Impetus on providing technologicalsupport to boost farm activities

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurates North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre at Farmers Knowledge Centre on UAS premises in Dharwad

The Union government is giving due impetus on providing technological support to boost agricultural activities in the country by taking modern technology to farmers, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Science, Environment Harsh Vardhan has said. Inaugurating the North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre (NKAFC) at a programme held at Farmers Knowledge Centre on UAS premises here on Thursday, the Minister said that the Union government has set up farmers knowledge hubs in various States during its first phase to give a fillip to agricultural activities and now, it has gone a step ahead in establishing centres which can give accurate reports on weather to farmers to protect their crops and get good yield, he said.

Farming info

Through the farmer knowledge hubs, information on agriculture issues is reaching four crore farmers under various platforms such as SMS, WhatsApp, social networking sites and through community radios run by university colleges and universities.

Now, to strengthen the farmers to double their income in the next three years, weather information too has been incorporated.

Weather forecast will help farmers prepare fields for sowing, harvesting, protecting crops from pest attacks, drought and floods, he said.

To benefit farmers

India’s first Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre has been established at UAS in Dharwad and nearly 25 lakh farmers would benefit from this facility. Meteorological Department scientists have toiled hard to get accurate information on weather and to boost agriculture and fisheries. The impact of the centre cannot be assessed in the short-term but it will benefit farmers in the long run. Due to timely information given to farmers through Farmers Knowledge hubs, the agriculture sector last year achieved a profit. Adding information on weather would further help farmers to sail through the agrarian crisis, he added.

India ranks fourth

Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi stated that India ranks fourth in the world in giving accurate information on weather forecast, leaving behind Japan. This rare achievement of meteorological scientists should reach rural areas.

Hence, this centre has been set up. As per experts, a farmer can save up to ₹ 5,000 on one hectare of land if he gets information on weather.

To realise this and increase income of farmers, this centre will play a pivotal role, he said.

The UAS has procured mobile phone numbers of 1.40 lakh farmers from Dharwad district and these farmers will get weather information on a daily basis.

More number of phone numbers will be added in the coming days.

This apart, the centre will also forecast on lightning which causes large-scale destruction of livestock and to farmers, he added.

UAS Vice-Chancellor M.B. Chetti spoke.