The Government has launched an integrated centre which will provide estimates of crop output and assess the drought situation in the country through latest technologies.
The Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, today launched the National Crop Forecast Centre, which will prepare in-season forecasts for major crops such as rice, wheat, sugarcane and maize.
The centre, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation, will also work towards preparing sub-district level drought assessment, an official release said.
The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation prepares the advance estimates of crop output through various technologies like remote sensing and geographic information system.
ISRO through its programme — National Agriculture Drought Assessment and Monitoring System — provides data on drought assessment in various states during the monsoon season.
The centre will help in integrating data from these sources and would also provide production forecasts of more crops.
It will coordinate the use of Geomatics in cropping system, horticulture, soil and its health and estimation of damage due to natural calamities.
Keywords: Intergrated centre, crop output estimates, drought situation, assessment, National Crop Forecast Centre, Sharad Pawar, in-season forecasts, sub-district level drought assessment
