[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 26 Feb: Frequent change of weather in Siang valley including Dhemaji area of North Assam has made the farmers of the region as well as agriculture scientists worried.
Weather situation of Siang valley has been taking a critical turn for the last two weeks, which is affecting harvesting of kharif vegetables and other horticulture crops and oil seeds.
Frequent change of weather in the region this season is an unusual phenomenon. Earlier in August last year, the region faced an unusual heat wave.
The contrasting weather situation is causing worry to the farming communities, while it also baffles the agriculture scientists. The unpredictable weather in the region is not only hitting the normal life of the people, but also affecting construction of road, bridges and river bunds.
As per meteorology reports, the southwest monsoon, which hit the Northeastern region in May last year, was withdrawn from the region during the last week of January. But an unusual monsoon effect is still prevailing in the region as the residents face frequent rainfall with cyclones and hailstorms.
The scientists say that sudden change of temperature influenced by degradation of the natural ecosystem is the main reason behind the contrasting weather.
The agriculture scientists serving at Pasighat College of Horticulture and Forestry (CHF) suggested the farmers adopt climate resilient agriculture farming including disease-resistant varieties and cash crops having short cultivation period to get rid of the uncertain weather situation caused by global warming.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) set under the CHF is running a project under National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme in East Siang district, to educate farmers and other stakeholders on various aspects of climate change and resilient technologies.
“We are suggesting farmers to learn the technologies and adopt cultivation of the recommended crop varieties of cereals, oilseeds with other cash crops and integrated farming to mitigate the unfavourable weather situation,” said Toge Riba, head scientist of the KVK.
