A golden gift for farmers: now power holding officials are seriously setting up the weather forecasting goals for Indian farmers to cope up with daily issues... just wait for 2020

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We Indians are hearing a say since childhood that "भारत एक कृषि प्रधान देश है"[India is an agricultural country and Indians believe too that the farmers are there] "अन्नदाता"[they feed them].

About 17 to 18 % of India's GDP is contributed by the farming sector which also employs 50% of the Indian workforce.

India has achieved several records in exporting high-quality agricultural produce like wheat, rice, maize, moong, grams, lemon, jute, milk, spices, etc.

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India has the largest area of cultivated land than any other country in the world which in turn brings a very big responsibility in the hands of the powerholders for the proper management.

PROBLEMS: 

In India, there is still a large group of farmers who are unaware of modern farming technology or can't afford it.

Those who afford it either by their saved capital or borrowed money from the bank or local moneylenders don't get proper guidance to use it.

And other than that there are harassment issues taking in a large place by huge landlords on small farmers.

Farmers don't get enough water in several regions of India to do farming & some regions are available with ample amount of water but the farmers there don't use advanced irrigation technologies.

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Farmers who borrow money many times are not able to repay it which drags them in depression and sometimes suicide too.

And if the farmer produces an ample amount of harvest and goes to sell it in the market, then there too they do not get a proper price.

The moral is that the farming benefits are distributed on a very unequal basis and small farmers as well labourers rather than wealthy farmers, have to suffer losses every time.

IMPROVEMENTS:

From a long ago the problems faced by farmers and their well being has been a core issue when politicians come before the public while contesting elections.

Many promises are made to attract farmers and votes are collected in an ample amount from villages and especially from the farmers.

But the things are changed as soon as the elections are over. Powerholders just forget farmers. Sometimes initiatives are taken for the farmers to bring them up but it's only "sometimes'.

However, since independence, some moves have proved revolutionary in the agriculture sector and have improved the condition of farmers to some extent but then also, too much improvement is needed.

A NEW RAY OF HOPE:

Many times the climate also shows it's harsh moves to the farmers by destroying their standing crops in the fields.

The unconventional climate changes in the climate desperately need to be handled. The weather forecast for farmers is not less than the "आकाशवाणी" [Oracle] for farmers.

And the initiative is accelerated by IMD [Indian Meteorological Department]. It's continuously working in the improvement of weather forecasting facilities in a more localised manner.

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It has aimed to provide such facility by 2020 to 9.5 crore in all 6,500 blocks of 600 districts across the country. 

Currently, the pilot project is underway in 200 blocks across the country which provides local weather info to over 4 crore farmers through SMS.

Today IMD has a network of over 130 district level fields which provide weather-related consultancies to farmers. It has to be spread over 530 districts in several KVKs [Krishi Vigyan Kendras].  

This will help farmers to cope up with sudden climate changes and plan their farming strategies accordingly throughout the year.

The task undertaken by IMD seems possible as India today has one of the most advanced satellites than it had in the past and with the help of it, the farmers of our country can be provided with an accurate weather forecast.

The overall base of the dream is to minimise the weather-related damages to their produce.

Image credit: Hindustan Times