NEWSLETTER January-June, 2009

Abstract

Coping with drought: Contingent Crop Planning The current kharif season (2009) has proved to be yet another drought year for the country despite good rainfall forecast initially. Rainfall during June-July and upto 1st fortnight August has remained deficient in several meteorological divisions of the country. Even regions which received good rains during July are again facing dry spells since the 20th July. The distribution of rainfall is quite erratic over time and space in this season. Droughts of this magnitude, pose enormous challenges to scientists, administrators and policy makers in terms of formulating and implementing a contingent cropping strategy minimizes losses to crops and saves the livestock. CRIDA through its net-work projects of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture and All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology has evolved contingent crop strategies for major rainfed agro-ecologies of the country for delayed kharif plantings. Crops, varieties and moisture conservation practices have been suggested for delayed planting upto July and August and agronomic measures to save standing crops to some extent and ensure better growth after relief from the stress have been recommended. During the current season, CRIDA has been coordinating with all the SAUs through the agrometeorology and d r y l a n d a g ri c u l t u r e project net-works to issue weekly agro-advisories on contingent measures and issues related to o r g a n i z i n g i n p u t s including insti-tutional arrangements. The scientists have been closely interacting with the State Agriculture Departments and helped in drawing up and implementing contingency plans in different states. However, we realize that the contingent strategies can make impact when it can be implemented timely at the ground level across the country. This needs enormous efforts on effective communication, input supply, efficient institutional and logistic arrangements to mobilize the inputs like seeds of contingent crops and varieties at short notice. We also need long term planning on supportive programmes like rainwater harvesting and soil health management. Continuous renovation and up keep of rain water harvesting structures, promotion of seed banks and fodder banks and incentives for conjunctive use of surface and ground water are essential steps in this direction. We strongly believe that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) offers the best platform for taking up drought proofing works, so that the impact of drought on agriculture and allied sectors can be minimized as much as possible. India also need to develop weather insurance products to help farmers to cope with recurrent droughts and crop failures.

B. VENKATESWARLU Director, CRIDA