Policy Reforms Needed to Prioritize Growth of Landless, Small, and Marginal Farmers in Rainfed Areas

The National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India, organised a National Workshop on 'Climate Resilient Rainfed Agriculture (CRRA)' in New Delhi on July 18, 2024.

Additional Secretary, DA&FW and CEO (NRAA) Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, who inaugurated the event, called for policy reforms that prioritise the growth of landless, small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas.

Noting that rainfed areas are more vulnerable to extreme climatic events, Kidwai advocated innovative and technology driven agricultural practices to create climate resilience in rainfed agriculture, according to an official release.

He highlighted the potential of Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme which is being implemented as a component under cafeteria approach of ‘Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana’ (RKVY) for transition towards CRRA.

He also called for effective convergence of RAD scheme with various developmental programs to ensure optimal resource utilisation.

The workshop provided a crucial platform to the State and Central Government representatives, agricultural experts, researchers and policymakers to discuss innovative strategies and technologies for enhancing crop production in rainfed areas by adopting climate resilience approach.

Dr S K Choudhary, DDG (NRM), ICAR, Franklin L. Khobung, Joint Secretary (Rainfed Farming System), DA&FW and B Rath, Technical Expert (Water Management), NRAA were among those present at the event.

Dr Choudhary outlined the impact of climate change on agriculture and allied sectors and highlighted the importance of inclusive growth of rainfed areas that are distributed across different agro-ecosystem through an integrated approach.

He shared the experience of ICAR-NICRA scheme which is being implemented in the country to address all the dimensions of climate change on the pillars of Research, Education and Extension. He suggested block-level Risk Assessment Atlas and hands on training to field functionaries on CRRA.

The Technical Sessions of the workshop focused upon the intricacies of Integrated Farming System (IFS) and livestock and natural resources management in rainfed areas. Discussions revolved around various facets of climate resilient rainfed agriculture, including landscape based Integrated Farming System, watershed development, Digital Forecasting Techniques, revival of pastoral routes and generating economic evidence for scaling sustainable agriculture in the country.

The workshop also witnessed in-depth discussions on the updated operational guidelines for the RAD scheme and key implementation challenges. It concluded with forward-looking approaches for enhancing climate resilience and sustainability in rainfed areas.

Participants expressed optimism about the potential of proposed strategies to revolutionise the agricultural sector and improve livelihood security for farmers nationwide.