Parliament Question: Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Productivity

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS’ WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS’ WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 244 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 02ND DECEMBER, 2025 IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY 244. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS’ WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has conducted any recent assessment of the impact of climate change, including erratic rainfall, heatwaves, and droughts, on agricultural productivity across various agro-climatic zones in the country; (b) the details of districts identified as climate-vulnerable under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme, along with the interventions implemented therein, (c) whether the Government proposes to expand financial and technical assistance to small and marginal farmers to promote the adoption of climate-resilient crops, micro-irrigation, and drought-mitigation technologies; and (d) if so, the details of budgetary allocations and measurable outcomes achieved under such initiatives during the last three financial years? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is implementing a project- National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), that studies the impact of climate change on agriculture, conducts district level risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture to future climate change and integrated simulation modelling studies for estimating the future projections of climate change. Under the project, risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture to climate change has been carried out at district-level for 651 predominantly agricultural districts as per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) protocols. 310 districts were identified as vulnerable out of which 109 districts have been categorized as ‘very high’ and 201 districts as ‘highly’ vulnerable. For enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, location-specific climate resilient technologies such as system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, direct seeding of rice, zero till wheat sowing, cultivation of climate resilient varieties tolerant to extreme weather conditions such as drought and heat; in-situ incorporation of rice residues etc. have been demonstrated under the project through KVKs in 448 Climate Resilient Villages of 151 climatically vulnerable districts covering 28 states / UTs for adoption by farmers. Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks and community nurseries is being undertaken under the project to ensure availability of seeds in the adopted villages. Further, to address the impact of climate change, ICAR has released 2900 varieties during last 10 years (2014-2024). Out of these 2661 varieties are tolerant to one or morebiotic and/or abiotic stresses. Drought and flood tolerant climate-resilient varieties of rice, wheat, soybean, mustard, chickpea, sorghum, gram, and foxtail millet have been demonstrated in several NICRA villages The details of districts identified as climate-vulnerable (very high) under NICRA programme, are at Annexure. (c) & (d): Under NICRA, technical assistance for small and marginal farmers is proposed to extend to additional vulnerable districts beyond the 151 currently covered, to promote adoption of climate-resilient practices. Village level institutions through farmers’ participatory approach, such as Village Climate Risk Management Committees (VCRMCs), seed and fodder banks have been established for smooth functioning and need based technology penetration. Custom hiring centres (CHCs) established under KVKs in these villages help to take up timely farm operations and provide access to improved machinery for small and marginal farm holders. Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks and community nurseries is being undertaken under NICRA project that enable availability of seeds in the adopted villages. The project is contributing to farmers’ capacity building and improved crop yields, thereby leading to the socio-economic development of the farming community. Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks and community nurseries is being undertaken under NICRA project that enable availability of seeds in the adopted villages. Budgetary allocation for technology demonstrations in these 151 risk-prone districts during the last three financial years is as follows: Year Amount (Rs. In Lakhs) 2022-23 1600.30 2023-24 1862.00 2024-25 2550.31Annexure List of districts with ‘very high’ and ‘high’ climate change risk to agriculture State District Risk Hazard Andhra Pradesh Anantapur Very High Drought Arunachal Pradesh Upper Siang Very High Drought Assam Nalbari Very High - Assam Darrang Very High Drought Bihar Sitamarhi Very High Flood Bihar Madhubani Very High Flood Bihar Supaul Very High Flood Bihar Kishanganj Very High Flood Bihar Katihar Very High Flood Bihar Saharsa Very High Flood Bihar Darbhanga Very High Flood Bihar Lakhisarai Very High Flood Bihar Sheikhpura Very High Drought Bihar Nalanda Very High Flood Gujarat Panchmahal Very High Drought Gujarat Dahod Very High Drought Haryana Fatehabad Very High Drought Haryana Bhiwani Very High Drought Haryana Mahendragarh Very High Drought Himachal Pradesh Chamba Very High Drought Himachal Pradesh Mandi Very High - Jammu & Kashmir Leh(Ladakh) Very High Drought Jammu & Kashmir Poonch Very High Drought Jammu & Kashmir Kathua Very High Drought Karnataka Gadag Very High Drought Karnataka Haveri Very High Drought Karnataka Chitradurga Very High Drought Kerala Kasaragod Very High Cyclone Kerala Kozhikode Very High Cyclone Kerala Ernakulam Very High Cyclone Kerala Kottayam Very High Drought Kerala Alappuzha Very High Flood Kerala Pathanamthitta Very High Flood Kerala Kollam Very High Cyclone Kerala Thiruvanathapuram Very High Drought Madhya Pradesh Bhind Very High Drought Madhya Pradesh Jhabua Very High Drought Maharashtra Nanded Very High - Maharashtra Beed Very High Drought Meghalaya West Garo Hills Very High Drought Meghalaya East Garo Hills Very High DroughtMeghalaya South Garo Hills Very High Drought Meghalaya West Khasi Hills Very High Drought Meghalaya East Khasi Hills Very High Drought Meghalaya Jaintia Hills Very High Drought Mizoram Lawngtlai Very High Drought Mizoram Saiha Very High Drought Nagaland Tuensang Very High Drought Orissa Keonjhar Very High Cyclone Orissa Balasore (Baleshwar) Very High Cyclone Orissa Kendrapara Very High Cyclone Orissa Jagatsingpur Very High Flood Orissa Jajpur Very High Cyclone Orissa Puri Very High Flood Punjab Gurdaspur Very High Drought Punjab Jalandhar Very High Drought Punjab Moga Very High Drought Punjab Faridkot Very High Drought Punjab Bathinda Very High Drought Rajasthan Ganganagar Very High Drought Rajasthan Hanumangarh Very High Drought Rajasthan Churu Very High Drought Rajasthan Jhunjhunu Very High Drought Rajasthan Alwar Very High Drought Rajasthan Karauli Very High Drought Rajasthan Dausa Very High Drought Rajasthan Sikar Very High Drought Rajasthan Nagaur Very High Drought Rajasthan Jodhpur Very High Drought Rajasthan Jaisalmer Very High Drought Rajasthan Barmer Very High Drought Rajasthan Jalore Very High Drought Rajasthan Pali Very High Drought Rajasthan Bhilwara Very High Drought Rajasthan Dungarpur Very High Drought Rajasthan Banswara Very High Drought Sikkim South Very High - Uttar Pradesh Bagpat Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Unnao Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Kannauj Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Etawah Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Auraiya Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Kanpur (Dehat) Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Jalaun Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Jhansi Very High - Uttar Pradesh Hamirpur Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Mahoba Very High DroughtUttar Pradesh Banda Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Chitrakut Very High - Uttar Pradesh Fatehpur Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Kaushambi Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Allahabad Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Bahraich Very High Flood Uttar Pradesh Shravasti Very High - Uttar Pradesh Balrampur Very High Flood Uttar Pradesh Gonda Very High Flood Uttar Pradesh Basti Very High Drought Uttar Pradesh Jaunpur Very High Flood Uttar Pradesh Sant Ravidas Nagar Very High Flood Uttarakhand Uttarkashi Very High - Uttarakhand Rudraprayag Very High - Uttarakhand Tehri Garwal Very High - Uttarakhand Pithoragarh Very High Drought Uttarakhand Bageshwar Very High Drought Uttarakhand Almora Very High Drought Uttarakhand Champawat Very High Drought West Bengal Malda Very High Flood West Bengal 24-Paraganas (North) Very High Cyclone West Bengal 24-Paraganas (South) Very High Cyclone *****