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Why advise farmers to suspend activities? Farming experts question MeT Department’s ‘advisories’

31 March 2024

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Srinagar, March 31: As the Sun shone on Saturday afternoon in South Kashmir, Shakir Nabi, a progressive farmer, had hurried for his orchard to complete the planned grafting work there. He had planned no work in his orchard in view of the Met Department’s advisory to farmers to suspend farming activities due to predicted rains until March 31.

Another group of farm labourers in Pattan Town of Baramulla District had lost their work day on March 30 as the orchard owner where they were working had heeded the MeT Department advisory to suspend farm activities.

However, as how things turned out to be, there were several sunny spells wherein farmers did their farming activities in the last three days. And now farmers and agriculture and horticulture experts question if the blanket advisories asking farmers to suspend farming activities are really justified.

Some farmers and orchardists in North and South Kashmir who spoke to Ziraat Times are unhappy that while the MeT Department’s primary mandate is weather forecasting, why such technical and specific advisories should not come from the relevant government agencies.

Experts advise better to focus on core expertise – weather forecasting

The MeT Department excels at weather forecasting. They have sophisticated tools and expertise to analyze atmospheric data, predict weather patterns, and issue timely warnings, says Suneel Kumar, a meteorologist, adding, however, such general information must be interpreted for the agriculture sector by agriculture experts and relayed to farmers through district level offices.

Experts believe that accurare weather forecasting function has immense potential to benefit farmers by providing crucial information for decision-making. Knowing about impending rain would allow farmers in J&K to prepare for potential flooding, schedule spraying, irrigation, and also choose appropriate harvesting times. However, a blanket advice to suspend agricultural activities for 2 – 3 days when rainfall can be only intermittent is not good for farmers, they argue.

“Accurate weather forecasts are invaluable. They help us plan ahead and secure our crops. But telling us to completely stop farm work based on a prediction is overstepping their role”, Bashir Ahmad, an retired agriculture technocrat, told Ziraat Times.

Experts’ Say in On-Ground Practices

The Department of Agriculture and Department of Horticulture in J&K are both known to possess a wealth of local knowledge and expertise how to plan agricultural activities during spring rains.

“The fact is that these departments have deep knowledge practical aspects of farming, encompassing crop selection, soil management, pest control, and various farm operations. They understand the nuances of different crops, their growth cycles, and the specific needs at different stages”, says Gurminer Singh, a farmer from Baramulla.

He says many farmers are right now doing grafting of fruit trees and the blanket advice to suspend farming activities is not wise.

Ayesha Khan, a keen kitchen gardener, from Pulwama, echoes this – “The MeT Department might predict rain, but we, as farmers, know what that means for our specific crops. We can still carry out essential activities even as the rain is happening intermittently.”

Need for Tailored Advice for Diverse Agro Climatic Zones

Jammu & Kashmir has diverse agro climatic zones where one size fits all approach is known not to work. From apple orchards in South Kashmir to vegetable cultivation in Srinagar and Budgam, from North Kashmir’s fruit farming to Ganderbal and Lidder valleys’ diverse farming, each of these sub regions and their crops require specific attention weather-centric attention. Experts believe that blanket advisories issued by the MeT Department might not consider these intricate details.

Dr. Nazir Ahmad, a Horticulture Specialist, emphasizes this point: “A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work in agriculture. The Department of Horticulture understands the specific needs of different crops and can provide tailored advice based on the weather forecast. So it is better that Horticulture Department issues such advisories.”

Collaboration, Not Competition

However, experts emphasise a collaborative approach that would be most beneficial. “The MeT Department can provide accurate and timely weather forecasts, while the Department of Agriculture and Department of Horticulture can interpret this information and translate it into specific advisories for farmers. That would be ideal”, says a scientist at SKUAST-Kashmir.

He says the benefits of a collaborative approach would help farmers to receive clear, actionable advice based on both weather predictions and agricultural best practices.

“Imagine a doctor just telling a patient it’s going to rain and advising them to stay home – that’s what the MeT Department advisory felt like,” says Mr. Ghulam Nabi, a vegetable farmer. “What we need is collaboration between the weather experts and the people who understand our crops.”

Dr. Mehbooba Jan, an Agricultural Scientist, adds, “A combined effort would be the most effective strategy. The MeT Department can issue timely warnings, and we, as agricultural specialists, can translate those warnings into actionable steps for farmers based on their specific crops and locations.”