SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) organized a webinar on “Adoption of Alternate Cropping System for Risk Minimization for Smallholder Farmers” on Thursday (16 April 2026). The event brought together experts and practitioners from across the region to address emerging agricultural risks and resilience strategies for the adoption of resilient alternate cropping systems.
Opening the session, Dr. Sikander Khan Tanveer, Senior Program Specialist (Crops) at SAC, welcomed participants and set the context, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive and sustainable cropping system approaches to safeguard smallholder livelihoods. The expert speakers were Dr Md Harunur Rashid, Director of SAC and Dr Meraj Alam Ansari, Senior Scientist (Agronomy) at ICAR–IIFSR, India.
In his Speech, Dr. Md Harunur Rashid emphasized the importance of linking cropping systems with value chains and strengthening farm-to-consumer marketing systems and the role of early warning systems daily, monthly and seasonal to support site-specific crop management decisions. Dr. Rashid also highlighted the growing relevance of GIS and remote sensing in precision agriculture, enabling data-driven planning and efficient use of resources. He noted that modern technologies such as drones and sensors can help optimize water and fertilizer use, while improved farm mechanization can enhance productivity and ensure sustainable management of natural resources in potential cropping systems.
Dr. Meraj Alam Ansari outlined the multiple risks faced by smallholder farmers, including climate-related challenges such as drought, terminal heat, erratic rainfall and floods. He also pointed to market risks like distress selling and price instability, along with structural issues such as fragmented land holdings and low mechanization. Financial constraints, biological threats including pests and diseases and resource degradation, particularly water scarcity and soil fertility loss, were also identified as key concerns.
The session concluded with an engaging discussion, where participants interacted with the speakers. Closing the event, Mr. Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director (ARD & SDF), SAARC Secretariat, Nepal, reaffirmed the importance of regional collaboration to promote resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. He noted that South Asian countries shared common agricultural challenges and should work together to develop practical, scalable solutions. He emphasized the need to strengthen knowledge exchange, technology transfer and policy coordination across the region.
