Experts call for using new seeds as per climate change

Say increase in temperature reduces agricultural produce by 20%

KARACHI:

Climate change is taking a heavy toll on the horticultural and crop yields and if quick initiatives are not taken, the unbearable heat will lead to serious food insecurity as the country is not able to import agricultural produce, according to agricultural-cum-horticultural experts and environmentalists.

They said a two-degree rise in hot weather reduces 20% of the overall agricultural produce, which sparks calls for introducing new varieties of seeds as per the climate change. “The government must impose agricultural emergency immediately by quitting conventional practices. We will have to adopt modern technology, while ensuring water management and switching to drip and sprinkle agriculture from the outdated irrigation system. There may be a water crisis in the coming years,” said Waheed Ahmed, Patron-in-Chief of the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (PFVA) and a leading horticultural exporter.

As per a report issued by the World Resources Institute, he said, Pakistan is located in such a region where the agricultural produce could go down to 50% from 2015 to 2050 because of climate change and the impact on crop yields. Patterns of rains, temperature conditions and plant physiology are changing, which results in irregular fruit bearing. Pattern of pests and diseases invading the fruit trees is also changing, resulting in increased use of pesticides. And the changing fruit physiology affects the post-harvest handling of the fruit.

“Changing weather conditions are changing seasons of rains, winter and summer, while causing heavy losses to growers. We will have to resort to modern technology. If there is a threat to food security on account of rising population, it will pose a threat to national security,” he said.

Officials of the local research centres and universities must adopt high technology from Chinese research and educational institutions and apply them in the country to avert food insecurity. Climate change is a riddle for the entire world but countries are working on it. While Pakistan’s government has set up research centres and the climate change ministry, but it has failed to work for the benefit of farmers.

Leading environmentalist Javed Sozhalai said climate change is unavoidable and adaptation could scale down future damages and growing trees are also good in terms of carbon mitigation.

Until the farmers change their behaviour or until they make changes in the decades-old agricultural practices, such solutions could be of little use. As weather patterns are continuously changing, small farmers may be unable to face losses, he said.

He asked the agricultural research institutions to play their role in guiding farmers about new techniques instead of going into hibernation.

Eminent agricultural expert Nabi Bux Sathio said the world leaders set sustainable development goals and then minimum development goals because of climate change, but Pakistan and other developing countries could not meet them.

Carbon emissions are being witnessed in the developed countries but the developing countries unfortunately will be more affected than the developed nations, he said. He said 70% sources of water are glaciers which are melting expeditiously. More rains and heat can take a heavy toll on them (glaciers). The country can face an acute shortage of water.

“I urge the policymakers to transform the natural lakes of Manchar and Keenjhar into water reservoirs instead of building small dams. Rulers just get cuts/commissions for constructing such small dams instead of ensuring facilities to growers at a time of water scarcity. There are a couple of small dams but all of them are useless in Sindh,” he said.