India Set to Facilitate Climate-Resilient Agriculture Practices

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Published Jun 30, 2021

India is set to revive the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC). NERAMAC will assist producers in eight northeastern states to receive remunerative prices of agriculture-horticulture produce, support climate-resilient and sustainable farming across the country, and provide an additional fertilizer subsidy as part of the stimulus package this financial year. This comes as a response to the damage caused to Indian agriculture by the effects of climate change.

Tridge interviewed KL Prajapati, the owner of Jatin Enterprises, an agricultural commodity exporter from India, to gain further insight.

Climate change cripples Indian agriculture

Agriculture in India is prone to fluctuations in temperature, excessive and untimely rains, floods, droughts, pests, diseases, and other environmental concerns. Recently, such extreme weather events have been intensified by climate change. India’s agriculture relies on rainfall rather than canals, wells, and tube wells, which means a limited growing season of between 2.5 to 6 months. This has led to water scarcity in the country. Even the well-irrigated areas in the northwest and southeast are now experiencing groundwater depletion. Areas like Punjab’s wheat and rice fields are increasingly developing desert-like conditions.

*Map showing water scarcity in India. (Source: The Conversation)*

Agro-biodiversity has also been declining as only a few strains of a few crops have been dominant. India’s soil is becoming less and less arable, with the country losing 15 tonnes of soil per hectare each year, eroded away by wind or water. As a result, crop yields have stagnated or in decline. Prices of agriculture inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and labor have been rising steadily, and prices at which farmers can sell the crops are increasingly unstable. Collectively, these issues have led Indian farmers into debt, with many opting to abandon their farms.

These factors have led the government to assist farmers in transitioning towards more sustainable agriculture practices. Jatin Enterprises is a promoter of sustainable agriculture and partners with farmers who utilize these practices.

“Our company specializes in the manufacturing and trading of superior quality dry and fresh vegetables, spices, herbs, superfoods, and oilseeds. Our organization is widely appreciated for offering the finest-quality agro-products that excel in quality and are 100% pure, natural, and organic. Currently, we are working with more than 1000 farmers, and we prefer partnering with producers that engage in sustainable farming practices,” stated Prajapati.

A push towards sustainable agriculture

NERAMAC has already facilitated the registration of thirteen Geographical Indicator (GI) crops of the North-East region. The organization has prepared a business plan to give 10-15% higher prices to farmers by removing the intermediaries. There is also a proposal to create a North-Eastern Centre for Organic Cultivation, facilitating equity finance for entrepreneurs.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is expected to release climate-resilient varieties of crops to aid farmers and encourage them to shift towards sustainable agriculture. The ICAR previously developed bio-fortified crop varieties having a rich nutrient profile including protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A. Twenty-one such varieties of rice, peas, millet, maize, soybean, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean, pigeon pea, and sorghum are set to be released for use by Indian farmers.