Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
15.8
ISSUES RELATED TO POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT
Government and its various agencies need to look in to policy and devel-
opmental issues with respect to fruit production and postharvest manage-
ment in the face of global warming.
(1) Strengthening meteorological forecast facility for rains, frost, hail-
storms, temperature (heat or cold wave), wind velocity and relative
humidity during growing and harvesting seasons so that appropri-
ate steps to reduce losses can be taken up at different levels.
(2) Build capacity by educating and training people to tackle climate
change at all levels throughout the value chain. Capacity building
in terms of fruit processing in the country to meet nutritional needs
in the event of extreme conditions due to global warming.
(3) Policy support from Government agencies (Ministries of Agricul-
ture, Education, Environment) to educate all stakeholders includ-
ing farmers and general public about environment changes and
how to preserve fruit quality and reduce losses.
(4) Promotion of underused and less known species of hardy fruits as
alternative to main fruit species to meet nutritional demand.
(5) Providing enhanced and sustained market access for fruits.
(6) Disseminating successful case studies on market access by growers
(reasons for success and failure).
(7) Contingent plans to save the crop and its marketing/distribution
would be required for aberrant weather conditions with the help of
simulation models, prediction and forecast systems at state agricul-
ture/ horticulture department level.
(8) Increased credit facility and subsidy for postharvest infrastructure
set-up are necessary.
(9) Large scale plantation of hardy fruit species on waste lands and salt
affected lands to increase green cover and mitigate global warming
through carbon sequestration and at the same time ensuring nutri-
tional security.
