Role of Agrometeorological Advisory Services in Enhancing Food Security and Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change

Abstract

Providing knowledge inputs to farmers is critical to reduce their vulnerability and enhance resilience against climate change. In developing countries such as India, where small-holdings and rain-fed agriculture are predominant, knowledge inputs become even more critical. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is providing integrated agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) to farmers since 2008. In this paper, we estimate the scale of access to AAS and its impact on crop yields in 1000 households across ten villages in two agroclimatic zones in India. We find evidence suggesting that access to AAS can have a significant impact on crop yields in the Kharif (June-September) season while other inputs are more important in the case of Rabi (winter) crops. Specifically, the yields of pigeon pea, soyabean, and pearl millet are higher by 233 kg/ha, 98 kg/ha, and 318 kg/ha respectively for AAS beneficiaries. For the entire study area, this translates to a value addition of $9.66 million for these three crops in one season. Our results show that AAS can be an important contributor to meet the developmental goals of enhancing food security in dryland agriculture and building resilience against climate change.