Hyderabad: IMD calls for solutions to protect small farmers from climate change

IMD Director General Dr Mrityunjaya Mahapatra highlighted the urgent need for collective strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on horticulture and agriculture. Experts emphasised improvements in weather forecasting

Hyderabad: India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Dr Mrityunjaya Mahapatra said only by collectively adapting mitigation strategies the impending climate change on human, agriculture and horticulture sectors could be saved.

According to Dr Mahapatra, climate change would not only trouble the farmers and people but also the IMD, and that they were moving forward with appropriate strategies.

---

Participating in the national conference on the ‘Impact of Climate Change on Horticulture‘ held at Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University on Thursday, Dr Mahapatra said there was a need to provide innovative solutions to small and marginal farmers in remote areas to withstand the impact of these changes. He stressed on the need to cultivate crops using global action and local production methods.

Stating that the current weather forecasts were accurate only 40 to 50 per cent, Dr Mahapatra said this forecast would be increased with multi-forecast models.

Agriculture Department Secretary M Raghunandan Rao stressed on the need to work for the nutritional security of the country besides coming up with appropriate policies for that.

Telangana Horticultural University Vice Chancellor Dr Danda Rajireddy said the University was ready to provide every possible technical and research-based solution to the farmers to reduce the impact of climate change on the horticulture sector.