INSIGHTS, THREATS AND RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: SUGARCANE FARMERS’ EXPERIENCE IN TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Sugarcane area is shrinking in Tamil Nadu due to rainfall variability. Future climate projections indicate more extreme weather events; hence, potential adaptation strategies need to be developed to sustain sugar production. To understand the sugarcane farmer’s insight, challenges and response to climate change, a survey was conducted with 410 farmers in Sathyamangalam, Villupuram and Thiruvannamalai regions that supply sugarcane to Bannari Amman Sugar mills. Study revealed that 38% of respondents are well aware of climate change. About 96.1% of the respondents reported continuous increase in temperature and consecutive drought for 2–3 years, that resulted in increased irrigation requirement and decline in sugarcane yield. To manage the climatic variability, creating more water sources, developing drought and disease resilient cultivars with high yield potential, popularizing climate resilient agro-techniques including Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative, increasing area under drip fertigation, making crop insurance as mandatory and increasing the effectiveness of climate services are recommended