Modernise the Agromet Services to Increase Agricultural Production: Kapil Sibal

Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal has stressed the need to modernise the agromet services to increase the agricultural production and to preserve the food security of the world. He said most of the countries have not even the basic infrastructure to deliver agromet services. Shri Sibal urged the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to take up the challenge to provide the farmers the agromet information to meet the needs and dreams of humanity. He was delivering the opening address at the 14th Session of WMO Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM-XIV) in New Delhi today.

Shri Sibal said the agromet services only can solve the challenges facing the farming sector. We need to make sure in increasing the agricultural productivity to meet the demands of the growing population. We will probably have to produce two times higher in the context of rising population.

Agriculture is a global issue and needed a global outlook to solve the problems pertaining to it. The dissemination of information directly to the farmers is a big challenge and there should be sustained efforts to meet this problem. He said that information should be simple and in their own language.

Shri Sibal suggested that WMO should also take up the issues relating to the impact on global warming.

Addressing the delegates Secretary General of WMO Shri M. Jarraud said the application of science and technology in providing weather predictions is highly necessary. New methodologies will help in reducing the hardships of the farming community. He said the agricultural production is fully depended upon the weather conditions.

The Indian Scientist Dr. Joseph Pichamuthu was awarded the 20th “Professor Dr. Vilho Vaisala Award” in the function. The award carries 10,000 US $ and a medal. The award is for his research paper on directional variation of visual range due to anisotropic atmospheric brightness, which is basically regarding the Runway visibility.

President of the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology of WMO, Shri R.P. Motha was also present on the occasion.

The Commission is holding its sitting for the first time in India and will discuss various issues like strengthening information and dissemination networks including monitoring and early warning systems, management of natural and environmental resources for sustainable agricultural development, agrometeorological services for agricultural production, support systems for agrometeorological servies, techniques including technologies such as GIS and remote sensing for agroclimatic characterization and sustainable land management, impact of climate change to long range predictions for agriculture, reduction of the impact of natural disasters and mitigation of extreme events in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and contribution of agriculture to the state of climate and review of previous resolutions and recommendations of the commission and of relevant executive council resolutions. The Commission will discuss the future work including the establishment of expert teams.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : October 30, 2006