The overwhelming response to Skymet Weather’s #HelpTheFarmer initiative reignited the issues of risk and uncertainty revolving around a farmer’s life. The initial target of spreading awareness about farmer suicides in the country was achieved almost instantly. India’s social media populace had a significant role to play in the campaign’s success. Several online and print media publishers too supported the initiative and the seed for change was sown.
Owing to the massive outreach and wide scale effectiveness of the initiative, the road ahead had to be more inclusive. Skymet, understanding its role and increased share of responsibility in this regard, is going to partner with other agencies in order to make a more direct contribution towards welfare of farmers in the country.
One of the major challenges faced here is the cost of services being provided to the farmers. Skymet plans to bring down this cost in order to maximize outreach and make such services affordable and widely available for more farmers. In order to achieve this, the project focuses on the use of advanced and relevant technology to disseminate valuable information and services in a much more efficient manner.
The partnership involves understanding the farmer risks and using Skymet’s expertise and experience to provide weather forecast, real-time crop advisory, and risk cover for inclement weather conditions. The initiative also focuses on the development of a farmer portal along with a mobile app for farmers. Apart from all this, the project also incorporates key social indexes like gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The project is expected to touch close to one lakh farmers in as many as 31 districts across India. The scale of outreach will be an achievement in itself as farmers will be able to consume crucial information regarding weather forecasting, weather-based agro extension advisory, and other services.
The exhaustive project includes a variety of components and objectives that will be carried out within a tentative time frame. We will keep sharing regular updates and success stories pertaining to the project with our readers. With Skymet’s key sector linkages, vast weather station network, relevant expertise, and experience, the project is in safe hands. #HelpTheFarmer is surely going forward, and we take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed towards the success of the campaign, in one way or the other.
