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Farmers' body calls for investment boost to tackle climate-farming barriers
The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) released a white paper titled "Nourishing the Future: A Report on Climate-Resilient Agriculture" during a national seminar in New Delhi, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable farming practices to counter climate change impacts.
The report identified erratic rainfall, unseasonal droughts, temperature spikes and rising pest incidence as key threats disrupting crop cycles across major agricultural states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
Member of Parliament from Andhra Prades Putta Mahesh Kumar was present at the event. Small and marginal farmers, who comprise over 80 per cent of India's agricultural community, are disproportionately affected due to limited adaptive capacity, the report said.
"Soil degradation, rising input costs, and falling water tables are putting significant pressure on farm productivity and incomes," said Murali Babu, General Secretary of FAIFA.
"We must transition from a 'grow more' approach to a 'grow better' mindset," he added.
While acknowledging existing government schemes such as the crop insurance programme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and micro-irrigation initiatives, FAIFA identified implementation gaps, including high initial costs, fragmented infrastructure, and low farmer awareness.
The organisation recommended increased public investment in research and development for climate-resilient seed varieties, expanded farmer training programmes, and promotion of precision agriculture tools.
FAIFA also called for targeted subsidies for renewable energy, micro-irrigation and organic inputs, while advocating for mainstream adoption of conservation agriculture and integrated farming systems.
The report emphasised the need for collaboration between policymakers, research institutions and private stakeholders to scale climate-smart agriculture practices across India's diverse agricultural landscape.
India, one of the world's largest agricultural producers, faces mounting pressure to balance food security needs with climate change mitigation as extreme weather events become more frequent.
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