Challenges and opportunities in rainfed agriculture

2. Rainfed Agriculture in India - At a Glance
About 50% of the 139 m ha net sown area is
rainfed (69 m ha) (Land use statistics 2017-18)
Of the 146 million holdings in India, 40% are
wholly unirrigated and 13% are partly
irrigated (Agricultural Census 2015-16) .
About 40% of food grains in India are
contributed by rainfed agriculture.
82% of nutri cereals, 77% of pulses, 69% of
oilseeds, 55% cotton and 37% of rice are from
rainfed agriculture
2/3rd of livestock is dependent on rainfed
agriculture. Rainfed areas support 78% of
cattle, 64% of sheep and 75% of goats
Even with the full development of irrigation
potential, significant area (about 45-50% net
sown) will remain rainfed
Percent net rainfed
area

3. State-wise Rainfed Area as Percentage of Net Sown Area
• There is a significant reduction in the area under rainfed cultivation
• However, ten states have more than 40% of the net sown area under
rainfed cultivation
(NABARD 2022)

4. Low productivity of crops under rainfed condition
Crop Productivity (kg/ha)
Sorghum 942
Pearlmillet 981
Maize 2220
Chickpea 834
Pigeonpea 716
Groundnut 1163
Sunflower 657
Soybean 1113
Rapeseed and Mustard 1080
Cotton 430
Raju et al., (2010)
 Productivity of rainfed crops is low
 Lack of information about rainfed crops

5. Rainfed Agriculture - key features
 Dependence on monsoon rains which is inadequate, erratic and highly
variable (intra- and inter-annual variations)
 Practiced in regions where ET exceeds precipitation – arid, semi-arid and dry
sub-humid regions in India
 Lack of irrigation
 Shorter growing period
 High spatial diversity
 Low productivity of livestock, fodder scarcity and dependence on Common
property Resources (CPRs)
 Diverse cropping pattern, low marketable surplus and weak market
orientation
 Poor infrastructure and inadequate access to input and output markets -
especially credit
 Poverty and under nutrition: Rainfed areas are home to bulk of the poor
 Natural disadvantage to rainfed farmers when government support is
bundled with input use: fertiliser subsidy, water pricing, electricity pricing

6. CHALLENGES IN RAINFED
AGRICULTURE

7. Higher frequency of occurrence of droughts
• Droughts cause devastating loss, declining incomes,
increasing debt and unemployment
• About 330 million people were affected by drought
during 2015-16
• Loss in agriculture by 2030 would be more than US
$ 7 billion
Meteorological Subdivision Frequency of
deficient
Rainfall
(75% of
normal or less)
West Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jammu
& Kashmir, and Telangana region of
Andhra Pradesh
Once in 2.5
years
East Rajasthan, Gujarat and Western
Uttar Pradesh
Once in 3
years
South Interior Karnataka, Eastern
Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha
Once in 4
years
West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh,
Konkan, Bihar and Odisha
Once in 5
years
Probability of occurrence of drought in
different meteorological subdivisions

8. Shrinking land holdings and predominance of marginal and
small holders
 The average size of household ownership holdings has declined from
0.725 hectare in 2003 to 0.592 hectare in 2013 and further to 0.512
hectare in 2019
Distribution of household by size category of ownership holdings
Economic survey (2022)

9. Unabated Land degradation and Desertification
Source: ICAR-NAAS (2010)
 120 m ha of degraded lands in
India
 Desertification had also increased
to 83.69 mha in 2018-19 w.r.t. 82.64
mha in 2011-13
 Around 23.79 per cent of the area
undergoing desertification / land
degradation
 Water erosion is contributing
towards degradation (61%)
 Declining soil organic carbon and
soil quality are major concerns
 Land degradation costs 2.5% of
India’s GDP in 2014/15 (TERI,
2018)

10. Source: Singh, 2008
 Rice, wheat, maize and other crops suffer with severe deficiency of Zn
 Analysis of a large number of soil and plant samples collected from
various parts of country indicated 49%, 12%, 5%, 3% and 33%
deficiencies of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and B, respectively
Major and micro nutrient deficiencies are becoming widespread

11. Source: Srinivasarao and Vittal,
2007
Location Limiting Nutrient
(Low/Deficient)
Varanasi N, Zn, B
Phulbani N, Ca, Mg, Zn, B
Ranchi Mg, B
Rajkot N, P, S, Zn, Fe, B
Anantapur N, K, Mg, Zn, B
Rewa N, Zn
Akola N, P, S, Zn, B
Kovilpatti N, P
Bellari N, P, Zn, Fe
Bijapur N, Zn, Fe
Solapur N, P, Zn
Agra N, K, Mg, Zn, B
Hisar N, Mg, B
SK. Nagar N, K, S, Ca, Mg, Zn, B
Bangalore N, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, B
Arjia N, Mg, Zn, B
Ballowal-Saunkri N, K, S, Mg, Zn
Rakh-Dhiansar N, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, B
Nutrient deficiencies are widespread in rainfed agro-
ecosystems (0-15 cm soil depth)

12. About 36.5 and 23.4% area are
deficient in plant available zinc and
boron, respectively.
(Shukla et al., 2019
Wide spread deficiency of S, Zn, B in different states

13. Impact of climate change on Indian Agriculture
vis-a-vis other countries
 Global warming is likely to reach 1.5oC between 2030 and 2052 if it
continues to increase at the current rate
 In the last decade (2011–2020) the temperature was higher by 1.09 [0.95
to 1.20]oC warmer than in 1850–1900 (IPCC, 2022)
Country Percentage
change
Australia -17
Canada -1
United States
of America
-4
China -4
India -25
Brazil -10
European
Union
-4
Least
developed
countries
-18
Year wise impact due to natural events in India
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Cropped areas affected (in Lakh hectares)
Source: (IPCC, 2022; IPCC 2014; Envistats India, 2018; Worldbank
Rising temperatures and changing monsoon rainfall
patterns could cost India 2.8 percent of GDP and
depress the living standards of nearly half the country’s
population by 2050

14. -20 -19.3 -18
-47
-40
-23
-5
-50
-45
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
Rainfed rice Wheat Maize Groundnut
%
reduction
in
yields
2050 2080
Adverse impact of climate change on rainfed crops
 Yields could be improved from 7 to 40%
in different crops by adoption of stress
tolerant varieties and agronomic
management (simulation study)
Source: NPCC report, 2012; Aggarwal, 2020
 Yields of several crops are
projected to reduce in future
scenarios of 2030 and 2050
 Shift in apple belt to higher
elevations from 1,250 msl to
2,500 msl in Himachal Pradesh
and Kashmir
 Temperature >27oC inhibits red
colour development in
Capsicum
 Thermal stress reduce milk
yield by >15 million tonnes in
2050. Crossbreeds are more
affected than that of local
breeds
 Increase in temperature from
31.6°C to 37.9°C decreased feed
consumption by 36% and egg
production by 7.5% in poultry
birds; temperatures beyond
42oC cause bird mortality

15.  Rate of extraction of ground
water, is very high (more
than 100 per cent) in the
states of Delhi, Haryana,
Punjab and Rajasthan.
Himachal Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Uttar Pradesh
 Out of 4,272 blocks in the
country 231 blocks- Over
exploited, 107 blocks-Dark
 Majority of the exploited and
over exploited blocks are in
the rainfed areas where the
extent of ground water
development is more than
85%
CGWB, (2019); Economic survey, (2022)
Over exploitation of ground water resources in rainfed areas

16. Prevalence of under nourishment, wasting in children, stunting
in children (2018-20)
9.7
8.9
2.5
15.3
6.5
4.8
14.6
12.9
9.4
21.8
Under Nourishment
Bangladesh
Central America
China
India
Indonesia
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
9.8 0.9
1.9
17.3
10.2
12
6.5
7.1
5.6
5.9
Wasting in children (Under 5 years of age)
Bangladesh
Central America
China
India
Indonesia
Nepal
30.2
16.6 4.7
30.9
31.8
30.4
35.3
36.7
28.7
32.3
Stunting in children (Under 5 years of age)
Bangladesh
Central America
China
India
Indonesia
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
Sub -Saharan Africa
Source: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Wor
 Achieving nutritional security by 2030 will be
a challenge
 Nearly one-fourth of the world’s hungry, one-
third of the world’s stunted children, and half
of the world’s wasted children are from India
(Singh, 2020)
 High cost of healthy diets, high levels of
poverty, income inequality keep healthy diets
out of reach for large sections of poor
 Deficiency in food production (coarse cereals,
pulses) in future will impact their availability
to poor aggravating malnutrition

17. Significant yield gaps for major rainfed crops in different
climates
1480
3138
830
2462
1428
1550
3195
3550
1960
2538
1050
1088
605
1086
573
770
885
890
1205
1061
430
2050
225
1376
855
780
2310
2660
755
1478
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Arid Semi-Arid Arid Semi-Arid Semi-Arid Subhumid Semi-Arid Subhumid Semi-Arid Subhumid
Groundnut Pearlmillet Pigeonpea Sorghum Soybean
Yield (kg/ha) Potential Yield (kg/ha) Farmers Yield (kg/ha) Gap
Source: Singh et al., (2011

18.  In 2015, United Nations set Agenda for
Transforming our world
 Identified 17 SDGs to end poverty, fight
inequality and injustice and overcome the
climate change by 2030
 For India, achieving the SDGs are crucial
for achieving decent living for all
Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-1: No Poverty
SDG-2: Zero Hunger
SDG-3: Good health and Well being
SDG-5: Gender Equality
SDG-6: Clean water and Sanitation
SDG-7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG-8: Decent work and Economic grow
SDG-12: Responsible Consumption and
Production
SDG-13: Climate Action
Goals related to Agriculture
Promoting Sustainable agricultural
practices, supporting small scale farmers
and allowing equal access to land,
technology and markets can contribute
to SDGs

19. India is Signatory to several International Agreements and
Commitments
 India is signatory to the UNFCCC and also
the Paris Agreement
 India is committed to limit global warming
to well below 20C , preferably to 1.50C by
2030
 Revised NDCs (Nationally Determined
Contributions)
 Committed to (COP-26, Glasgow, Nov-
2021)
• Reduce the emissions intensity of its
GDP by 45 per cent
• Reduce emissions by 1 billion tonnes by
2030
• Committed to become Carbon Neutral
by 2070.
 Signatory to UNCCD and committed to
sustainable land management and to Land
Degradation Neutrality (26 mha by 2030)

20. OPPORTUNITIES IN RAINFED
AGRICULTURE

21. Spatial distribution of surplus
runoff (ha-m) across dominant
rainfed districts and river basins
of India
Basin boundary
 About 11.5 M ha-m runoff is generated
through 39 M ha of the prioritized rainfed
area.
 About 25 Mha of rainfed fields during
normal monsoon and 20 Mha during
drought periods can be provided with
supplemental irrigation (one irrigation of
100 mm)
 Crop production can be enhanced by 12 %
over the present production and can
minimize the impact of drought
 In regions >1100mm/year- 46 mha-1
Potential double cropping by harvesting
water
 Regions 900-1100mm- 19.6m ha-both in-situ
conservation and harvesting is important
for enhancing productivity
 Need for location specific approaches for
harvesting water and its efficient utilization
for transformative impact Rao et al., (2015
Opportunities for water harvesting for critical irrigation

22. Effect of supplementary irrigation on the yield of rainfed crops
at different locations in India
Location Crop Yield (t/ha) % increase with supplementary
irrigation (Ratio of irrigated
versus rainfed yield)
Without
irrigation
With critical
irrigation
Ludhiana (4)* Wheat 1.92 4.11 114.06 (2.14)
Rewa (4) Wheat 0.57 1.88 229.82 (3.30)
Varanasi (2) Barley 2.60 3.36 29.23 (1.29)
Bijapur (5) Sorghum 1.65 2.36 43.03 (1.43)
Bellary (4) Sorghum 0.43 1.37 218.60 (3.19)
* Figures in parenthesis indicate average number of seasons
 One supplemental irrigation of 50-100 mm can minimize yield loss during
drought and can enhance income significantly during favourable rainfall years
 Precision water management and high value crops can contribute to more
returns per drop of water harvested
Rao et al., (2015)

23. Crop diversification enhances profitability
Crops Margi
nal
(<1.0
ha)
Small
(1.0 – 2.0
ha)
Medium
(2.0 – 4.0
ha)
Large
(>4.0
ha)
All
Rice 9493 8328 9789 13179 9436
Wheat 10241 9541 9858 9598 10016
Maize 6945 5496 5075 5353 6273
Total
cereals
9044 7099 7518 6164 8301
Fruits 37347 51859 36726 30433 39523
Vegetables 22423 19226 20641 19114 21459
Spices 45191 41403 23818 17666 38520
High
Value
crops
25618 22329 21411 21518 24263
All crops 10784 7598 7766 6576 9564
Net returns form high-value crops (HVC) vis-a-vis other crops by farm size (Rs/ha)
Crop diversification from
staple crops to HVCs is more
profitable to farmers.
Source: Birthal et al., 20

24. Opportunities for enhancing soil carbon
Best nutrient management can enhance carbon sequestration in rainfed production
systems
Location Crop/Cropping
system
Soil type Best management practice SOC
sequestration
rate (tonnes
C ha-1year-1)
Bangalore,
Karnataka
Groundnut-
Fingermillet
rotation
Alfisol 10 Mg FYM ha-1+100 % NPK
(25:50:25 and 50:50:25 kg ha-1 N,
P2O5, K2O for groundnut and
fingermillet respectively)
0.71
Solapur;
Maharashtra
Rabi sorghum Vertisol 25 kg N ha-1 (sorghum crop
residue)+25 kg N ha-1(Leucaena
clippings)
0.89
S.K. Nagar,
Gujrat
Pearlmillet-
clusterbean-castor
rotation
Entisol 50% recommended N (fertilizer) +
50% recommended N (FYM)
0.42
Indore, Madhya
Pradesh
Soybean-saflower
sequence
Vertisol 6 Mg FYM ha-1+ 20 kg N and 13 kg
P ha-1
1.26
Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh
Upland rice-lentil
sequence
Inceptisol 100% organic (FYM) 0.32
Agra, Uttar
Pradesh
Pearlmillet Inceptisol
50 % N Fertilizer (30:15 kg ha-1 N,
P2O5 respectively)+ 50%N FYM
0.50
(Srinivasarao et al., 2014, 2019,

25. Yield increase due to increase of SOC in diverse rainfall zones
160
90
170
101
18 23
33
145
13
59
140
150
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Rainfall
(mm)
Increase
in
yield
(kg)
per
Mg
increase
in
SOC
stock
Significant improvement in soil moisture storage is observed due to
improvement in soil organic carbon. Resultantly crop yields improved.
Improved Soil Carbon and crop yields

26.  Continuous monitoring of soil moisture
 Real time data collection and
management as needed by field crops
 Soil moisture MP406 sensor was found
to be suitable for precise field soil
moisture measurement
 Soil moisture based real time sprinkler
irrigation scheduling resulted in yield
increase of 9 - 15 per cent besides
savings in water up to 27%.
 Precision nutrient application results in
enhancing use efficiency, savings in
fertilizers and contributes to green
house gas mitigation
Paramete
r
Convention
al sprinkler
irrigation
Real time
moisture sensor
sprinkler
irrigation
Water
savings
(%)
27 35
Water use
efficiency
(%)
40 66
Precision application of water using sensors

27. Opportunities for crop residue management
 About 640 million tonnes of
crop residues is produced per
year in India, of which 91–141
million tonnes are burnt
 A ton of paddy straw contain
~5.5-2.3-25-1.2 kg N-P2O5-
K2O-S out of which 90-25-25-
60% is lost during burning.
50-70% of micro-nutrients are
lost during burning
 Addition of 5 t/ha/year crop
residues (about 2.5 t
carbon/ha) can sequester soil
organic carbon up to 0.65
t/ha/year in Vertisols
Crop Quantity of dry
residues generated
(mt)/year
Rice 145
Wheat 149
Coarse cereals 28
Pulses 27
Oilseeds 15
Sugarcane 133
Cotton 13
Jute and mesta 4
Total 517
(Economic Survey, 2020)

28. Multiple benefits through Conservation Agriculture in rainfed
systems
Location specific CA practice are to be developed for rainfed systems
CA practice Benefits Crop yield
improvement
Location
Conservation
tillage with
balanced
fertilization
Increased soil
organic carbon
47% in horse
gram
Hyderaba
d
Reduced tillage 14% increase
in rainwater
use efficiency
13% in cotton Parbhani
Reduced tillage
and residue
incorporation
Increased % of
water stable
aggregates,
SOC
24% in
soybean
Bhopal
No-till rised
bed with
residue
retention
Higher soil
moisture
content (17%)
15% in maize Umiam
Reduced tillage
and residue
retention
Higher SOC
(18%)
26% in pea Tripura

29. Agroforestry for enhancing landscape productivity and
ecosystem restoration
India is net importer of various kinds of
wood. Imports are to the tune of Rs.9,186
crores in 2018-19
Opportunities exist for enhancing wood
productivity in association with paper
pulp and ply wood industry, which can
provide multiple benefits
Need for development/ scaling up of
agroforestry systems in forest fringes and
protected areas
Agrihorti systems provides multiple
benefits. Need for enabling environment
for their scaling
Opportunities for resource conservation,
risk mitigation and environmental benefits
in vulnerable ecosystems exists

30. Seed to seed mechanization for small holdings
 Mechanization of rainfed farming areas is
critical to achieve timeliness in tillage and
sowing operations to utilize the soil
moisture effectively
 Mechanization in farm operations (in
2019-20) has been 70, 38, 31 and 32% in
seed bed preparation,
sowing/planting/transplanting, weeding-
interculture & plant protection and
harvesting & threshing, respectively
 Seed to seed mechanization is needed
 Custom Hiring Centers and
entrepreneurial startups are the best
alternatives in enabling easy availability
and improve farm productivity of Small &
Marginal farmers
 A CHC system, with at least one CHC per
gram panchayat, will be helpful for
meeting the machinery needs

31. Leveraging nature based solutions and circular systems
Opportunities for rationalizing fertilizer use
 Biochar:
In wheat, biochar addition at 10% in combination with
urea improved agronomic efficiency of N by 63% (Abbas
et al., 2017)
 Symbiotic N2 fixing Bacteria:
Symbiotic N2 fixing organisms saves 48 kg N/ha in Vicia
faba by inoculating crop seeds with Rhizobium
leguminosarum NGB-FR 126.
 Zn and P solubulisers:
Inoculation of chickpea seed with Enterobacter sp. MN17
increased Zn concentration in grain by 1.7% (Ullah et
al. 2020)
 Use of Zeolites:
Zeolites interfere the nitrification process by retaining
large amounts of ammonium ion and reduce nutrient
loss. Soil water retention enhanced by 10% and available
water capacity by 15% due to zeolite application
 Use of Tank Silt:
Addition of tank silt has improved soil available water
content, nutrients and enhanced yield by 18.
Biochar
Zeolites
Tank silt application

32. Low cost protected cultivation with harvested water
 Protected cultivation has the
potential of increasing productivity
and income by 3-5 times by
integrating with water harvesting
 Encourage youth to become
entrepreneurs
 Enhance resource use efficiency
 Minimize the impact of climatic
stress
 Low cost protected cultivation
(greenhouses, shade-net house,
tunnels and plant protection nets)
can be further developed for small
holder situations in rainfed regions
for enhancing productivity and
profitability
Singh et al., 2021

33. Agro voltaic system (AVS) for cultivating crops,
generating electricity and harvesting water
 AVS is an opportunity to dryland
farmers to harvest water, produce food
and electricity in a single land unit
 Rainwater harvesting with panels
serving as catchment area. The
harvested rainwater can be used for
cleaning PV modules and irrigating
crops (1.5 lakh litre per acre and can
provide 40 mm irrigation in 1 acre land)
 Additional income of Rs 50,000-60,000/-
per ha can be generated from crop yield
in the AVS.
 Cost of 400kWp unit is 168,00,000/one
ha unit. Annual income from electricity
is Rs.29,20,000, with a payback period of
5.87 years, a discounted payback period
of 10.4 years and internal rate of return
of 16%
Source: CAZRI, IWMI

34. Opportunities for upscaling of proven technologies for
transformative impact
Rainfed
production
system
Productivi
ty (t/ha)
Location specific management practices for
enhancing productivity
Alfisols
Upland rice 2.8-3.0 In- situ soil moisture conservation/
Weed management/pest management
NPK: 40/60/80; Manure: FYM/ glyricidia
Sorghum 3.5-4.3 Weed management/ deep tillage, in-situ,
NPK: 60/40/30; Manure: FYM/ glyricidia
Finger millet 4.4-5.2 Seed priming/weed management, in-situ,
NPK: 40/50/60; Manure: FYM/GLM
Sunflower 2.8-3.2 Rotavator tillage; NPK: 60/80/120; FYM;
Supplemental irrigation
Vertisols
Sorghum 7.5-8.1 Weed management/ compartmental
bunding/ridge and furrow/ broad bed
furrow/sowing across the slope
NPK: 120/50/0 Manure: FYM
Soybean 3.0-3.2 Weed management/in-situ mulching/
Conservation tillage; NPK: 20/30/40
Manure: FYM/INM/crop residues
Chickpea 1.9-2.5 Weed management/deep ploughing/
sowing time/paired row sowing/ridge
Sowing; NPK: 20/40/0; Manure: INM
Cotton 2.2-2.4 Paired row sowing/ in-situ mulching
100/120; Manure: FYM/SSNM

35. Opportunities for Upscaling of proven technologies for
Transformative impact
Rainfed production
system
Productivity
(t/ha)
Location specific management practices
were developed
Inceptisols
Upland rice 2.0-4.0 Drainage, bunding above medium
land, integrated weed management, in-
situ conservation: N: 40; FYM
Maize 3.5-5.5 Nutrient management, mulching
practices, weed management
Wheat 3.9-5.1 Weed management/ sowing time; N: 120;
FYM/Crop residues; Supplemental
irrigation
Entisols/Aridsols
Pearl millet 2.0-2.8 Weed management/ conventional tillage/
in-situ Moisture conservation/ chiseling;
NPK: 20/40/0; FYM/crop residue
Mustard 1.4-2.2 Weed management/ ridge and furrow/
Nutrient management; NPK: 50/80/100;
INM
Castor 1.1-1.7 Weed management/ deep tillage; In-situ,
N: 60; Crop residues/ FYM

36. Opportunities for income and livelihood improvement
through IFS approach
Emphasis on location specific horticulture based systems
Nutritional security, risk minimization, income diversity
and higher income
Integration of large and small ruminants, poultry,
fishery activities will enhance income, generate
employment and minimize risks
Adoption of Secondary Agriculture comprising of
activities such as bee keeping, cultivation of
mushrooms etc
Primary processing of produce at village level after
harvest
Value addition to both primary & by-products which will
create employment and additional income

37. Crop + dairy IFS (1 ha) for Rainfed region
Cropping Systems
• Soybean –sorghum
• Soybean – wheat
• Soybean – onion
• Green gram – brinjal
• Green gram – Lucerne
• Bajra hybrid napier
Horticulture
• Lemon
• Intercropping with soybean,
cabbage, ginger, turmeric
Livestock
1 cow
1 buffalo
Production: 6 t/year
Net income: Rs.0.92 lakh/year
Employment: 504 man days
Policy Support and investments are needed for upscaling IFS
models
Location specific profitable farming system
models are developed for Rainfed regions

38. Improving infrastructure & institutions to enhance economic
gains
• Aggregation of small and marginal farmers to reduce the high
transaction cost (A cluster of 100 ha)
• Leverage of FPOs to source low-cost and quality inputs, farm
mechanization, post-harvest infrastructure and provide better
market access
• Appropriate IFS models to be identified for clusters based on
soils, rainfall, irrigation facility, and market access
Clustering
• Setting up rural-based low-cost small-scale agro-industries in
rainfed areas to process the marketable surpluses can improve
farmers income
• FPOs, Farmer SHGs/Cooperatives could be leveraged to set
up these models in a Public-private partnership (PPP) mode
for establishing processing and value addition units
Small-scale
agro-
industries
• Appropriate models of FPOs need to be structured and
tailored to suit needs of rainfed areas
• Significant investment to capacitate FPOs in playing an
effective role in marketing and value addition
Strengthening
FPOs

39. Minimising risk through comprehensive insurance and weather-
based instruments
 To minimize risk through various
insurance products and
enhancing their coverage
 Institutional mechanisms to
provide timely weather-related
information especially on the
onset of monsoon, unseasonal
rain, and drought to enable
farmers make right decisions on
crop selection, sowing, harvest
time, etc.,
 Need for risk reduction further to
various biotic and abiotic stresses
and other uncertainties
Robust data
management
Efficiency in
insurance
schemes
Enrolment of
farmers
Price
discovery
Selection of
implementing
agencies
Crop loss
estimation
Timely
payment of
claims
Insurance and
Weather based
instruments
Access of small
and marginal
farmers to credit
Insurance for
non-loanee
farmers
Scaling up of
weather-based
crop insurance
Additional
incentives to
encourage the
adoption of the
PMFBY scheme
Crop Cutting
Experiments in
assessing the
loses
Comprehensive risk
cover package under
Restructured
Weather-based Crop
Insurance
Customized short
and long-term
forecasts

40. Opportunities for GHG mitigating in rainfed systems-Making rainfed
systems carbon neutral
Technological
options
Potential mitigation options Yield
(%)*
Mitigation (%) CO2
sequestration(Mg
C ha-1 year-1)
Conservation
Agriculture
5-10 Marginal
improvement
Up to 15
Integrated
Nutrient
Management
5-10 0.3- 1.26 Up to 110
Micro-irrigation
(Surface & sub-
surface Drip)
25-44 - 18-31
Agroforestry - 3-15 -
Agri-horticulture - 3-10 -
Balanced ration in
animals
15-18 - -
*Compared to the conventional practices

41. Leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools
and digital technologies to reach communities in rainfed regions
 ICT can be leveraged for providing
information on production, protection,
market related, forecasting, governance and
resource related information
 Internet of Things (IoT) for monitoring and
automation of farming activities
 Big Data Analytics and Dashboard for
planning and monitoring the impact
 Block chain in agriculture for transparencies
and increased trust level
 GIS technology for mapping farming
activities
 Artificial Intelligence (AI) for monitoring and
forecasting of agricultural commodity prices
and global trends in agricultural trade

42.  Public investment in agricultural research needs to be increased,
especially in natural resource management, without which the potential
of genetic enhancement and other productivity enhancing technologies
cannot be realized.
 Better pricing and procurement policies: MSP in the absence of
procurement is not effective
 Including millets in ICDS, mid-day meal programme, PDS etc
 Promoting diversification by investing in infrastructure and market
development
 Strengthening insurance as well as other safety net mechanisms
 Strengthening extension systems to elicit and ensure community action
required for better NRM
 More allocations to watershed development within PMKSY
 Greater allocation of resources for bridging the development deficit
Need for greater policy focus for rainfed regions

43. Summing Up
Need for enhancing productivity, profitability and
enhancement in income to farmers
Location specific approaches based on resource
endowments are needed. Providing access to water is
key
Integration of enterprises for income enhancement
Drought prone regions are the most backward and need
policy focus
Mainstreaming of promising technologies in to
development programs is the need of the hour. Need for
greater investments in the region

44. Thank You