Climate change likely to reduce productivity, Minister tells Lok Sabha

By BL Mangaluru Bureau

Rain-fed rice yields are likely to come down by 20 per cent by 2050, according to a reply by the Government in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question on how rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are affecting the agricultural productivity in the country, Bhagirath Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said integrated computer simulation modelling studies revealed that in the absence of adaptation measures, climate change projections with respect to changes in temperature and precipitation are likely to reduce rain-fed rice yields by 20 per cent in 2050, and 47 per cent in 2080 scenarios. Irrigated rice yields are likely to reduce by 3.5 per cent in 2050, and 5 per cent in 2080 scenarios.

He said wheat yield is likely to reduce by 19.3 per cent in 2050, and 40 per cent in 2080 scenarios, and kharif maize yields by 18-23 per cent in 2050 and 2080 scenarios.

However, soyabean yields are projected to increase by 3-10 per cent in 2030 and 14 per cent in 2080 scenarios.

Tech for farmers

To a separate question on the steps taken to promote the use of advanced agricultural technologies and practices among small and marginal farmers, he said the Government promotes advanced agricultural technologies and practices, including Kisan drones, climate resilient varieties, integrated farming system models, micro-irrigation, precision farming, soil sensors, bio-fortified varieties, and digital marketing.

These technologies are promoted among small and marginal farmers through schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, Namo Drone Didi, Krishionnati Yojna, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.

Non-basmati rice

To a query on EU restrictions on non-Basmati rice, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said the export of non-Basmati rice to EU has increased from $27.8 million in 2021-22 to $38.23 million in 2023-24.

The issue of Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) levels in agro products, including rice, has been taken up with EU authorities through various channels at appropriate forum and levels, including India-EU Trade and Technology Council.

EU sets the MRL for non-basmati par-boiled rice via pesticides limits as per Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 dated February 23 2005. The regulations take into consideration of food produced in Europe as well as food imported from non-EU countries. He said EU has lowered the MRLs to 0.01 mg/kg for several pesticides in rice.

Natural rubber

To another question on natural rubber production and its imports, he said India produced 8.57 lakh tonnes (lt) of natural rubber in 2023-24 against 8.39 lt in 2022-23 and 7.75 lt in 2021-22.

India’s import of natural rubber was at 4.92 lt in 2023-24 against 5.28 lt in 2022-23. India imported 5.46 lt of natural rubber in 2021-22.

PM KISAN

To a query on whether the farmers who file their Income Tax Return (ITR) are not covered under Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ramnath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said a farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without any involvement of the intermediaries.

Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government has so far disbursed over ₹3.24 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers in 17 installments, subject to certain exclusion criteria.

“Income tax payee is one of the exclusion criteria, and income tax payee farmers are not eligible under the scheme,” he said.

The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers. It is one of the largest direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes of the world. Under this scheme, the financial benefit of ₹6,000 per year in three equal installments is transferred into the bank accounts of landholding farmers’ families across the country through DBT mode, subject to certain exclusion criteria.

Published Date: July 30, 2024