties during last 10 years (2014-2024). Out of these 2661 varieties are tolerant to one or more biotic and/or abiotic stresses. Drought and flood tolerant climate-resilient varieties of rice, wheat, soybean,  mustard,  chickpea,  sorghum,  gram,  and  foxtail  millet  have  been demonstrated in several NICRA villages

The  details  of  districts  identified  as  climate-vulnerable  (very  high)  under  NICRA programme, are at Annexure.

(c) & (d): Under  NICRA,  technical  assistance  for  small  and  marginal  farmers  is proposed to extend to additional vulnerable districts beyond the 151 currently covered, to promote adoption of climate-resilient  practices. Village  level  institutions  through  farmers' participatory approach, such as Village Climate Risk Management Committees (VCRMCs), seed  and  fodder  banks  have  been  established  for  smooth  functioning  and  need  based technology penetration. Custom hiring centres  (CHCs) established under KVKs in these villages help to take up timely farm operations and provide access to improved machinery for  small and marginal farm holders. Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks  and  community  nurseries  is  being  undertaken  under  NICRA  project  that  enable availability of seeds in the adopted villages. The project is contributing to farmers' capacity building and improved crop yields, thereby leading to the socio-economic development of the  farming  community.  Capacity  building  for  establishing  village  level  seed  banks  and community nurseries is being undertaken under NICRA project that enable availability of seeds in the adopted villages.

Budgetary allocation for technology demonstrations in these 151 risk-prone districts during the last three financial years is as follows:

| Year    |   Amount (Rs. In Lakhs) |
|---------|-------------------------|
| 2022-23 |                 1600.3  |
| 2023-24 |                 1862    |
| 2024-25 |                 2550.31 |

List of districts with 'very high' and 'high' climate change risk to agriculture

| State             | District          | Risk      | Hazard   |
|-------------------|-------------------|-----------|----------|
| Andhra Pradesh    | Anantapur         | Very High | Drought  |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Upper Siang       | Very High | Drought  |
| Assam             | Nalbari           | Very High | -        |
| Assam             | Darrang           | Very High | Drought  |
| Bihar             | Sitamarhi         | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Madhubani         | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Supaul            | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Kishanganj        | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Katihar           | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Saharsa           | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Darbhanga         | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Lakhisarai        | Very High | Flood    |
| Bihar             | Sheikhpura        | Very High | Drought  |
| Bihar             | Nalanda           | Very High | Flood    |
| Gujarat           | Panchmahal        | Very High | Drought  |
| Gujarat           | Dahod             | Very High | Drought  |
| Haryana           | Fatehabad         | Very High | Drought  |
| Haryana           | Bhiwani           | Very High | Drought  |
| Haryana           | Mahendragarh      | Very High | Drought  |
| Himachal Pradesh  | Chamba            | Very High | Drought  |
| Himachal Pradesh  | Mandi             | Very High | -        |
| Jammu &Kashmir    | Leh(Ladakh)       | Very High | Drought  |
| Jammu &Kashmir    | Poonch            | Very High | Drought  |
| Jammu &Kashmir    | Kathua            | Very High | Drought  |
| Karnataka         | Gadag             | Very High | Drought  |
| Karnataka         | Haveri            | Very High | Drought  |
| Karnataka         | Chitradurga       | Very High | Drought  |
| Kerala            | Kasaragod         | Very High | Cyclone  |
| Kerala            | Kozhikode         | Very High | Cyclone  |
| Kerala            | Ernakulam         | Very High | Cyclone  |
| Kerala            | Kottayam          | Very High | Drought  |
| Kerala            | Alappuzha         | Very High | Flood    |
| Kerala            | Pathanamthitta    | Very High | Flood    |
| Kerala            | Kollam            | Very High | Cyclone  |
| Kerala            | Thiruvanathapuram | Very High | Drought  |
| Madhya Pradesh    | Bhind             | Very High | Drought  |
| Madhya Pradesh    | Jhabua            | Very High | Drought  |
| Maharashtra       | Nanded            | Very High | -        |
| Maharashtra       | Beed              | Very High | Drought  |
| Meghalaya         | West Garo Hills   | Very High | Drought  |
| Meghalaya         | East Garo Hills   | Very High | Drought  |

Annexure

| Meghalaya     | South Garo Hills     | Very High   | Drought   |
|---------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------|
| Meghalaya     | West Khasi Hills     | Very High   | Drought   |
| Meghalaya     | East Khasi Hills     | Very High   | Drought   |
| Meghalaya     | Jaintia Hills        | Very High   | Drought   |
| Mizoram       | Lawngtlai            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Mizoram       | Saiha                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Nagaland      | Tuensang             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Orissa        | Keonjhar             | Very High   | Cyclone   |
| Orissa        | Balasore (Baleshwar) | Very High   | Cyclone   |
| Orissa        | Kendrapara           | Very High   | Cyclone   |
| Orissa        | Jagatsingpur         | Very High   | Flood     |
| Orissa        | Jajpur               | Very High   | Cyclone   |
| Orissa        | Puri                 | Very High   | Flood     |
| Punjab        | Gurdaspur            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Punjab        | Jalandhar            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Punjab        | Moga                 | Very High   | Drought   |
| Punjab        | Faridkot             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Punjab        | Bathinda             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Ganganagar           | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Hanumangarh          | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Churu                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Jhunjhunu            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Alwar                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Karauli              | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Dausa                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Sikar                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Nagaur               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Jodhpur              | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Jaisalmer            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Barmer               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Jalore               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Pali                 | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Bhilwara             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Dungarpur            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Rajasthan     | Banswara             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Sikkim        | South                | Very High   | -         |
| Uttar Pradesh | Bagpat               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Unnao                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kannauj              | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Etawah               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Auraiya              | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur (Dehat)       | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Jalaun               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Jhansi               | Very High   | -         |
| Uttar Pradesh | Hamirpur             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh | Mahoba               | Very High   | Drought   |

| Uttar Pradesh   | Banda                | Very High   | Drought   |
|-----------------|----------------------|-------------|-----------|
| Uttar Pradesh   | Chitrakut            | Very High   | -         |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Fatehpur             | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Kaushambi            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Allahabad            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Bahraich             | Very High   | Flood     |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Shravasti            | Very High   | -         |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Balrampur            | Very High   | Flood     |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Gonda                | Very High   | Flood     |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Basti                | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Jaunpur              | Very High   | Flood     |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Sant Ravidas Nagar   | Very High   | Flood     |
| Uttarakhand     | Uttarkashi           | Very High   | -         |
| Uttarakhand     | Rudraprayag          | Very High   | -         |
| Uttarakhand     | Tehri Garwal         | Very High   | -         |
| Uttarakhand     | Pithoragarh          | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttarakhand     | Bageshwar            | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttarakhand     | Almora               | Very High   | Drought   |
| Uttarakhand     | Champawat            | Very High   | Drought   |
| West Bengal     | Malda                | Very High   | Flood     |
| West Bengal     | 24-Paraganas (North) | Very High   | Cyclone   |
| West Bengal     | 24-Paraganas (South) | Very High   | Cyclone   |

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