Measuring Impact

Research that works for developing countries and Australia

 

Assessing the feasibility of farmers managing climate related crop production risk in Andhra Pradesh, India

Project ID:
LWR/2006/073: Assessing the feasibility of farmers managing climate related crop production risk in Andhra Pradesh, India
Collaborating Countries:
India
Commissioned Organisation:
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia
Project Leader
Dr Zvi Hochman
Phone: 07 3214 2630
Fax: 07 3214 2308
Email: Zvi.Hochman@csiro.au
Collaborating Institutions:
  • Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, India
  • Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, India
  • Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Australia
Project Budget:
$150,000
Project Duration:
01/02/2008 - 31/05/2009
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Christian Roth
Project Overview

In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) kharif crops are heavily dependent on summer monsoon rains, where the timing and intensity of the rains affects crop yield. The majority of farms in AP are small and marginal, making them very vulnerable to yield reductions. Farmers also lack access to relevant information that might enable them to respond to seasonal conditions. Enabling farmers to utilise seasonal climate forecasting would allow them to respond to seasonal variability. To do this, farmers need a forecasting system that indicates a specific management strategy for the upcoming season, and effective and timely communication of the forecast information. Current agro-meteorological advisories in AP are issued on a bi-weekly basis, and they are relevant to an agro-climatic zone scale which may not be sufficiently relevant at a village level. Also, the information in the advisories may not be necessarily packaged in way relevant to cropping decisions by farmers. The objectives of this project are to evaluate the skill of seasonal climate forecasts to be issued for the 2008 monsoon season, to assess crop management options in response to seasonal scenarios that capture the range of seasonal climatic variability, to develop and evaluate options for effective communication and adoption of climate forecasts and agricultural advisories, and to synthesise and report on options for future research investments into seasonal climate forecasting.