Weather and Climate Services for Farmers in India- Agromet Advisory Services

The sources of weather and climate-related risks in agriculture are numerous and diverse: limited water resources, drought, desertification, land degradation, erosion, hail, flooding, early frosts and many more. Effective weather and climate information and advisory services can inform the decision-making of farmers and improve their management of related agricultural risks. Such services can help develop sustainable and economically viable agricultural systems, improve production and quality, reduce losses and risks, decrease costs, increase efficiency in the use of water, labour and energy, conserve natural resources, and decrease pollution by agricultural chemicals or other agents that contribute to the degradation of the environment. Thus, the importance of the Agromet Advisory Services that have now been established at district levels in India.

These Services meet the real-time needs of farmers and contribute to weather-based crop/livestock management strategies and operations dedicated to enhancing crop production and food security. They can make a tremendous difference in agricultural production by assisting farmers in taking the advantage of benevolent weather and in minimizing the adverse impact of malevolent weather.

L.S. Rathore, Former Director General of Meteorology, Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi and  Nabansu Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Indian Meteorological Department, Pune has contributed an article `Weather and Climate Services for farmers in India`. The topic is relevant in all the times. The requirement of Agromet Advisory Services is quite useful for the farmers and the concerned. Krishi jagran is also trying to help the farming community with the desired information on the WEATHER. Here is five days prediction as per the IMD, may be helpful:

21 April - Saturday (Day 1): ♦ Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail very likely at isolated places over Sub­Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim.

1. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall very likely at isolated places over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal.

2. Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely at isolated places over Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura,south Chhattisgarh and Kerala.

3. Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over south Assam & Meghalaya and Mizoram & Tripura.

4. Strong winds speed occasionally reaching 40­-50 kmph with moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely along and off West Bengal­Odisha Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Sea along & off these coasts.

5. Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along the West coast of India and rough to very rough over southern parts of West Coast and Lakshadweep area in the morning hours. Fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into the Sea along & off these areas.

L.S. Rathore, Former Director General of Meteorology, Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi and  Nabansu Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Indian Meteorological Department, Pune has contributed an article `Weather and Climate Services for farmers in India`. The topic is relevant in all the times. The requirement of Agromet Advisory Services is quite useful for the farmers and the concerned. Krishi jagran is also trying to help the farming community with the desired information on the WEATHER. Here is five days prediction as per the IMD, may be helpful:

21 April - Saturday (Day 1): ♦ Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail very likely at isolated places over Sub­Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim.

1. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall very likely at isolated places over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal.

2. Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds very likely at isolated places over Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura,south Chhattisgarh and Kerala.

3. Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over south Assam & Meghalaya and Mizoram & Tripura.

4. Strong winds speed occasionally reaching 40­-50 kmph with moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely along and off West Bengal­Odisha Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Sea along & off these coasts.

5. Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along the West coast of India and rough to very rough over southern parts of West Coast and Lakshadweep area in the morning hours. Fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into the Sea along & off these areas.

23 April - Monday (Day 3):♦      Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in some parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

1. Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, rough to very rough sea conditions are likely to prevail along & off the West coast of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Sea along & off these areas.

24 April- Tuesday (Day 4): ♦    Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds likely at isolated places over Telangana.

1. Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in some parts of Jammu & Kashmir Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.