GS Paper: Major Crops & Cropping Patterns

Why in the News?

North Bengal’s tea gardens are in crisis, especially for women workers, due to climate change, pests, low wages, and reduced production, causing economic struggles and increased gender-based hardships.

What challenges do women tea workers face due to climate change and poor labour conditions?

• Extreme Heat Exposure: Women work under open skies with no shade, facing soaring temperatures due to climate change. Eg: Workers suffer from headaches, vomiting, and exhaustion while plucking leaves during peak summer months like April and May.
• Lack of Basic Facilities: Absence of crèches, sanitation, and rest shelters forces women to manage both labour and childcare in unsafe conditions. Eg: Children are hung in cloth cradles tied to trees as mothers continue work in the gardens.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Encroachment of wildlife into tea estates due to changing weather patterns increases risk of attacks. Eg: Leopard attacks have injured several women, despite efforts like using whistles to drive them away.

Why is tea yield and quality declining in North Bengal?

• Erratic Rainfall Patterns: The monsoon is no longer evenly spread, with rainfall occurring in short, intense bursts, affecting soil moisture and crop cycle. Eg: Dry spells during critical growth months like February and March reduce yields and degrade leaf quality.
• Rising Temperatures: Increasing heat reduces the ideal climatic conditions necessary for tea cultivation, impacting both quantity and flavour. Eg: Temperatures crossing 30°C for extended periods lead to loss of the tea’s aroma and taste.
• Increased Pest and Disease Attacks: Climate change weakens tea bushes, making them more vulnerable to pests and diseases. Eg: Frequent pest attacks force farmers to use chemical sprays, which also degrade leaf quality.

How do low wages impact the lives of tea plantation workers?

• Economic Hardship: Low daily earnings make it difficult for workers to meet basic needs such as food, healthcare, and education. Eg: A worker earning only Rs 250 per day struggles to support their family after losing a spouse.
• Lack of Childcare Support: Insufficient income prevents access to proper childcare facilities, forcing unsafe alternatives at the workplace. Eg: In some cases, children are kept in cloth cradles tied to trees due to the absence of crèche facilities.
• No Scope for Upward Mobility: With stagnant wages and no savings, workers remain stuck in poverty with no chance to improve living standards. Eg: Despite long-standing demands to increase wages to Rs 600 per day, many still earn significantly less, affecting their long-term well-being.

What climate-resilient practices are tea estates adopting?

• Organic Farming: Switching to organic methods reduces chemical use and improves soil health for long-term sustainability. Eg: Some estates have gone fully organic, avoiding chemical fertilisers and promoting natural soil enrichment.
• Soil Conservation Techniques: Practices like mulching and intercropping help retain moisture, reduce erosion, and maintain fertility during erratic rainfall. Eg: Estates use mulching and intercropping with legumes to prevent soil erosion and conserve moisture during dry spells.
• Water Management Strategies: Creation of water bodies and rainwater harvesting enhances water availability during prolonged dry periods. Eg: Gardens are building water bodies to improve microclimates and ensure irrigation in the absence of seasonal showers.

Why is the tea sector overlooked in policy and climate action?

• Lack of Market Visibility: Despite being globally consumed, tea lacks strong marketing and policy attention compared to other cash crops. Eg: Unlike coffee, tea receives little brand promotion, limiting public and policymaker focus.
• Neglect of Women Labour Force: Tea is the largest employer of women labourers, yet there is inadequate investment in their welfare or working conditions. Eg: No crèche facilities exist in many gardens, forcing women to hang children from trees during work.
• Insufficient Climate Funding: Small growers lack access to funds and technical guidance to adopt climate-resilient practices. Eg: High cost of herbal pesticides prevents adoption, while most farmers rely on peer advice instead of expert support.

Way forward: 

• Improve Working Conditions and Wages: Ensure minimum wage revision, provide shade, drinking water, crèche facilities, and medical support for women tea workers to enhance their safety and well-being.
• Promote Climate-Resilient Practices with Institutional Support: Encourage organic farming, soil conservation, and afforestation, backed by government funding and policies tailored to protect both workers and the environment.

Mains PYQ:

[UPSC 2024] What are the major challenges faced by Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management.

Linkage: The tea gardens are experiencing “prolonged dry spells” and a drop in the “groundwater table”, highlighting a critical challenge for irrigation and water management in the tea heartland.

Why in the News?

There has been a decrease in mango harvests. Mangoes don’t taste as sweet as before. They are also getting more expensive. Mangoes are arriving in the market too early. Mango pickles aren’t lasting the whole year. The mango trees are flowering earlier than usual. These are some of the common concerns people have been talking about regarding mangoes in India recently.

Why is there a contrast between anecdotal reports and official productivity data regarding mango yields?

• Regional Variations in Climate Impact: While official productivity data presents a national average, anecdotal reports come from specific regions that may have experienced harsher climate conditions. Eg: A farmer in Uttar Pradesh may experience fruit drop due to untimely rains, whereas other regions may report normal or high yields, balancing the national figures.
• Difference in Measuring Parameters: Official data focuses on total output in tonnes per hectare, whereas farmers often talk about quality—taste, sweetness, shelf life, or physical appearance. Eg: Mangoes may appear in large quantities, but may not taste sweet or store well, leading to dissatisfaction among consumers and producers alike.
• Time Lag in Reporting: Anecdotal reports are immediate and reflect real-time experiences during flowering or harvesting, while official data is compiled and released after the season. Eg: Farmers might report poor flowering due to early summer heat, but yield data may still show good figures after accounting for recovery measures.
• Improved Farming Practices Masking Stress: Advancements like drip irrigation, better grafting, and fertilizers may help maintain or even boost yields despite climate-related stress. Eg: A farmer using hybrid varieties may achieve good productivity even during erratic weather, skewing overall data upward.
• Sampling and Data Limitations: Official data often relies on sampling or estimates that may not fully capture smaller orchards or severely affected areas. Eg: Small-scale mango growers hit by hailstorms might not be reflected in state-level yield reports that depend on broad sampling zones.

What does research suggest about the resilience and adaptability of mango trees in the face of global warming?

• High Genetic Diversity Enables Adaptation: Mango trees exhibit significant genetic variation across different cultivars, which enhances their capacity to survive under changing climatic conditions. Eg: Varieties like Dasheri and Banganapalli show better resilience to heat stress compared to others like Alphonso.
• Physiological Mechanisms Support Stress Tolerance: Mango trees possess physiological traits—such as deep root systems and efficient water usage—that help them cope with drought and high temperatures. Eg: In regions like Telangana, mango trees withstand prolonged dry spells better than other fruit crops.
• Compatibility with Heat and Drought Conditions: Mangoes can thrive in tropical climates with long dry seasons, making them naturally suited to certain aspects of climate change. Eg: Research from Egypt and India shows mango cultivation persists even as rainfall becomes erratic.
• Potential for Climate-Resilient Breeding: The genetic resources available in mangoes make them a strong candidate for breeding programs to develop climate-resilient varieties. Eg: Scientists are working on cross-breeding varieties that combine drought tolerance with disease resistance.
• Long Lifespan and Adaptive Growth Patterns: As perennial trees, mango plants can adjust flowering and fruiting cycles over time in response to climatic shifts. Eg: In some regions, trees are now flowering earlier, and though it affects timing, it shows their capacity to adapt development stages.

Way forward: 

• Develop Climate-Resilient Mango Varieties: Focus on breeding heat-resistant and drought-tolerant mango varieties to ensure consistent yield and quality under changing climate conditions.
• Promote Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices: Expand the use of efficient irrigation systems, water conservation techniques, and post-harvest infrastructure to improve resilience and reduce losses.

Mains PYQ:

[UPSC 2023] Discuss the consequences of climate change on the food security in tropical countries.

Linkage: The anecdotal observations about mangoes to higher temperatures and climate change. Mangoes are a tropical crop, and changes in their productivity and characteristics due to rising temperatures are a direct consequence of climate change potentially impacting food security in tropical regions like India.