‘Prepare farm projects with focus on El Nino’

Officers of Agriculture ministries of six countries have underlined the need to study the impact of El Nino while preparing agricultural projects.

“These delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar are attending a programme on agricultural project management sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India,” AVK Iyengar, Director, Kothari Agricultural Management Centre, who led the deliberations, told BusinessLine.

“Even at the preparation stage, agricultural projects absorb up to 10 per cent of the total project outlay. So, the projects will have to be prepared keeping in view the current and futuristic developments to recover the sunk the cost. That way, El Nino is the latest happening that can mar agricultural projects if ignored,” Iyengar said.

“Our deliberations noted that the UN has warned that El Nino will upset current winter with excess rainfall likely in South India and South Asia. This threatens floods and debasing farming activities. No agricultural project can ignore El Nino presently,” he detailed.

“The deliberations underlined that the rising of sea temperature would impact global warming and affect the production of food grains and vulnerable millets and vegetables,” he added.