Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh takes up programme on climate change impact on crops

To address the impact of climate change and variability on crops, horticulture, livestock, and fisheries, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has taken up a flagship programme — National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). 

According to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh, the programme is being taken up in 151 climatically vulnerable districts across the country by taking one representative village in each district.  
The predominant climatic vulnerabilities addressed are drought, flood, cyclone, heat wave, cold wave, frost and hail storm.

Officials said that ICAR has conducted climate change impact analysis on crop yields through various centres in different parts of the country using crop simulation models (INFO-CROP and HAD CM3) for 2020,2050 and 2080. 

Addressing the Inter-Session Meeting of Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Singh said that the aim of the project is to develop adaptation and mitigation practices to minimise losses and enhance resilience of Indian agriculture.

The minister also informed that several states have shown interest in replicating the climate resilient village models. For example, the Government of Maharashtra through World Bank funding formulated a project by the name Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture ( PoCRA) with a budget outlay of Rs 4,500 crore being implemented in 5,000 villages in the drought prone villages of Vidharbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. 

Several other state governments also initiated similar projects of climate resilient agriculture (Karnataka, Odishaand Telangana ).

Future Projection

• According to economic survey of India 2018, the change in agricultural productivity patterns as a result of climate change could reduce annual agricultural incomes. 
• The projected reduction of income is between 15 per cent and 18 per cent on an average, and between 20 per cent and 25 per cent particularly for areas that are not irrigated.