The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : IT helps farmers cope with drought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 11, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

IT helps farmers cope with drought

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Predicting drought severity by using Information Technology, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has saved hundreds of villagers in Mahabubnagar district from incurring heavy losses.

According to an ICRISAT press release, rains in 21 villages in Adakkal block were 90 per cent less than normal in June and July, 2009 — the driest in 80 years. Along with Government’s daily wage job schemes, ICRISAT’s farming systems meant for adverse weather prevented several villagers from migrating this year. Volunteers of Adarsha Mahila Samakhya (AMS), a women’s self-help group, were trained in a novel mechanism of predicting drought severity which in turn benefited farming families. Apart from making the forecasts available to farmers, ICRISAT scientists through video-conferencing suggested short duration varieties of paddy as rice was the most sown crop in the region.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh