Climate-Resilient Farming Must Become a National Priority: LG Manoj Sinha
A national discussion has been organized on a topic that I believe has become the top priority for us today, said the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha talking on Climate Change. Whenever I get a chance to talk to agri-scientists or other stakeholders, one thing I understand is that our fields are not just full of soil, but a very strong foundation of civilization. And that is the basis of our economy and the biggest asset of our future. And therefore, I would most humbly request that when you discuss this, when the policy is made, if any intervention is made from all of you, then this soil should definitely be considered. In which, despite all the upheavals, humanity has succeeded in maintaining its existence till now.
In this three-day event too, I would urge you to communicate not just in words but with truth, immediacy and new hope for the future. The challenge of climate change that the country faces today, especially the farmers, is not limited to farms alone. Rather, it is affecting every person in the society who is dependent on the food produced from this soil. The challenges faced, especially in agriculture and horticulture, are clearly warning.
It is true that our planet is about 1.1 to 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels. Even though this growth appears to us as a number, this growth may seem like a mere number, but its impact is profound and widespread. Whatever has happened in India, especially in the last ten to 11 years, India has been successful to a large extent in meeting this challenge, LG said.
For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the agricultural scientists and especially express my gratitude to the respected Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister has given high priority to agriculture and allied sectors in government policies. If we look at the agriculture budget, India’s agriculture budget provision has grown a lot in the last ten to 11 years. In 2014 it was 21933 crores. It has become one lakh thirty thousand crore rupees in this financial year.
Sudden heat waves, erratic and unbalanced rainfall, unusual frost events, prolonged dry spells followed by devastating floods, new insect diseases – all these are now becoming a reality. I would request that you all pay attention to heteroagricultural diversification. Every scientist and farmer is accepting today that single cropping system can no longer be a temporary solution. Many times, very good things are said in seminars, but what the farmer actually wants and how it can be implemented according to his situation remains a matter of speciality. And therefore, if we understand their needs and innovate and use them, I think it will be much better.
I monitor the Shri Amarnath Yatra every day when it is going on and the progress made by our Meteorological Department is certainly a matter of pride for the entire country and my request would be that the knowledge that comes out of this national discussion should reach the fields as quickly as possible. We must ensure that this soil, which has nurtured us for generations, reaps the maximum benefits of the national-international collaboration of Jammu University, LG said.
