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NEW DELHI: (AMN)The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its nod for implementing a new scheme to address the impact of climate change on agriculture and allied sectors.
The three hundred fifty crore rupee scheme called national initiative on climate resilient agriculture will directly benefit one lakh farmers through on- farm demonstration of climate resilient technologies. The technology demonstration will be carried out in 100 districts of 27 States in the country. The long term strategic research will help in evolving technologies to cope with the climate change which will be used by millions of farmers across the country.
The scheme will help in the identification of 15 to 20 heat or drought tolerant cultivars of different crops by the end of XI plan. This is expected to reduce production losses by atleast 25 to 30 percent and provide adequate resilient to small and marginal farmers.
AIR correspondent says that the new scheme comes in the wake of the threats of climate change on growth and sustainability of the agriculture sector in the country. Most models have predicted that rising temperatures and increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions will significantly impact production of food grains. This could affect both food security and the livelihoods of millions of small and marginal farmers.