Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 16: The untimely rains may cause heavy damage to farmers who at times can lose whole standing crop in the state, a report says.
As per a report of Indian Himalayas Climate Adaption Programme (IHCAP) of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the number of rainy days in the Himalayan region in 2030s may increase by 5-10 days on an average, with an increase by more than 15 days in the eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir. "The intensity of rainfall is likely to increase by 1-2mm per day," the report reads adding that unseasonal rains may invariable cause heave damage to farmers who at times can lose whole standing crop in the state.
Climate change affects the food production and the increase in the seasonal temperature can reduce the duration of many crops and reduce the yield. During the year 2019, the hailstorm and high speed winds hit parts of the state resulting heavy damage to crops.
In Jammu region, the damage has been caused to mango production.
Similarly, this is the season of apple production in Kashmir Valley. The apple orchards are spread over 1,46,016 hectares in the Valley. The Kulgam and Baramulla districts were maximum hit by hailstorm in the Kashmir Valley.
Climate change and agriculture are interrelated.
The report says that most significant impact of climate change on the Himalayas will affect a good part of Asia including Kashmir Valley.
"This is especially so since most of the farmers plant varieties which give maximum yield within the prescribed crop calendar. When the crop calendar gets disturbed with unseasonal rains, their productivity and production drops," it reads.
Mid-season drought, as per the report, is considered as harmful as unseasonal rains for the standing crops. "The number of both these events is expected to increase with climate change. Farmers are realizing that some of the traditional varieties of food crops have better resilience to weather-related uncertainties during the cropping cycle than the high-yielding varieties," the report adds.
Official data reveals that Jammu and Kashmir had 8.47 lakh hectare agriculture land in 2005-06 which has shrunk to 7.94 lakh hectare till 2015-16. So, in a decade, farmland equivalent to 10, 60,000 kanals have illegally been converted for non-agricultural activities across the state. |
