(a) whether the Government proposes to set up a state-of-the-art
National Crop Forecast Centre with the help of the Indian Space Research
Organisation;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the time by which the centre is likely to be set up in the country?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD PROCESSING
INDUSTRIES AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) to (c): The Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, New Delhi has
been set up as an Attached Office under the Ministry of Agriculture, Department
of Agriculture & Cooperation and was inaugurated on 23.04.2012. The Centre
has been set up to inter alia provide satellite imagery based inputs for
assessing crop area and yield. These inputs will be used along with econometric
& agro-meteorological parameters and ground observations to make crop forecasts
in respect of selected crops. The Centre will also use remote sensing techniques
to monitor and assess the drought situation in the country.