Rainfed rice yields are predicted to plummet by 20% by 2050, the administration informed Parliament on Tuesday, and if adaptation measures are not implemented, the situation would drastically decline by 2080, with production decreasing by 47%. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, which are predicted to grow increasingly unpredictable and intense owing to climate change, are the main causes of this alarming projection. Rice grown in fields that get their only irrigation from natural rainfall is referred to as rain-fed rice yields. But rice that is watered may also be affected. “Integrated computer simulation modeling studies revealed that, without adaptation measures, climate change projections regarding temperature and precipitation changes are likely to reduce irrigated rice yields by 3.5% by 2050 and 5% by 2080,” stated Bhagirath Choudhary, minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, in a written reply.It is predicted that in 2050, wheat yields would decrease by 19.3%, and in 2080, by 40%. In respond to to a query from Trinamool Congress member Deepak Adhikari, he stated, “Kharif maize yields could decline by 18–23% in both 2050 and 2080.” The minister also stated that soybean yields are predicted to rise by 3–10% by 2030 and 14% by 2080, in contrast to the anticipated decreases in major cereals. Agriculture has been impacted by climate change for a while now, and the situation is becoming worse. Recent data show that its influence on agriculture is getting worse,” stated environmentalist Harjeet Singh of the organic farm Satat Sampada. Farmers and the government are facing enormous problems as a result of the changing climate. The overuse of technology has reduced the value of conventional wisdom and environmentally friendly habits like maintaining seeds. Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, a consultancy business located in Delhi, stated that as climate impacts get worse, address changes in food systems is essential given the critical role played by the agriculture sector in realizing the goal of a $5 trillion economy and a Viksit Bharat. Weather changes will have a major impact on food yields, crop acreage, and cultivation techniques because of the unpredictable rainfall patterns that cause both droughts and floods, according to Khosla. (Source-Livemint)