Farmers custodians of tradition, culture, food security: Lt Governor

Jammu, Apr 28: Terming farmers as custodians of tradition, culture and food security, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that every farmer deserves real-time climate guidance and every field must be treated as a national asset.
Addressing the national summit on “Sustainable & Climate Resilient Agroecosystems: Innovations and Policy Framework” at SKUAST Jammu, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that farmers are not merely producers of grain but they are custodians of tradition, culture, food security, and the promise of a sustainable future.
“Every farmer deserves real-time climate guidance. Every field must be treated as a national asset, safeguarded with care. Our responsibility in agriculture is clear that we need to preserve it for generations. This is our solemn resolve,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He urged the scientists, innovators and other stakeholders to come together to build climate resilience and transform sustainable Agro-ecosystems.
“The moment has come to move beyond minor adjustments and embrace bold, science-led, farmer-focused transformation. Policies must champion climate-resilient crops. We must close the divide between laboratory and farmland and researchers should make the creation of climate-adapted varieties their highest priority,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He said that our farms are the bedrock of civilization, the backbone of economies, and the promise of tomorrow.
“Every policy, every intervention must respect that our fields and farmers have carried humanity through centuries of turmoil. Now the threat of climate change reaches far beyond the farmer’s field and it imperils every life sustained by Agriculture and Allied Sector. The urgency of this crisis leaves no room for delay,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India leads the fight and in 2024-25, agriculture production hit 357 million tonnes, up 25 million from 2023-24, with horticulture at 362 million tonnes, including high-value crop diversification. “Ahead of others, India launched nationwide soil testing, distributing 25 crore Soil Health Cards. Farmer credit limits rose from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. Rs.100 crore funds high-productivity seeds under a national mission. Pulses procurement at MSP jumped 7,350% and oilseeds 1,500% since 2013-14. However, climate impacts are intensifying and last year witnessed extreme weather across states,” he said.
Sinha called upon scientists and innovators for seven commitments for climate-resilient agriculture-farmer-led research partnership, expansion of climate-responsive insurance, green credit, localised climate advisories for all, safeguard traditional seeds, policy integration and transparent evaluation.
He also emphasized precision and regenerative farming, water management, diversification, and tech integration. The Lieutenant Governor said that innovations must reflect real-world needs, not remain trapped in seminar rhetoric and governments must scale protection to shield livelihoods from escalating risks.
He also asked the banks to prioritize sustainable agricultural financing, conserve heritage varieties as anchors of resilience, align every initiative for seamless, coordinated execution and assess each program openly, adapt swiftly, and refine continuously.
The Lieutenant Governor said that scientists and policymakers must recognize that small and marginal farmers contribute least to climate change yet endure its harshest blows. Calling for protection, the Lieutenant Governor said that farmers are not merely producers of grain but they are custodians of tradition, culture, food security, and the promise of a sustainable future.
“Every farmer deserves real-time climate guidance. Every field must be treated as a national asset, safeguarded with care. Our responsibility in agriculture is clear that we need to preserve it for generations. This is our solemn resolve,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Satish Sharma, Minister for Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Science & Technology; Prof. B. N. Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu; Dr.Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, Meteorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD); Prof. A.K. Dhawan, President, Indian Ecological Society; Dr. S. K. Gupta, Director Research, SKUAST-Jammu; Dr. Syed Sheraz Mahdi, Organizing Secretary, scientists, academicians, policymakers, experts, and students in large number also attended the inaugural session. (KNO)