Contingency Preparedness Interface Meeting for Madhya Pradesh

21^st June 2016, Bhopal

An interface meeting on enhancing the preparedness for agriculture contingencies during kharif 2016 for Madhya Pradesh was jointly organized by ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS), Department of Agriculture, Government of Madhya Pradesh and DAC&FW here today.

Shri Rajesh Rajora, Principal Secretray (Agriculture), Govt of Madhya Pradesh called for promotion of management practices such as broad bed furrow and ridge systems, farm ponds for runoff harvesting, organic mulching, zero tillage to improve soil health  etc as essential practices among farming community to meet long dryspells. He desired that crop diversification, inter cropping and agro forestry measures be promoted as climate resilient measures for climate change.

Shri PC Meena, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Govt of Madhya Pradesh advised department officials to prepare contingency plans on excess rainfall pattern.

Shri RB Sinha, Joint Secretary, DAC&FW stressed for impact assessment of contingency plans in overcoming weather aberrations during last two years in the state.

Shri ML Meena, Director (Agriculture), in his address, requested all district officials to prepare action plans based on the natural resources and cropping systems prevailing in the district. He also pointed out whenever necessary groundwater use to be promoted for supplemental irrigations as contingency measure.

Dr. KV Rao, ICAR-CRIDA informed the status of monsoon and stressed upon the need for contingency preparation in view of above normal rainfall to mitigate problems of seasonal waterlogging due to large scale black soils in the state. 

Directors and Senior Officials of ICAR Institutes, State Agriculture Universities, KVKs were preset in the occasion.
Recommendations

• Equal emphasis need to be given for both seed supply and management practices under contingency plans.
• Better natural resource management practices to be promoted among farmers to overcome water stagnation problems due to high intense storms.
• A seed rolling plan to be developed for contingency crops in discussion with state agriculture universities so that sufficient quantity of seed would be available for distribution.
• Farmers are to be dissuaded in cultivation of rice with groundwater and promoting rice through SRI cultivation method. 
• Realistic action plans are to be prepared by each district based on resources available.
• Monthly meetings to be organized at district level with all stakeholders during the kharif season to address contingency scenarios.

(Source: ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad &ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal.)