With over 800 climate-resilient varieties available, can agricultural sector evade climate change bouncer?

New Delhi, Oct 26 As rising temperatures make farming more resource hungry, countries in the Global South have been compelled to come up with measures to ensure the agriculture sector is able to stave off this seemingly insurmountable challenge

Although effective blueprints have been placed to deal with changing environment conditions, the rapid changes in weather patterns have upended crop production crop cycles, which have adversely affected yields and income levels of farmers.

The Indian agriculture sector is not immune to these changes and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged that the sector is facing several challenges, ranging from supply chain disruptions to climate change.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has developed more than 800 climate-resilient varieties to counter the change in climate patterns. But mere availability is not enough as stakeholders need to come together to build more awareness and ensure easy availability.

Looking to help the sector seamlessly adopt modern practices, Ankur Aggarwal, Managing Director, Crystal Crop Protection, says the organisation's endeavour has always been to ensure the Indian farmer is not hamstrung by lack of resources in his quest to boost crop yields

"The Indian agriculture sector is weathering an external storm in the form of climate change and we are aware of the need to help bringing in the latest modern practices to combat this environmental shift which will have a lasting impact on food security, he said.

"India is primarily an agrarian country and the farming community forms the bedrock of the country's economic growth potential. Our company has always strived to come up with products and solutions which will help the farmers boost output and their income levels and keep them ready to tackle the disruptions brought by climate change," said Aggarwal.

The need to develop a responsive and appropriate scientific mechanism to counter the impact of climate change is also forcing companies to come up with out of the box solutions for the farming community

As climate change is now a stark reality, a concerted approach is the need of the hour.

On, how are companies looking to aid the agriculture sector in this battle for survival, Mohit Kumar Singh, General Manager, Business strategy and development of Honda India Power Products Limited, said, "There is no way we can deny the adverse impact of climate change on the agricultural sector. But the Indian agriculture sector has always displayed resilience and we have been a proud partner in its growth journey for the last 38 years.

"The adoption of agricultural mechanisation is imperative for the Indian agricultural industry to enhance its productivity and efficiency. Honda India Power Products recognises the importance of agricultural mechanisation in India and the challenge posed by smaller farm sizes."

"To address this, HIPP offers a range of equipment ideally suited for small and marginal farmers offering unmatched portability and durability backed by legendary 'Honda' quality across its diversified product categories ranging from portable water pumps to power tillers, brush cutters, stationary and back sprayers, reapers powered by Honda GX engines engineered to withstand demanding conditions and provide reliable service to enhance agricultural productivity and thereby empowering the farming community," Singh said.

As the extent of adoption of mechanisation by farmers is influenced by various factors such as socioeconomic conditions, geographical considerations and capital requirements, the role of lenders also becomes importantin this shift.

"As climate change mitigation becomes a cross-policy agenda globally, our efforts are aligned to advance sustainable and green lending. Our commitment to fight climate change can be demonstrated from our latest impact fundraising activity and we are willing to partner with stakeholders in the sustainability businesses to help them fight climate change by providing them access to seamless and affordable lending solutions. Clix Capital was formed to provide much-needed financial support to sectors which were not able to avail credit opportunities provided by traditional lenders," said Rakesh Kaul, CEO at Clix Capital.