September 3rd, 2024
By Ayoob A., Field Coordinator, and Ramachandran K.G., Programme Coordinator, Community Wellbeing
On September 3rd, a weather monitoring training program for farmers, staff, and community resource persons from Keystone Foundation was held in Mananthavady, Wayanad. Keystone Foundation is attempting to generate a community-based weather monitoring system within Mananthavady Block Panchayath region in collaboration with other likeminded organizations like Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology and Thirunelly Agri-Producers’ company, as well as Svalorna Indien Bangladesh. The system will deliver early weather information to people living in vulnerable areas, farmers and general public as a way of building local resilience.
Weather information is necessary for farmers to make informed decisions about their crops. Accurate weather forecasts help determine the best times for land preparation, seed sowing, irrigation, fertilization, pest control and harvesting. Now, weather-based farm advisories are a need of the time as weather patterns are so erratic and unpredictable. Many micro-climatic conditions are forming as a result of changing weather patterns across the globe.
Twenty-three farmers representing different farmer collectives of various locations within the Mananthavady block participated in the event apart from the 5 Keystone staffs and 6 community resource persons. These farmers were trained on the basic concepts of climate change, and learned how weather forecasting would support the planning of farming activities. They also learned how they could support in collecting data to understand local specific changes in weather conditions and patterns. The need and importance of weather-based farm advisories was also shared with the farmers in this training.
Ranjini A. R, a research fellow at the Hume Centre for Ecology, led the main session on climate change, weather forecasting, and the importance of micro-local weather data collection. Mr. Ansaf of Hume Centre for Ecology also led a session on the measuring methods and precautions to be taken while handling the weather monitoring instruments by the farmers.
Some weather monitoring tools like rain gauges, thermometers, and soil thermometers were distributed to the participant-farmers who agreed to collect data on rain, temperature, relative humidity and soil moisture etc. These farmers will contribute local climate data and information to Keystone Foundation, which will further be consolidated and shared with larger group of farmers with the support of Hume Centre.
