**Executive Summary**
The document highlights the Indian government's efforts to promote smart agro-food systems and sustainable agricultural practices, addressing challenges such as climate change and resource degradation. The initiatives are implemented through various schemes and research projects, with a focus on climate-resilient technologies and integrated farming systems. The information was provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, on February 10, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Priorities and Schemes:**
* Identified key agronomic priorities including climate-resilient, carbon-neutral, and regenerative agriculture.
* Implemented several schemes under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.
* 'Per Drop More Crop' scheme increases water use efficiency through micro-irrigation.
* Rainfed Area Development focuses on Integrated Farming System.
* Soil Health & Fertility scheme promotes integrated nutrient management.
* Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Agroforestry & National Bamboo Mission promotes climate resilience.
* Pradhan Mantri Fasa Bima Yojana provides insurance cover against crop failure.
* **Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Initiatives:**
* Implementing the NICRA project to study the impact of climate change on agriculture and conduct vulnerability assessments.
* Identified 310 climatically vulnerable districts, with 109 categorized as 'very high' and 201 as 'highly' vulnerable.
* Demonstrated climate-resilient technologies in 151 districts through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
* Capacity building for village level seed banks and community nurseries.
* Demonstrated drought and flood-tolerant climate-resilient varieties in NICRA villages.
* Conducted training programs under Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
* Released 2900 varieties in the last 10 years (2014-2024), with 2661 varieties tolerant to biotic and/or abiotic stresses.
* **Alignment of Agricultural Policies:**
* Progressively aligning and converging existing agricultural schemes with broader agronomic priorities.
* Ensuring a more integrated and outcome-oriented approach to improve convergence, reduce duplication, and optimize resource utilization.
* **Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs):**
* Established 731 KVKs with the mandate of technology assessment, demonstration, and capacity development.
* Organize capacity-building programs for farmers on new technologies, including climate-resilient and regenerative agriculture.
* Aligning agricultural policies with identified agronomic priorities like climate-resilient agriculture, soil and water conservation, and resource-use efficiency.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Farmers**
* **Impact:** Farmers gain access to climate-resilient technologies, improved farming practices, and insurance coverage, reducing risks associated with climate change and crop failure.
* **Action Required:** Farmers need to participate in training programs, adopt new technologies, and utilize the available schemes to enhance productivity and resilience.
**Stakeholder: Agricultural Researchers (ICAR)**
* **Impact:** ICAR is responsible for research, development, and demonstration of climate-resilient technologies, contributing to sustainable agriculture.
* **Action Required:** Continue research efforts, collaborate with KVKs for technology dissemination, and align agricultural policies with research findings.
**Stakeholder: Policymakers**
* **Impact:** Policymakers are responsible for formulating and implementing schemes that promote sustainable agriculture and address climate change.
* **Action Required:** Monitor the progress of schemes, ensure convergence and coordination among different initiatives, and align policies with identified agronomic priorities.
Key Entities Referenced
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: Umbrella scheme to promote sustainable agriculture practices
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): Key agricultural research organization responsible for various projects, including NICRA.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: Crop insurance scheme providing cover against crop failure.
National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA): Project by ICAR studying the impact of climate change on agriculture.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Agricultural extension centers for technology assessment, demonstration, and capacity development.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
SMART AGRO-FOOD SYSTEMS AND
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES
Posted On: 10 FEB 2026 6:41PM by PIB Delhi
Government has identified key agronomic priorities including climate-resilient, carbon-neutral and
regenerative agriculture to address the challenges of climate change, resource degradation and sustainable
food security. Several schemes have been initiated under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, to
promote sustainable agriculture practices. Per Drop More Crop scheme increases water use efficiency at
the farm level through micro irrigation technologies i.e. drip and sprinkler irrigation. Rainfed Area
Development focuses on Integrated Farming System for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks
associated with climatic variability. The Soil Health & Fertility scheme promotes integrated nutrient
management through judicious use of chemical fertilizers. Mission for Integrated Development of
Horticulture, Agroforestry & National Bamboo Mission also promote climate resilience. Pradhan Mantri
Fasa Bima Yojana along with weather index based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme
provides a comprehensive insurance cover against crop failure to farmers suffering crop loss/damage due
to natural calamities.
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 & vulnerability assessment due to climate change. Under NICRA, 310 districts were
identified as climatically 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,
location-specific climate resilient technologies (such as system of rice intensification, aerobic rice, direct
seeding of rice, zero till wheat sowing etc) have been demonstrated under the project through Krishi
Vigyan Kendras in 151 districts covering 448 Climate Resilient Villages. Capacity building for village
level seed banks and community nurseries is undertaken under NICRA to enable availability of seed.
Drought and flood tolerant climate-resilient varieties of rice, wheat, soybean, mustard, chickpea, sorghum,
gram, and foxtail millet were demonstrated in several NICRA villages. Besides, training programmes are
conducted under Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) on various issues of agricultural
practices. ICAR has released 2900 varieties during last 10 years (2014-2024) of which 2661 varieties are
tolerant to one or more biotic and/or abiotic stresses.
Government is progressively aligning and converging existing agricultural schemes with broader
agronomic priorities, including digital transformation, soil health, water use efficiency, organic/natural
farming and other sustainable farming practices.Such merger will ensure a more integrated and outcome-
oriented approach, improve convergence, reduce duplication of efforts, optimize resource utilization, and
strengthen implementation efficiency.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research has established 731 KVKs with the mandate of technology
assessment, demonstration and capacity development. The KVKs organize capacity-building programmes
for the farmers on new technologies of agriculture and allied sectors including those related to climate-
resilient and regenerative agriculture.Government is aligning agricultural policies with identifiedagronomic priorities such as climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable and regenerative farming practices,
soil and water conservation, resource-use efficiency, diversification of cropping systems, and reduction of
environmental footprints.
This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath
Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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