El Niño Awareness Programme Organized at KVK Ghantasala

4 September 2026, Hyderabad

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ghantasala, Krishna District, under ICAR– Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Zone X, Hyderabad, organized an El Niño Awareness Programme today. The programme aimed to raise farmers’ awareness of the potential impact of El Niño on standing crops and promote timely management measures for the current cropping season and preparedness for the ensuing Rabi season.

The Chief Guest, Dr Mandali Buddha Prasad, MLA, Avanigadda Constituency, emphasized the relevance of the programme during this critical agricultural period and urged farmers to make effective use of the technical guidance and services offered by KVK Ghantasala to address emerging crop-related challenges.

Dr Shaik N. Meera, Director, ICAR–ATARI, Zone X, Hyderabad, also attended as a Guest of Honour. He highlighted key challenges associated with the district’s agricultural situation and cropping patterns and delivered a technical lecture on integrated crop and farm management strategies to strengthen resilience to El Niño conditions.

Dr P. V. Satyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Lam, Guntur, attended as a Guest of Honour. Interacting with farmers, he reviewed the prevailing crop conditions in the district and stressed the adoption of appropriate management practices and contingency measures to minimize the adverse effects of El Niño on agricultural production.

The technical sessions focused on crop diversification, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest and disease management, and climate-resilient agricultural practices. During the farmer–scientist interaction, farmers shared their concerns regarding prevailing field conditions. Scientists and university officials provided crop-specific advisories for standing crops and guidance on crop planning for the forthcoming Rabi season.

Senior university officials, including the Director of Extension, Director of Research, Dean of Agriculture, Controller of Examinations and Dean of Agricultural Engineering, participated in the programme. The programme brought together around 1,250 farmers from Krishna District and more than 100 officials from agriculture and allied departments.

The programme strengthened coordination among the university, line departments, farmer organizations and the farming community to support timely advisories and climate-resilient agricultural preparedness.

(Source: ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Zone-X, Hyderabad)