ICAR-RCER Hosts State-Level Consultation on Combating Climate Crisis in Bihar

*Bihar’s Agri Future Hinges on Unified Action: Dr. B. Rajender*

The ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna, hosted a State-Level Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on “Transforming Food, Land, and Water Systems to Combat the Climate Crisis”, bringing together agricultural scientists, senior government officials, development agencies, and farmers to chart a roadmap for sustainable land and water management in Bihar.

The Chief Guest of this function,  Dr. B. Rajender, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, in his inaugural address, underscored the need for coordinated action to strengthen resilience in Bihar’s food, land, and water systems in line with Vision 2047. Stressing crop- and sector-specific planning with special emphasis on millets, he urged both central and state departments to work in a “silo-free mode” for maximum impact. Bihar’s agricultural future depends on how effectively we integrate our efforts across sectors. From millets promotion to water-smart farming, every department must work as one team if we are to meet our Vision 2047 goals,” he said.

The Guest of Honour, Shri Bharat Jyoti, IFS (Retd.), Chairman of the Bihar State Biodiversity Boardcalled for a holistic approach rooted in biodiversity conservation, pocket-wise land pooling, the strategic blending of local and hybrid crop varieties, and the integration of traditional wisdom with modern agricultural innovations.

In his welcome address, Dr. Anup Das, Director of ICAR-RCER, set the tone for the workshop by emphasizing the urgency of adopting integrated, science-led strategies to address Bihar’s escalating climate challenges. He highlighted the institution’s commitment to fostering collaborative action among scientists, policymakers, and farmers to transform the state’s food, land, and water systems, ensuring long-term resilience and sustainable agricultural growth. “Our focus must be on uniting knowledge with action,” Dr. Das remarked, “so that every scientific innovation reaches the field and benefits farmers, ensuring food security and environmental sustainability for generations to come.”

Eminent experts delivered a series of technical presentations focusing on the challenges and solutions for building climate-resilient agriculture in Bihar. Dr. R.K. Jat, Senior Cropping System Agronomist at the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), Samastipur, outlined a roadmap for climate-smart farming, advocating the adoption of raised-bed planting, laser land levelling, and resource conservation practices to enhance efficiency and resilience. Dr. Anjani Kumar, Director of ATARI Patna, stressed the importance of converging all extension departments on a unified platform, promoting interactions between innovative and new farmers, and strengthening capacity-building initiatives. Highlighting the specific threats posed by erratic rainfall to rainfed upland rice and the shrinking thermal window for wheat in north-east Bihar, Dr. S.S. Singh, Dean of the Narayan Institute of Agricultural Sciences, suggested targeted best practices to help farmers adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Dr. Bikas Das, Director of NRC Litchi, Muzaffarpur, showcased orchard-focused climate adaptation measures such as fruit bagging, canopy management, and sprinkler irrigation as tools for both quality improvement and resilience. Detailing government interventions, Dr. D.P. Tripathi, Director of BAMETI, spoke on the Climate Resilient Agriculture Programme, the promotion of pulses and oilseeds, and the urgent need to release climate-resilient crop varieties, particularly in pulses and oilseeds. Emphasising the role of natural resource conservation, Dr. S.K. Purbey, Director of MGIFRI, Motihari, highlighted the significance of wetland management in sustaining agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions.

The event also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICAR-RCER and the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), alongside the release of the Institute Newsletter. Progressive farmers participated actively, sharing practical feedback and field-level experiences that enriched the discussions.

The workshop featured five thematic breakout sessions: Climate-Smart Food–Nutrition System Transformation, Watershed-Based Resilience and Integrated Natural Resource Management, Carbon Farming and Climate Financing for Smallholders, Food–Land–Water Nexus and Integrated Planning Tools, and Frontier Technologies for Climate-Resilient Food–Land–Water Systems.

Each multidisciplinary team discussed challenges, identified actionable strategies, and proposed future action plans. The plenary session was chaired by Dr. Anup Das and co-chaired by Dr. S.K. Purbey, Director, MGIFRI, Motihari.  summary outcomes were presented by Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Head, DLWM, ICAR-RCER, Patna.

The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr.  P.C. Chandran, Principal Scientist, DLFM, ICAR-RCER, Patna, followed by field visit to ICAR-RCER research facilities, providing participants an opportunity to witness ongoing climate-resilient agricultural innovations.