“Undoubtedly measures for maintaining availability of irrigation facilities would have at least reduced the drop in the yields this year amid increasing stress of heat waves on farmers in Valley.”
The unending heat wave has finally reduced crop yields this year in Kashmir valley and as such very little scope is now left for the Government for mitigating the sufferings of farmers in Valley. While the experts had on the arrival of heat waves in May this year predicted shortage of water and unprecedented drop in crop yields, the Agriculture Department did not ask farmers to change the tracks of farming to reduce the increasing stress of heat waves on crop yields. The warnings of the agriculture experts the heat waves could badly hit the rain fed agriculture activities have come true in Kashmir and consequently the rising fear of unprecedented drop in the crop yields has brought under stress the livelihoods of farmers across Kashmir. Undoubtedly measures for maintaining availability of irrigation facilities would have at least reduced the drop in the yields this year amid increasing stress of heat waves on farmers in Valley. While compensation to farmers for the losses suffered by them is now obviously the only way to mitigate their sufferings this year, the huge surge in temperatures witnessed this year in Kashmir valley necessitates launch of a research project on climate resilient farming at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir. The experts at S K University Of Agriculture Sciences & Technology can also take a cue from the research project that was started on innovations in climate-resilient farming by Indian Council Of Agriculture Research way back in 2011. Just as water conservation methods are used for maintaining irrigation facilities in many parts of the country the agriculture department in Jammu & Kashmir could have also used such methods for the purposes of maintaining the availability of irrigation facilities for rain fed agriculture activities during high intensity heat wave periods in midsummer months in Kashmir Valley.
“While compensation for the losses suffered by farmers this year could reduce the increasing economic stress on them, the increased focus on conserving irrigation facilities and changing the patterns of farming in the backdrop of a research on climate resilient farming at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology(SKUAS) Kashmir, Srinagar could reduced the vulnerability of agriculture activities to high intensity heat waves in coming years in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Moreover greater focus on organic farming could also reduce the increasing stress of heat waves on crops during peak summer periods in Kashmir as organic farming has been successfully introduced in many states and union territories of the country. To reduce the vulnerability of farmers to drought like situations triggered by heat waves like the one presently witnessed in Jammu & Kashmir the introduction of climate friendly agriculture activities demands and deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Agriculture Production Department. While compensation for the losses suffered by farmers this year could reduce the increasing economic stress on them, the increased focus on conserving irrigation facilities and changing the patterns of farming in the backdrop of a research on climate resilient farming at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology (SKUAS) Kashmir, Srinagar could reduced the vulnerability of agriculture activities to high intensity heat waves in coming years in Jammu & Kashmir.
