Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 23 2021: A farmers' awareness programme on "Weather and Climate Service in Agriculture" was organised on Saturday at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Manipur Centre, Lamphelpat to sensitise the farmers about the Agromet Advisory Services in the context of the changing climate, its impact on agriculture/farming community and possible ways to reduce the adverse impacts due to unfavourable weather conditions.

The programme was held with Agriculture director N Gojendro as chief guest, ICAR Research joint director Dr I Meghachandra Singh as functional president and Environment Directorate's joint director Dr T Brajakumar Singh and CAU department of Agronomy prof L Nabachandra Singh as guests of honour.

In their addresses, director N Gojendro stressed that in the aftermath of climate change/global warming causing drastic alteration of rainfall and sunshine patterns, there is a need for sharing scientific knowledge with the agriculture to attain a self-sufficient state'in agricultural production while Dr T Brajakumar Singh said that science like Agro-meteorology is compulsory in agriculture where the vulnerability of global warming/climate change like erratic rainfall, temperature is profound like Manipur.

Scenario like high relative humidity, erratic rainfall, high temperature in a local specific help in developing a micro-climatic condition hugely affect cropping patterns which may be enlightened to the farmers.

Meanwhile, Prof Nabachandra Singh pointed out that Manipur being a sub-tropical climatic condition, more than 160 crops can be cultivated in different seasons.

However, risky climate is now prevailing in the state due to climate change/global warming which is also increasing by years/decades and expected that by 2050, the farmers of the Manipur will be drastically suffered.

Therefore, prediction of weather/climate is required through agro-meteorology for the farmers to select suitable crops to avoid crop failure.

Speaking at the programme, Dr I Meghachandra informed that the establishment of Agromet Field Unit (AMFU) under Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva of IMD at ICAR Manipur, Lamphelpat in 1995 is providing information like weather forecast and Agromet Advisory to farmers and media.

He also explained about impact of the global warming in Manipur by citing the recent example of Treebean infestation with insects.

However, due to its typical topography in Manipur where there is difference in rainfall and temperature between the adjacent regions, weather forecast is significantly difficult as compared to other parts of the country, he said and called upon the media and farmers to spread about utility of the service to larger number of farmers to mitigate the difficulties of farmers and agriculture in general and climate change in particular.

He also emphasised on the need of better irrigation facilities because of the erratic rainfall pattern in the state.

The technical session of the programme, Dr Brajakumar deliberated on "Changing weather patterns in Manipur" while Prof L Nabachandra Singh elaborated on "Measures for reducing impact of adverse weather on Agriculture" .

A Farmer-Scientist interaction session was also conducted with the scientific experts including the staff of KVK, Imphal West the agromet advisory.