The Hindu Business Line : Weather advisory for farmers in the pipeline

WITH clouds of uncertainty hanging over the progress of the South-west monsoon this June, agriculture and weather scientists are busy trying to put together a quick-fix advisory that can give farmers and planners necessary inputs to weather the challenges.

Crop planning and contingency for agro-climatic zones is the agenda of scientists at the Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).

In case of delay in monsoon, the advisory will be able to provide contingency plans to areas in different agro-climatic zones across the country, explained Dr Y. S. Ramakrishna, Director of CRIDA.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) currently provides a weather-based agriculture management plan on a monthly basis.

"What we propose to do is to package more updated information on monsoon, weather conditions and pest occurrence at shorter time intervals and tailor them to suit particular regions," he told Business Line.

CRIDA already has the National Facility of Agromet, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, which is collecting data from 120 stations on weather everyday and about 3,000 stations each month.

The idea is to provide forecasts on rainfall and pest occurrence.

The new approach to set up agri-advisories should incorporate the reach of information technology, Web sites and links with village-based organisations, he said.

CRIDA hosted a three-day ` Biennial Workshop of the All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Agrometeorology,' where over a hundred scientists from ICAR institutes, meteorologists and policymakers have come together to discuss agro-meteorology.

CRIDA has started to issue Agromet Advisory Services, which will give a glimpse of the conditions in the next few days.

The data includes rainfall, climatic conditions and moisture.

Dr M.V. Rao, former Special Director General of ICAR, said that these advisories must reach the farmer quickly.

For this, he suggested linkages with the corporate sector and non-governmental organisations.

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