50-fold gains from investments on Monsoon Mission, computing facilities of MoES: Survey

Investments of nearly Rs 1,000 crore on the National Monsoon Mission and the High-Performance Computing programme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) over the past five years have generated economic benefits worth Rs 50,000 crore for farmers, livestock rearers and fishermen, a survey has shown.

The study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) was based on a face-to-face survey of 6,098 respondents -- 3,965 crop farmers, 757 marine fishermen and 1,376 livestock owners.

Responses from over 2 lakh farmers were also collected from through interactive voice response system.

"The report provides an estimated income gain of nearly Rs 13,000 crore per year for agricultural and livestock farmers and an incremental benefit of nearly Rs 48,000 crore," the ministry said.

The report was launched by Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan at an event here on Tuesday.

A total of Rs 551 crore was spent on the National Monsoon Mission while Rs 990 crore was incurred on the High Performance Computing programme to better weather forecast.

For every rupee invested in the National Monsoon Mission and high-performance computing facilities of the ministry, the country has gained benefits worth Rs 50, resulting in fifty-fold gains, it said.

"On adding the economic gain accruing to agricultural households and fisher households, the present value of benefits accruing to the BPL households to rain-fed areas works out to be Rs 50,447 crore.

"The current level of investment is far less in comparison to the realisable benefits over the period of five years," the report said.

Speaking at the event, Vardhan said the information through these projects helped farmers at various levels -- from ensuring early or delayed sowing, changing the irrigation schedule, vaccination of livestocks and better fodder management for them.