AI-based weather forecasting: Govt sent monsoon forecasts to 3.8 crore farmers this year

New Delhi, Sep 12 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (MoAFW) sent AI-based monsoon forecasts via SMS (m-Kisan) to nearly 3.8 crore farmers across 13 states this year, the ministry informed on Friday.

This forecast was available earlier than ever before—up to four weeks ahead of the rain.

AI-based models made it possible to design forecasts specifically for farmers’ needs, giving farmers a critical tool for planning their Kharif agricultural decisions.

This is the first-of-its-kind targeted dissemination of AI weather forecasts to date, marking MoAFW as a world-leader in applying AI weather forecasting to directly benefit farmers.

Crores of farmers across India depend on rainfall for Kharif farming—their main source of income and livelihood.

If farmers receive advance forecasts about the monsoon, it can help them make better decisions about what to plant, how much, and when.

This is now possible because of a revolution in weather forecasting driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

In a programme review meeting held at Krishi Bhavan on September 8, Additional Secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda and Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal met with Nobel Laureate and University of Chicago Professor Michael Kremer to discuss the groundbreaking initiative by the Ministry and the expansion of the programme.

Additional Secretary Meherda remarked, “This programme harnesses the revolution in AI-based weather forecasting to predict the arrival of continuous rains, empowering farmers to plan agricultural activities with greater confidence and manage risks. We look forward to continuing to improve this effort in future years.”

This year, the monsoon arrived early, but there was a pause in the northward progression, stalling rains mid-season for 20 days. The AI-based forecasts distributed by the MoAFW correctly identified this pause in monsoon progression.

“As climate change increases weather variability, forecasts are a useful tool to help farmers adapt to the situation,” said Joint Secretary Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.

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