Pointing out that erratic rainfall, unseasonal droughts, temperature spikes and rising pest incidence are major threats disrupting crop cycles across major producing States, a farmers’ body has called for bridging implementation gaps and increasing investment in climate-resilient agricultural technologies.
The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) on Thursday released a study titled “Nourishing the Future: A Report on Climate-Resilient Agriculture” during a seminar in New Delhi. It has stressed on the urgent need for sustainable farming practices to counter climate change impacts and cited high initial costs, fragmented infrastructure and low farmer awareness as key barriers of widespread adoption with regard to sustainable farming practices.
The report emphasised the need for collaboration between policymakers, research institutions and private stakeholders to scale climate-smart agriculture practices across India’s diverse agricultural landscape.
“Soil degradation, rising input costs and falling water tables are putting significant pressure on farm productivity and incomes. We must transition from a grow more approach to a grow better mindset,” said Murali Babu, FAIFA’s general secretary.
Babu said there is a need for increased public investment in research and development for climate-resilient seed varieties, while farmer training programmes should also be expanded and precision agriculture tools be promoted with higher subsidy.
Central schemes
The report complimented the Centre for the schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana on crop insurance and micro-irrigation initiatives, but suggested targeted subsidies for renewable energy, micro-irrigation and organic inputs. It also favoured conservation agriculture and integrated farming systems.
The country is facing mounting pressure to balance food security needs with climate change mitigation as extreme weather events become more frequent, it said adding small and marginal farmers are disproportionately affected due to limited adaptive capacity.