Climate-Related Crop Losses
The Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguard farmers from the adverse impacts of pests, diseases, and climate change through a combination of technical assistance, research initiatives, and crop insurance schemes.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is implementing the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project to study the effects of climate change on agriculture, including crops, livestock, horticulture, and fisheries. The project develops and promotes climate-resilient technologies that help farmers adapt to extreme conditions such as drought, floods, frost, and heat waves. Under NICRA, a comprehensive database on insect pests, crop diseases, and weather patterns is being developed across 12 agro-climatic zones to better understand and mitigate pest and disease outbreaks linked to climate variability.
For direct financial protection, the Government has put in place robust mechanisms through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for notified natural calamities. In addition, the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), launched in Kharif 2016, provide comprehensive risk insurance to farmers. These schemes cover the entire crop cycle from pre-sowing to post-harvest losses, protecting farmers from unavoidable natural calamities such as drought, dry spells, floods, hailstorms, and inundation.
Between 2020–21 and 2024–25, the schemes have had a major impact:
- Farmers contributed ₹18,175 crore as their share of premiums.
- Claims worth ₹86,755.8 crore were disbursed.
- A total of 14.63 crore farmer applications benefitted.
To tackle pest-related threats, ICAR has also implemented the project “Dissemination of Pink Bollworm Management Strategies” under the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) since 2018–19. The initiative promotes integrated pest management strategies at different growth stages of the cotton crop to reduce losses from Pink Bollworm infestation.
Further, the ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR), Nagpur has developed pheromone traps to effectively lower pest levels in cotton fields, offering farmers eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions.
These combined efforts highlight the Government’s multi-pronged approach—scientific research, financial protection, and practical pest management solutions—to strengthen farmers’ resilience, ensure stable incomes, and promote sustainable agricultural production in the face of climate and pest challenges.
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