Uttarakhand's Hill Agriculture Faces Climate Crunch

As climate change reshapes Uttarakhand's hilly terrain, agricultural yields drop 15.2% and cultivated land shrinks 27.2% from 2012-2021. Pulses and spices emerge as climate-resilient saviors amidst cereal struggles. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall threaten traditional crops like paddy and wheat. Innovative farming practices and government support offer hope for the future. Can diversification save the state's rural backbone?

- S V Krishna Chaitanya @Chennai

Uttarakhand's hill agriculture, the lifeline of nearly 80% of its rural population, is grappling with a climate-induced crisis. A comprehensive report by Climate Trends, New Delhi-based think tank, released recently, reveals a stark 15.2% decline in agricultural yields and a 27.2% reduction in cultivated area across the state's hilly districts between 2012 and 2021.

With 92% of its landscape dominated by rugged mountains and over 55% of farmland reliant on rainfed systems, the state's farming communities are feeling the heat—literally—as rising temperatures and erratic rainfall disrupt traditional practices.

Cereals, which cover 86% of the cultivated area and contribute 91% of total crop production, have borne the brunt of this shift. Wheat, paddy, finger millet, and barnyard millet saw the steepest declines, with area reductions of 4.63%, 2.83%, 3.65%, and 4.03% respectively, and yield drops of 2.85%, 1.33%, 3.09%, and 2.2% over the decade. The second half of this period (2017-2021) witnessed an accelerated decline, with all cereals hitting their lowest cultivated areas in 2021.