Radio to soon inform farmers about climate change

The Maharashtra State Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices is planning to start a dedicated community radio channel to inform farmers about climate change and help in resolving their problems.

An expert panel on the radio channel will try to address the issues faced by farmers, the commission's chairman Pasha Patel told PTI, adding that necessary permissions have been taken to start the channel by this year-end.

The radio station will be based at Lodaga village in Latur district, he said.

"Climate change is a major problem for the agriculture sector in Maharashtra as well as in the country. Our state has experienced a moody climate in past two months. We saw heavy monsoon rains in Satara and Sangli and the post-monsoon showers damaged crops in Marathwada region," Patel noted.

The new radio channel will broadcast discussions on climate change and problems related to it, he said.

"We have obtained the necessary permissions and are planning to start the channel by this year-end," Patel said.

To address the issues of cultivators, the commission will form a committee of five to six members, comprising experts from the Krishi Vigyan Kendras, state agriculture department and private companies working in the field of agriculture and technology, he said.

"We are in talks with a Delhi-based company to set up the radio station at Lodaga. We will study the problems related to climate change across the globe and try to find a solution. Our team will make sure that these solutions reach the farmers," he added.