Scientists at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) organ, have developed an early warning system called Farmers Distress Index.
Key points
- The index is built on 21 simple questions, divided into seven blocks of three questions each. By getting answers to these questions, we can tell whether they are experiencing distress or not.
- The index was developed as part of the Nabard-funded project on ‘Farmers Distress and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
- The index can sense imminent distress at least 3-4 months ahead of its actual occurrence, allowing governments and other agencies to take preventive steps. If they are in distress, the Index can tell at what level they are in.
- Farmers’ distress is a recurrent problem in dryland areas of India, especially in drought-prone areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
- There are a host of reasons that can cause distress among farmers. This app will be helpful in measuring the severity and dimensions of the probable distress and inform the local governments to take timely action to reduce the severity.
