The Gujarat government on Tuesday appealed to farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to combat the changing conditions and the loss of circumstances in which the farmers are surviving due to unseasonal and extreme weather over the past few years.
As per the official statement, an analysis of weather data of the past five years underscored the recurrent challenges like unseasonal rains, heavy downpours, and droughts. The government, noting the growing impact of climate change, stated that it was time for farmers to adapt their cropping methods accordingly.
Statement quoted Bharat Mehta, and Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices further
Furthermore, the statement quoted Bharat Mehta from the Agriculture Science Centre, saying that excessive use of fertilisers and over-irrigation had done severe damage to the soil fertility. According to this agricultural expert, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers had decreased the soil fertility and led to barren land. Moreover, he stated that there was a need for a phase-wise shift to natural farming to help restore soil health.
Not only this, the Gujarat soil was becoming more compact, preventing water from seeping through easily, leading to prolonged waterlogging and further crop damage. In addition, the statement implied that farmers should embrace climate-smartagricultural practices such as planting biotic and abiotic crop varieties that hold potential to survive harsh conditions. Besides this, it also recommended adopting integrated farming practices, including mixed and intercropping, instead of cultivating the same crop year after year.
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