Bad weather could hit farm output this year: Pranab Mukherjee

President's warning follows lower agricultural output in 2014-15 crop year, due to 12% deficiency in monsoon

As winter makes a hasty retreat, putting at risk the standing wheat and other rabi crops, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday warned agricultural production could be lower this year, as a result of deficient monsoon and a long dry spell.

"Nature has not been kind to us this year as well. A deficient monsoon followed by a dry spell is likely to affect agricultural production for the second year in a row. This is an area of grave concern," the President said while addressing the 54th Convocation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), (better known as the PUSA institute) here on Friday.

With majority of the cultivable area under severe climatic conditions such as drought, floods and cyclones, Mukherjee called for serious efforts to overcome the challenge and make Indian agriculture sector resilient to weather fluctuations.

Mukherjee's warning comes at a time when agriculture production in 2014-15 crop year (July-to-June) dropped to 253 million tonnes (mt) from a high of 265 mt in 2013-14 owing to 12 per cent deficiency in monsoon.

As the rains remained short by 14 per cent in 2015, setting the stage for consecutive droughts for the first time in around 100 years, agriculture production is projected to slip further.

According to the first advanced estimate of farm production for 2015-16, kharif grain output is projected at 124.05 mt, which was less than the production achieved in kharif 2014.

Full-year production is also not expected to be great given that residual soil moisture has been poor this year. The relatively warm winter is also not expected to help much.

The President also asked the IARI scientists to develop climate resilient technological solutions by leveraging opportunities from frontier science such as biotechnology and nano-technology.

"The time is ripe for some serious efforts as 80 per cent of the area under cultivation in India is in the grip of severe climatic conditions like drought, floods and cyclones," he said.

Speaking about India's dependency on pulses and edible oils, Mukherjee said the demand for these items is expected to substantially increase in the future while expressing confidence that the new technologies of IARI would address the problem.

"IARI has developed mustard varieties suitable for unconventional areas that can boost oil seed production. The institute has also initiated the development of synchronous-maturity pigeon-pea hybrids and varieties, apart from chickpea. I am confident these technologies will enhance the productivity of pulses and edible oils to meet our domestic requirements fully," he said.

IARI has developed quality protein maize, and iron and zinc rich wheat, pearl millet and lentil varieties through molecular breeding, and genetically modified 'golden rice' enriched with pro-vitamin A, he said, adding these technologies should reach the farmers immediately.

Agriculturists must be trained to transform their farms into production-cum-processing centres.

Also, agri-research must address the critical issues that hinder the development of rural agri-businesses, the President added.

IARI, set up in 1905, has played a key role in providing human resource to the national agricultural research system. Around 8,000 students of IARI have been awarded post-graduate or PhD degrees so far.