India - The vulnerability of agriculture to climate change

02.07.2024 447 views

Climate change has hit farmers and governments hard as drought, hailstorms and floods become more frequent. Most Indian farmers are not covered by insurance and all do not receive relief for crop damage. Yet on an average these payouts averaged about Rs24,000 crore per year between 2014-15 and 2016-17.

The total economic loss to agriculture could be many times higher— last year’s Economic Survey noted that India incurs losses of about $9-10 billion annually (Rs62,000 crore) due to extreme weather events.

Rs71,124 crores

What farmers received as insurance payouts and relief for crop loss due to climate events like drought, floods and hailstorms in just three years between 2014-15 and 2016-17.

Maharashtra

The most vulnerable state in India where farmers received Rs16,330 crore in relief and insurance payouts.

2016-17

An overall normal monsoon year when farmers received a staggering Rs18,512 crore in payouts and relief due to erratic rainfall distribution.

Source - https://www.livemint.com

12.01.2026

South Africa - Farmers demand access to vaccines as foot-and-mouth disease devastates KZN

KwaZulu-Natal farmers and agricultural organisations are escalating pressure on the state over the uncontrolled spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), warning that vaccine shortages and bureaucratic delays have left the province on the brink.

12.01.2026

Nepal - Ilam farmers hit by insurance gap

Although the government has prioritised agricultural insurance, there is virtually no crop insurance in Ilam. 

12.01.2026

Vietnam - Farmers devastated after harsh weather decimates crucial crops

Hundreds of farmers in the Quỳnh Thắng area of Nghệ An, Vietnam, have lost numerous pineapple crops due to prolonged rain and humidity. 

12.01.2026

Rwanda - Demand first, production second: How Afri Foods builds export-ready supply chains

Operating through a network of more than 500 smallholder farmers, Afri Foods is a young Rwandan agrifood exporter positioned at the intersection of gender inclusion and technology-enabled scaling. The company was founded in 2019 by Sakina Usengimana and currently focuses on avocados and chilies.

12.01.2026

Flowers bloom on cocoa trees ahead of Ivory Coast's mid-crop season

Mainly above-average rains last week in most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa regions augur well for the development of the next April-to-September mid-crop, farmers said on Monday.

12.01.2026

Overlooked decline in grazing livestock brings risks and opportunities

For decades, researchers have focused on the problem of overgrazing, in which expanding herds of cattle and other livestock degrade grasslands, steppes and desert plains. But a new global study reveals that in large regions of the world, livestock numbers are substantially declining, not growing—a process the authors call destocking.

11.01.2026

USA - USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helping wheat farmers fight a devastating crop disease

Researchers released a new spring wheat germplasm line with resistance to Fusarium head blight.

11.01.2026

Kenya - Government Mobilises Food and Livestock Relief for Mandera Amid Drought

The Government of Kenya has mobilised food and non-food essentials for urgent delivery to areas affected by food and nutrition shortages caused by adverse weather and low rainfall during the recently ended short rains.