Ahead of Kharif season, ICAR issues advisory for farmers

Ahead of the sowing of Kharif crops, the government's premier agri-research body ICAR has suggested farmers to use best agricultural practices for enhancing farm production and income while ensuring optimum use of resources.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has come out with an advisory to help farmers overcome the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 on farm production and their income.

Kharif is a major agriculture season in India, which starts from June and lasts till October.

"The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic is again posing a serious problem to the nation, halting economic activities in one way or the other and may impact agricultural production and consequently national food and nutrition security," it said in the 400-page advisory.

However, concerted efforts with suitable technological options can show sustainable pathways under such circumstances, it added.

Stating that the 2021 Kharif season is approaching in midst of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the ICAR advisory said, "Therefore, disruption in normal operations/logistics usually undertaken during the pre-Kharif period is likely."

To cope with shortages in labour and timely availability of inputs at affordable prices, farmers need to enhance the use of on-farm inputs especially organic manures, adopt best practices for increasing resource use efficiency and reduce the cost of cultivation, it said. Therefore, promoting best agricultural practices for enhancing farm production and income, while ensuring optimum use of resources, is at the heart of ICAR's Kharif season agro-advisory, it added.

The crop, livestock, and fisheries advisories mainly deal with best practices to be adopted by farmers during the ensuing summer period and Kharif season. The technical aspects covered in the advisories are related to seed, soil, water, nutrient, and health management in crops and livestock enterprises.