National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA

The National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project was launched at Vadavathur village, Erumapatti block, Namakkal district recently.

• NICRA has been promoted in the XI five year plan by ICAR constituent unit Central Research Institute for Dry Land Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.launched in February, 2011
• The project aims to enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.
• The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops, livestock, fisheries and natural resource management.
• The project consists of four components viz. Strategic Research, Technology Demonstration, Capacity Building and Sponsored/Competitive Grants
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• This project is being implemented in 100 districts in India and four districts in Tamil Nadu. At Namakkal district, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the project implementing agency for the programme.

NICRA is implemented at Vadavathur village, Erumapatti block, Namakkal district which has recorded an average rainfall of 400 mm for the past 20 years when compared to 750 mm in the district.

The project aims to enhance the resilience of agriculture through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies

. The project aims to enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.

• The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops,
•  livestock,
• fisheries and
• natural resource management.
• The project consists of four components viz. Strategic Research, Technology Demonstration, Capacity Building and Sponsored/Competitive Grants

The project was sanctioned by the Council vide F.No.4-3/2010-I.A.II dated 12th January, 2011, with a total outlay of 350 crores for 2010-11 (200 crores) and 2011-12 (150 crores) of XI Plan.

The project was formally launched by the Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Food Processing Industries Shri Sharad Pawarji on 2^nd February 2011.



Aim

The project aims to enhance the resilience of agriculture through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies.

The following technological interventions were inaugurated at the village.

— Inauguration of manually operated weather station to record daily rainfall, minimum and maximum temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.

—Stocking of fish fry in temporary water ponds.

• Artificial insemination centre for cows and buffaloes. Improved water harvesting structure at senguttai, a public pond.

— Protray nursery for hybrid vegetable seed multiplication. Custom hiring of farm machineries and implements

—Distribution of drought resilient

•  sorghum Co-30,
• Groundnut (TMV-13),
•  Green gram (VBN-3),
• Black gram (Co-6),
• Red gram (Co-7),
• Vegetable cow pea seed (Arka suman),
• Bush type Lab Lab seed (CoGb14),
• onion seed (Co-6),
•  turmeric seed rhizome (Alleppy supreme).