IANS | 27 Oct, 2023
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.