<p>The Karnataka government plans to set up a market intelligence cell to help farmers decide on the kind of crop they could grow and predict the probable earnings based on scientific data.</p><p>The state government is collaborating with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram to help farmers select crops that bring them better income.</p><p>IIST is preparing a database after analysing past statistics (related to rainfall, crop pattern etc) and satellite images of the cropping area.</p><p>Based on this data, IIST will develop an app that will forecast the price of crops at the time of harvesting.</p><p>Horticulture Department director Ramesh D S said the app will help farmers make decisions on cultivating crops based on advanced technology like weather forecasts, price forecasts and real-time market trading.</p><p>The government plans to take up a study of two crops initially and scale up based on the feedback.</p><p>The idea for the cell was mooted during the Covid years when farmers of Uttara Kannada found it difficult to sell their pineapples.</p><p>"Pineapple farmers suffered huge losses in 2019-20 as they could not sell their yield to Gujarat, the highest consumer of the fruit. Other growers, who don't have required data to decide on cultivating a crop, face the same problem," said a senior officer. Hence, the government decided to start a cell that could help farmers predict natural vagaries and demand-supply cycle.</p><p>He cited tomato growers who cultivated tomatoes in large areas following bumper prices during July-August. "Had they known that prices would plunge, they would not have cultivated it on such a large scale," he said. Sources in the Horticulture Department told <em>DH</em> that IIST has prepared a detailed project.</p>
<p>The Karnataka government plans to set up a market intelligence cell to help farmers decide on the kind of crop they could grow and predict the probable earnings based on scientific data.</p><p>The state government is collaborating with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram to help farmers select crops that bring them better income.</p><p>IIST is preparing a database after analysing past statistics (related to rainfall, crop pattern etc) and satellite images of the cropping area.</p><p>Based on this data, IIST will develop an app that will forecast the price of crops at the time of harvesting.</p><p>Horticulture Department director Ramesh D S said the app will help farmers make decisions on cultivating crops based on advanced technology like weather forecasts, price forecasts and real-time market trading.</p><p>The government plans to take up a study of two crops initially and scale up based on the feedback.</p><p>The idea for the cell was mooted during the Covid years when farmers of Uttara Kannada found it difficult to sell their pineapples.</p><p>"Pineapple farmers suffered huge losses in 2019-20 as they could not sell their yield to Gujarat, the highest consumer of the fruit. Other growers, who don't have required data to decide on cultivating a crop, face the same problem," said a senior officer. Hence, the government decided to start a cell that could help farmers predict natural vagaries and demand-supply cycle.</p><p>He cited tomato growers who cultivated tomatoes in large areas following bumper prices during July-August. "Had they known that prices would plunge, they would not have cultivated it on such a large scale," he said. Sources in the Horticulture Department told <em>DH</em> that IIST has prepared a detailed project.</p>