Hyderabad: ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad is organizing an international conference on “Rainfed Agriculture: Building Pathways for Resilience & Sustainable Livelihoods” form January 29 to 31 at ICAR-CRIDA here. Rainfed agriculture plays a crucial role globally, providing food, fibre, and other essential commodities for millions of people. In India, rainfed agriculture is practiced in about 48 per cent of the cultivated area of the country producing about 40 per cent of rice, 88 per cent of pulses, 77 per centof total oilseed production in the country, supports 72 per cent of animal population and provides livelihood for about 61 per cent of the rural population.
However, the variability of rainfall, limited access to resources, and land degradation pose substantial hurdles. Monsoon dependence, climate change, land ownership, low water use efficiency, land degradation, low productivity are some of the major issues plaguing rainfed agriculture in India. The major challenge of rainfed agriculture would be to sustain the livelihoods of the small and marginal farmers and to enhance their income by various means.
In the absence of proactive measures, rainfed farming will no longer be attractive and retaining farmers may be difficult. With this in background, the international conference will be organised at ICAR-CRIDA on the theme “Rainfed Agriculture: Building Pathways for Resilience & Sustainable Livelihoods”. The proposed inter.
