Lok Sabha Question No. 426 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-25
Subject: Weather Monitoring
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Meenakashi Lekhi, Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 426

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH  JUNE, 2019

## WEATHER MONITORING

426.      SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI: SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  weather  monitoring  is  being  used  to  help  the  farmers  in  making  better agricultural decisions, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any steps to ascertain the risk factor on the field of  agriculture  by  using  advanced  Information  Technology  to  provide  information  to  the farmers  in  the  beginning  of  seasons,  if  so,  the  details  of  the  capacities  of  Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to meet these challenges;
- (c) whether the Government has any schemes in place to ensure that the farmers living in the rural areas have access to this information and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the action taken by the Government towards modernisation and development of the equipment for dissemination of the accurate and region specific information on agriculture related weather at the district level?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR )

- (a) to (c): Yes, Sir. Weather monitoring system is used to help the farmers in making better  agricultural  decisions  like  carrying  out  timely  sowing  of  crops  according  to weather forecast.

Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DAC&FW)  is providing  agriculture  related  information  including  'Weather  conditions'  to  the  farmers through Kisan Call Centre operating from 21 locations in 22 local languages. In addition, DAC&FW is also providing weather related information through its regular mass media and  outreach  programmes  being  telecast/broadcast  through  Doordarshan,  DD  Kisan and All  India  Radio.  The  crops  and  weather  based  advisories  are  also  disseminated through m-kisan portal to registered farmers.

- 2 -

To ascertain the risk factor, Agriculture Contingency Plans for 648 districts have been  updated  and  uploaded  on  the  Department's  Portal  which  serve  as  a  ready reckoner  for  Line  Departments  and  farming  community  on  the  prevailing  farming systems and technological interventions to manage various weather aberrations such as droughts, floods, cyclones, hailstorms, heat and cold waves. These cover different sectors of agriculture including crops, horticulture, livestock, poultry and fisheries.

Besides,  India  Meteorological  Department  (IMD)  under  the  Ministry  of  Earth Sciences (MoES) implements an operational Agromet Advisory Service (AAS) scheme, viz., Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) for the benefit of farming community in the country. Under GKMS scheme, district level weather forecast including rainfall for the next five days for all the districts is generated. Based on the weather forecast, Agromet Advisories  are  prepared  in  collaboration  with  130  Agromet  Field  Units  (AMFUs)  and communicated to the farming community. AAS rendered by IMD is a step to weatherbased crop and livestock management  strategies and operations dedicated to enhancing  crop  production  besides  reducing  crop  damage  and  loss  due  to  extreme weather events.

(d): By  making  use  of  modern  technology  for  the  Agromet  Advisories  are  being disseminated  through  SMS  and  Interactive  Voice  Response  (IVR)  using  Kisan  Portal launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and also private companies like IKSL, Reliance Foundation and Mahindra Samriddhi under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. In addition to the above means of communication, the AMFUs also use social media like WhatsApp and other mobile Apps developed for the purpose.

Further, Kisan Suvidha mobile application has been developed by the Department  to facilitate dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters viz., weather; market prices; plant protection; input Dealers (Seed, Pesticide,  Fertilizer)  farm  machinery;  soil  health  card;  cold  storages  &  godowns, veterinary  centres  and  diagnostic  labs.    This  app  is  available  in  9  languages  viz., English, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Oriya, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengla and Telugu.

****