India is experiencing significant production fluctuations in key crops due to climate change. Recent research attributes over half of these fluctuations to climatic factors, affecting various crops differently.
Rice:
Rice production is positively influenced by relative humidity, with a 51% variation in production attributed to climate factors. The increase in relative humidity over the past three decades has positively impacted rice yields.
Wheat:
Wheat production is negatively affected by climate change, with 65% of production variation due to climatic elements. Higher temperatures and changing humidity levels have led to a decrease in wheat yields.
Tea:
Tea production has benefited from the increase in relative humidity, showing a 55% variation in production linked to climatic factors. This positive impact is significant given the importance of tea in the Indian economy.
Small Millets:
Small millets are also negatively affected by climate change, with 60% of production variation due to climate factors. These crops are sensitive to both temperature and humidity changes, resulting in decreased yields.
Maize, Potato, and Oil Seeds:
These crops have shown an increasing trend in production despite climate challenges. The adaptability of these crops to changing climatic conditions has allowed for more stable yields.
Sugarcane, Gram, Jute, and Arhar:
These crops have shown a decreasing trend in production from 1991 to 2020. Climate variability, including changes in temperature and humidity, has adversely impacted their yields.
The study, funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), utilized data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) Commodities Database and the Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources NASA database for the period 1981-2021. The findings emphasize the national concern over climate vulnerability in India and the need for increased climate action to mitigate these impacts.
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