PrashantNews
Walnut and other nut farmers lack the means to survive economic downturns, adapt to new policies or invest in more advanced techniques for climate resilience, experts say.
Some of the leading organizations like WANGAI and NDFC(I) have come forward to foster valuable collaboration and offer technical guidance to these farmers, they say.
WANGAI is working on promotion of “Nut Seed Banks” to play essential role in building more resilient nut food systems. It is also exploring a tool for identifying climate risks in nut farming value chains. WANGAI is working with farmers in Himalayan states for more than one decade to navigate the transition from subsistence to commercial nut farming and adopt climate-forward practices, the experts opine.
“Climate change has changed our nut farming practices. We have to endure dry seasons, but too much rain can also be problematic. The variability of weather, from droughts to cloud bursts, threatens nut crops and livelihoods,” says Dr. Navin Nainwal, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Walnut And Other Nut Fruit Growers Association of India (WANGAI) which is a nut growers association recognized by National Horticulture Board which works for promotion of nuts in India.
Over one million nut growers in India face constant pressures like market volatility, pests and increasingly variable weather patterns. Coping with climate change alone requires investing, on average, 20 % of their annual income. This is where organizations like WANGAI provide crucial support systems to help nut farmers withstand challenges.
Nainwal’s journey with WANGAI began in 2013 as a Co-Founder when they registered WANGAI with the consent of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, an initiative by growers themselves.
What started as a small group of 100 farmers as members in 2013 grew into a movement with over 10,000 farmer members cultivating walnut and other nuts in 2024. But the real success wasn’t just in the numbers — it was in building a foundation for lasting resilience.
“WANGAI plays a facilitative role as still a lot of work to do to help them grow capacity and stand on their own,” says Nainwal.
In one-decade WANGAI has helped nut farmers navigate both market volatility and environmental challenges — whether dealing with drought, heavy rains or soaring fuel prices. Increasingly frequent cloud burst is one of the many consequences of climate change affecting the walnut and other nut growing region. Average annual temperatures in mountain states have risen approximately 1.1°C between 1960–2010, accelerating after 1990. This problem, too, the WANGAI was able to address — with their nut seed banks strategy.