The government, through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), is actively working on developing and expanding climate-resilient agricultural technologies. Under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project, strategies are being implemented to help farmers cope with extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and frost. The project focuses on three key areas: strategic research, technology demonstration, and capacity building.
ICAR has taken multiple initiatives to promote climate-adaptive crop varieties, identify climate-sensitive regions, and implement sustainable farming practices. Under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), schemes like ‘Per Drop More Crop,’ ‘Rainfed Area Development,’ and ‘Soil Health Management’ are being implemented to strengthen agricultural resilience.
The All India Coordinated Research Programme on Integrated Farming Systems (AICRP-IFS) is being carried out across 25 states to develop and promote alternative and efficient cropping systems. Additionally, under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, efforts are underway in Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh to shift farmers away from water-intensive paddy cultivation to alternative crops such as pulses, oilseeds, millets, and agroforestry. Similar crop diversification initiatives are being promoted in states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal to encourage farmers to move away from tobacco farming.
Since 2015-16, the government has been implementing the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ (PDMC) scheme to improve water-use efficiency at the farm level. The scheme promotes the adoption of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, with financial assistance of 55% for small and marginal farmers and 45% for other farmers.
Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): A total of 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across India are actively demonstrating and promoting climate-resilient farming practices. Special efforts are being made in 151 climate-risk-prone districts under the NICRA project, where village-level Climate Risk Management Committees, seed and fodder banks, and custom hiring centers are being set up to support farmers.
Through these initiatives, the government aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture and equip farmers with the necessary tools to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
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