Impact of Weather Extremes on Indian Foodgrains Production G. S. L. H. V. Prasada Rao

Abstract

Self sufficiency in Indian foodgrain production and its sustainability is in ambiguity due to the climate variability and change that occurred in the recent past. About 43 % of India’s geographical area is used for agricultural activity. Agriculture accounts for approximately 33 per cent of India’s GDP and employs nearly 62 per cent of the population. It accounts for 8.56 % of India’s exports. About one third of the cropland in India is irrigated, but rainfed agriculture is central to the Indian economy. Despite technological advances such as improved crop varieties and irrigation systems, weather and climate are still playing key role in Indian agricultural productivity thereby national prosperity. Several climate models suggest that future global warming may reduce soil moisture over large areas of semi-arid grassland in North America and Asia. This climate change is likely to exacerbate the degradation of semi-arid lands that will be caused by rapidly expanding human populations during the next decade. It is predicted that there will be a 17 per cent increase in the world area of desert land due to the climate change expected, with a doubling of atmospheric CO2 content. Increasing evidence over the past few decades indicate that significant changes in climate are taking place worldwide due to enhanced human activities. The major cause to climate change has been ascribed to the increased levels of greenhouse gases due to the uncontrolled activities such as burring of fossil fuels, increased use