Due to climate change, there is a change in agricultural form in Uttarakhand. In a decade, food grains and oilseeds have declined by 27 per cent in the region, with 70 per cent in potato yields. At the same time, 27 per cent cultivated land under food grains and oil seeds in the state mountains has been destroyed. Moreover, the yield has declined up to 15 percent. The biggest decline in potato production has come in Almora and Rudraprayak. Due to the problem of climate change, if Uttarakhand, wheat, rice and millet crops have declined, legumes and maize are becoming anti -weather crops. At the same time, there was an increase and yield in the area where pulses such as gram and arhar.
Potato yields decline, large signal
Potatoes, known as ‘King of Vegetables’, face high climate change. In the last five years, its yields have declined to 1.07 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, which declined by 70.82 per cent against 3.67 lakh metric tonnes of 2020-21. At the same time, there has been a decrease in the area. In 2020-21, it reached 26,867 hectares and in 2022-23, it fell by 36.4 per cent, which means that it was 17, 083 hectares.
A total of 0.19 per cent of the country’s potatoes is produced in Uttarakhand, but it is the highest growing crop in this state and it is the highest cultivation here. Anil Kumar, a scientist of Krishi Vijayan Kendra (KVK) in Udam Singh, says, “Potato cultivation in the hills depends on the rain and the rain is now irregular. Previously there was a snowfall and now it has been reduced. It has affected potatoes.
Dry land, dual challenge of farmers
Jokendra Pishte, president of the Lok Chetna Manj, says, ‘Potato cultivation in the hills depends completely on the rain, and now there is a lot of uncertainty in the form of rain in Uttarakhand. Because of this, there is a shortage of humidity for agriculture now. The temperature is rising from above and the evaporation is intensified. Overall, climate change contributes a lot. Usually, the potatoes are planted in early March and cut into the mountains until May-June. In the plains, they are planted in October-November and cut until January.
Earlier, there was a snowfall of 2-3 times between October and December. Now the lack of rainfall, the lack of snowfall between October and January, the rising temperature and the hailstorm rain have negatively affected potato cultivation. Apart from this, Wild pig destroys the fields on nights. All these things go against potatoes.
How, how much weather changed
According to India’s weather catastrophic Atlas, Uttarakhand had a serious weather for 94 days in 2023. It affected 44,882 hectares of agricultural lands. The impact of climate change is found in more mountains than the plains. The temperature here is increased by an average of 0.02 degrees Celsius each year. Rising temperature, irregular rain and high extreme weather events have disrupted traditional crop methods.
Loud
Yellow cultivation in the state has doubled and chilli cultivation has increased by 35 per cent. In the last few years, the area of spices has increased by 50 percent. The yield has risen by 10.5 percent. The yellow yield increased by 122 per cent and the chilli increased by 21 per cent. These crops are compatible with warm and wet conditions, and they are tolerant of the soil. According to a new report of climate trends that monitor the impact of the environment, the impact of the water shortage and the increase in heat in the mountains provides different forms to the Uttarakhand agricultural lands.
Increased pulses
According to the report, there has been a major change in the development of Uttarakhand’s mountainous areas over the past decade. Total cultivation land has declined by 27.2 per cent. Total yields have been reduced by 15.2 percent. Uttarakhand’s mountainous districts are now moving from traditional crops and moving towards climately friendly crops. The area and yield of major crops such as wheat, rice and potatoes have been drastically reduced. At the same time, legumes and maize are formed as crops according to the changing season. G tags such as Ramdana, Arhar, Kuldi and black corn are now increasingly raised.
Native pulses such as Hill Arhar, Urath, Gram, Butt and Rajma are now becoming the basis of climate flexible future. Due to low water, low input and high nutritional value, these crops can now become the backbone of new agricultural models. At the same time, oilseed crops such as lahi, mustard, toria and soybean are still small, but they are increasing. However, their average yield is still low.
Farmers’ thinking has changed, government helps
According to farmer Jogendra Bish, the ‘traditional’ Paranaja Multi-Cultivation Organization ‘in the state is almost over. Farmers are now accepting new multi -crop techniques with millet and pulses. Pulses, especially soybeans, grams, dry land and not shaken areas, are becoming a choice of farmers. At the same time, climate conditions are the best molding compared to paddy and wheat because paddy and wheat demand more water. He says that the cultivation of paddy and wheat has now been difficult due to the shortage of water and the fall of the soil. In such a situation, drought -tolerant crops are becoming Black soybean and Kuldi.
More read-
. Hindi (D) Kisan Tak News Cultivation (D) Agricultural News
Story Credit
