Weather forecast boon for farmers : Daily Current Affairs

Weather forecast boon for farmers

Recently it was disclosed that economic benefit from the use of weather forecasting service to farmers and fishermen since 2015 worked out to Rs. 19,000 crore annually as per Earth Science Ministry report.

The weather advisories, which are provided by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), are prepared by using weather models at different time scales-from weekly, fortnightly & seasonal.
As per the ministry a rupee invested in weather related infrastructure translated to an economic gain of Rs. 50 in income for agriculturists & fisherman.
About 94% of farmers who made modification any one of the nine critical agriculture practice based on the weather forecast could either loss or saw an increase in income.
About 31% made modification an all nine critical practices.
There forecast also include warning about extreme events such cyclone & floods.

Agro climate zone is land unit represented accurately or precisely in terms of major climate and growing period, which is climatically suitable for certain range of crops and cultivars.
India is divided into fifteen agricultural based zone i.e. fifteen Agro-Climate zone.

IMD is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Science of the Government of India.
It was formed in year 1875 and became member of the world Meteorological organization after independence on 27 April 1949.
It is Headquarter at Delhi along with Regional office at Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur & Pune.