Action plan to face challenges of climate change soon
New Delhi (PTI): In view of the global warming, which threatens the country's crop production, Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday asked government officials to frame an action plan soon to meet the challenges of climate change.
"I would like to suggest them (senior officials of agriculture and other related ministries) to come out soon with an appropriate action plan to increase our preparedness for climate change," Pawar said at a national conference on 'Climate Change and Indian Agriculture'.
The food production targets could be attained only "if we are able to insulate the agriculture from abiotic and biotic stresses," he said.
The global warming, particularly changes in rainfall and temperature, is likely to enhance the current stresses and increase vulnerability of food production and livelihood of farming community, the Minister noted.
Citing some reports, Pawar said these studies indicate a probability of 10-40 per cent loss in crop production in India with temperature increasing by the end of this century due to global warming.
Pawar assured the government would take note of the observations made in the conference in future planning.
Highlighting some of the important observation made in the conference, he said the Himalayan glaciers are receding and this could cause problem of irrigation in the long-term.
"The climatic change could cause imbalance in food trade due to positive impacts on the agriculture of Europe and North America and negative impacts on us," Pawar said.
The Minister stressed that while planning for management of negative impacts, it would also be useful to encash the positive aspects, if any.
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