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Integrated computer simulation modelling studies have revealed that, in the absence of adaptation measures, climate change projections regarding changes in temperature and precipitation are likely to reduce rainfed rice yields by 20 per cent by 2050 and 47 per cent by 2080, Bhagirath Choudhary, minister of state for Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, told the Lok Sabha.
Further, irrigated rice yields are projected to decline by 3.5 per cent by 2050 and 5 per cent by 2080, the minister stated. Wheat yields are expected to decrease by 19.3 per cent by 2050 and 40 per cent by 2080, while kharif maize yields are anticipated to fall by 18 to 23 per cent by 2050 and 2080.
However, soybean yields are projected to increase by 3 to 10 per cent by 2030 and 14 per cent by 2080.
There is no available record regarding crop losses both in value and volume due to extreme climatic events for the country, Ram Nath Thakur, minister of state for Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, told the Lok Sabha.
However, according to a Tamil Nadu government report, approximately 33 per cent of crop loss occurred across 1,768,976.24 hectares over the last five years, with a total of Rs 2,500.02 crore disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Southern districts received unprecedented rainfall on December 17 and 18, 2023, during the North East Monsoon season, the minister said. On December 18, 2023, Kayalpattinam village in the Thoothukkudi district received 95 centimetres of rainfall in a single day, according to India Meteorological Department.
Inundation lasted more than five days due to heavy rainfall and water body breaches, resulting in approximately 33 per cent crop loss over an area of 107,320.59 hectares. An amount of Rs. 97.6 crore was released as SDRF relief assistance to the affected farmers, Thakur told the Lok Sabha.
The central government has acknowledged the efforts of women from Kerala’s Uraali Kuruma tribe to revive 180 traditional, environmentally friendly tuber varieties, Thakur told the Lok Sabha.
Additionally,Noorang, a women’s self-help group (SHG) of Thirunelly Panchayat in Wayanad district made up of Vettakuruma Scheduled Caste members, has been formed under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), the minister said.
This group is involved in the cultivation and conservation of over 180 tuber crop varieties. The Kerala government awards Rs 1,000,000 for the conservation of traditional tuber crops. During 2022-23, the state also provided Rs 16,000 at Rs 2,000 per member for a germplasm conservation centre per micro-cluster through the Bhartiya Prakrithi Krishi Padhathi.
Tribal farmers were also trained under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency Farmers Field School, Thakur stated.
Agriculture is a state subject, so state governments take appropriate measures to promote agricultural development in their respective states, Thakur told the Lok Sabha. However, the Centre supports the states’ efforts through appropriate policy measures, budgetary support and various schemes / programmes.
These schemes/programmes seek to benefit farmers by increasing output, providing remunerated returns and providing income support. The central government has significantly increased the agriculture ministry’s budget allocation from Rs 27,662.67 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,25,035.79 crore in 2023-24.
The central government has approved the Namo Drone Didi as a Central Sector Scheme to provide drones to women SHGs, with a budget of Rs 1,261 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26, Thakur told the Lok Sabha.
The scheme aims to provide drones to selected 15,000 women SHGs so that farmers can rent them for agricultural purposes such as fertiliser and pesticide application. Of the total 15,000 drones, the first 500 were purchased by ‘lead fertiliser companies’ in 2023-24 using internal resources and distributed to selected SHGs, he stated.
The remaining 14,500 drones will be provided under this scheme between 2024-25 and 2025-26. As part of the first 500 drones, 108 drones have been supplied to the women SHGs of Andhra Pradesh, Thakur said.
No specific census/ survey of landless farmers has been conducted and as such the exact number of landless farmers in the country is not available, Thakur told the Lok Sabha. However, according to the Agriculture Census for 2015-16, India had 5,31,285 wholly leased-in operational holdings/landless farmers.
Antibiotics are not used as growth promoters in poultry farms, Rajiv Ranjan (Lallan) Singh, Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, told the Lok Sabha.
However, it has been reported that many poultry farmers use antimicrobials as non-therapeutic feed additives, including growth promoters. The minister also stated that these antimicrobials include antibiotics, which are used for both animals and humans.