1. NABARD’s initiatives on Climate Change
Dr B R Premi
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
Maharashtra Regional Office, Pune

2. Contents About NABARD Over view of Indian Agriculture
Impact of climate on agriculture
Initiatives of NABARD
Expectations from the forum

3. RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
Parliament
Act
1982

4. Mission Statement
Promote sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support related services, institutional development and other innovative initiatives

5. Functions Credit Functions Regulatory Functions Refinance to Banks
Cofinance in association with banks
Direct Loan to State Government from Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
Grant cum credit programme
Venture Capital Assistance to Dairy and Poultry
Regulatory Functions
Regional Rural Banks
Cooperative Banks

6. Functions Promotional Role Advisory Services - NABCONS
Rural Non Farm Sector
Farm sector – Water shed development, Natural Resource Management Programme
Micro credit and Self Help Groups
Farmers clubs
Augmenting Subsidy through Govt of India scheme
Advisory Services - NABCONS

7. Indian Agriculture - Strengths
Varied agro climatic conditions – Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate & Dry Temperate
Plenty of sunshine (Short day and Long day)
Variety of soil types (Sandy soils – Black Cotton)
Occupies first three ranks in world in number of agricultural products
Largest livestock population in World
Longest coastline in world

8. Indian Agriculture - Weaknesses
Fragmented land holdings (>80% in acre)
Larger dependence on monsoon
Rainfed farming (45% net cultivated area irrigated; 18.7% in Maharashtra)
Dependence to Agriculture declining (>80% population before 1990s to 55% popln in 2007)
Share of agriculture to GDP declining (36.4% in to 18.5% in
Share of capital formation in agriculture to GDP declining (8.6% in 2000 to 5.8% in 2007)
Low Yield per Ha (1716 kg/ha; 924 kg/ha in Maharashtra

9. Climate Change and Agriculture
Climate change will have far-reaching consequences for agriculture
Crop failure and live stock deaths due to sever diseases and epidemics.
The impact already started to occur leading to huge economic losses undermining food security
The impact difficult to assess
Survival of the poor at high risk
Developing countries most vulnerable

10. Climate change - Five main factors
Changes in temperature
Variation in quantum of precipitation
Changes in carbon dioxide fertilisation
Climate variability
Surface water runoff

11. How to overcome? Adapting to climate change
Outside financial help most crucial
Crop and livestock insurance
New and innovative irrigation techniques
R&D on flood, heat and drought resistant crops
Strong agro metrological data support
Mitigating climate change through agriculture
Livestock and crops responsible for CO2 emission
Agriculture accounts for 15% of global GHG emission
Agriculture based deforestation, the contribution goes upto 26-35% of global CHG

12. NABARD’s initiatives
Watershed development programme – more than 2 lakh Ha treated in Maharashtra itself.
Wadi development programme originated in Gujarat
Umbrella Programme on Natural Resource Management
Farmers’ clubs & self help groups
Dissemination of weather information through SMS
Setting up of Bio Carbon Fund
Farmers’ Technology Transfer Fund
Rural Innovation Fund and Farm Innovation & Promotion Fund
R&D Fund

13. Expectations
Forecasts on monsoon not enough for farmers, but regular agri advisory services most crucial
The forecasts skewed towards drought situation, focus on other parameters need to be given.
Meteorological agencies to play a crucial role in crop and livestock insurance
Farmers’ club network as a channel of information flow on weather & climate change (38,000 nos) ?
The Govt. agencies like IMD, IITM, SAUs, KVKs etc. to have partnership with agencies like NABARD on the lines of Reuter Market Lite

14. Looking forward R&D Proposals on adaptation to climate change
Partnership with Indian & Global agencies to strengthen the initiatives
Guidance from experts on the field on how to address the issue at the grass root level

15. thanks