“One key reason for the surprising jump in the unemployment to all time high 32% in Jammu & Kashmir can also be attributed to increasing stress of the weather changes on livelihoods of people in the agriculture and horticulture sectors”.
Climate change is not only changing the life styles of people but it is also changing the business and trading activities more intensely in Jammu & Kashmir than in any other part of the country and unfortunately. Unfortunately the farming communities in Jammu & Kashmir are more vulnerable to climate change than people of other business and trading community. Much is discussed about the changes in the farming activities necessitated by the drought spells in summer and wet spells in early and mid summers months but no actions plans are devised to mitigate the suffering of farmers in either Kashmir or Jammu division. Interestingly one key reason for the surprising jump in the unemployment to all time high 32% in Jammu & Kashmir can also be attributed to increasing stress of the weather changes on livelihoods of people in the agriculture and horticulture sectors across Jammu & Kashmir. With Government not paying any heed to the growing demands for a rehabilitation scheme for the farmers suffering huge losses due to unseasonal rains and drought spells in mid-summer moths the farmers of agriculture and horticulture sectors can’t withstand the never stopping stress of losses for many more years from now onwards. With farmers finding themselves in distress not just for last one or two years but since last more than five years the growing demand of J&K farmers for a rehabilitation scheme for the agriculture and horticulture sectors necessitates urgent and immediate attention and intervention of the incumbent Government in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Not only the rehabilitation scheme for farmers hit by the weather conditions but the situation triggered by the unprecedented drop in production of the crops and their quality also necessitates an action plan for changing the farming strategies. So an action plan for change in farming strategies with focus on a rehabilitation scheme for the farmers of agriculture and horticulture sectors hit by changing weather conditions could most probably release the increasing stress on livelihoods of people in agriculture and horticulture sectors across Jammu & Kashmir.”
Though Government has recently constituted a high-powered committee under the chairmanship of Dr Mangla Rai, former Director-General Of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) for formulating a comprehensive policy for holistic agriculture development in J&K but unfortunately there is no word from the Government over the demand for a rehabilitation schemes for the farmers suffering losses due to weather changes season after season and year after year. Not only the rehabilitation scheme for farmers hit by the weather conditions but the situation triggered by the unprecedented drop in production of the crops and their quality also necessitates an action plan for changing the farming strategies. So an action plan for change in farming strategies with focus on a rehabilitation scheme for the farmers of agriculture and horticulture sectors hit by changing weather conditions could most probably release the increasing stress on livelihoods of people in agriculture and horticulture sectors across Jammu & Kashmir.
