Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Climate change a challenge to farm sector

Photo: M. Periasamy

AGRI TALK: Abhijit Sen, Member, Union Planning Commission, delivering the Dr. N. Mahalingam Endowment Lecture at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Saturday. —

COIMBATORE: One of the challenges that the agriculture sector faces currently is climate change, according to Abhijit Sen, Member of the Union Planning Commission.

He was delivering the Dr. N. Mahalingam Endowment Lecture at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here on Saturday. Carbon emission and use of fossil fuel would have to come down to contain global warming. Further, associated with this challenge was the impact of green house gas emissions of the past.

With this, India was likely to see more extreme impact on climate and the assumed normal weather might not be normal.

For those in the agricultural sector, this would mean the need for more varieties and options and storage would become more important.

Apart from this, Mr. Sen said, scientists should focus on the immediate problem of poverty.

There were a large number of farmers who were illiterate. It was essential to improve the income of the poor.

In order to meet these challenges, “we need time-bound research that will also focus on specific objectives.” Technology should be quicker and effective and should reach the common man.

“A strategic vision is needed,” he said.

Resources should be used efficiently and the systems should be in place. “We also need a detailed mapping of the resources, technology and ways to cope with waste,” he said.

The emphasis was on field level planning to have effective implementation.

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