BHUBANESWAR: The State will soon have a forewarning system for major insect and pest diseases that hit the farming community almost every year.The Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department is developing an Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based pest monitoring system for major insects/pests diseases under the Analytics for Decision-making and Agriculture Policy Transformation (ADAPT) programme.While the State Government has sanctioned `2.58 crore for an e-pest surveillance and pest management programme, a pest monitoring system is being developed under the project to check spread of disease and pest, crop loss, locate pest endemic pockets and issue advisory to farmers regularly.
At the recent State-level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) meeting, the project was accorded in-principle approval. The committee also approved another project under which farmers’ counselling centres would be set up at panchayat level.An Agriculture Department official said, the detailed project report for the pest monitoring system would be modified as per the requirement and it is expected to be ready soon. “For the counselling centres, the officials have been asked to consult with Panchayati Raj Department and construct the building inside the panchayat office premises.
The project would cost around `150 crore,” he informed.
The SLSC sanctioned a project under which a mobile-based customised advisory solution for farmers in the State will also be developed at a cost of `15.34 crore. The project would be implemented through the Director of Agriculture and Food Production. A state-of-the-art pesticide residue laboratory has also got the committee’s nod. The laboratory to be built at a coast of `3.71 crore will guide in optimum and safe use of fruits, vegetables, rice, cereals, water, soil, milk and food products.Several other projects, including establishment of centre of excellence in horticulture on organic farming in PPP mode and incubation centre for micro-enterprises in fresh water aquaculture were also approved.