Agrometeorological services are being upgraded, becoming more frequent and more immediately available, said the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panagiotou, speaking at a press conference on Monday, for the presentation of the new Agrometeorological Services of the Department of Meteorology, together with the Director of the Department of Meteorology, Philippos Tymvios.
Ms. Panayiotou emphasized that the goal is for information to reach the farmer in a timely, reliable and useful manner, exactly when he needs it, and that they are working on developing a special application (app) for mobile devices, which will collect and make all useful information for producers immediately and easily accessible.
"The upgraded Agrometeorological Bulletin and the digital platform-website that accompanies it are now made available to hardworking people, our farmers, responding to the ever-increasing needs of an agriculture that is being tested by extreme phenomena and climate uncertainty," said the Minister.
He added that the upgraded agro-meteorological services offered by the Department of Meteorology are the product of substantial cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and the "Eratosthenes" Research Center of Excellence.
He stated that agrometeorological services are aimed at farmers, livestock breeders, agronomists, organized groups, as well as political authorities. They are applied to a wide range of agricultural activities: from planting and fertilization, irrigation to the protection of production from extreme weather events.
Saying that agro-meteorological services are being upgraded, becoming more frequent and more immediately available, he explained that the relevant Bulletin is now issued weekly instead of monthly, providing more and more timely data for the planning of agricultural activity.
At the same time, however, she said, and for even more direct access, producers also have at their disposal the new official website, which is updated twice a day with updated forecasts and data in almost real time. Our goal, the Minister pointed out, is for information to reach the farmer in a timely, reliable and useful way, exactly when he needs it.
In addition, he said that targeted and customized forecasts are offered per geographical area, now based on information from 12 basic reference stations. “The producer will be able to find even more meteorological information from the entire network of stations of the Department of Meteorology, a network that is planned to gradually expand to cover even more rural areas,” he said.
The Minister of Agriculture noted that for the first time, producers also have at their disposal specialized plant protection instructions adapted to the six main crops of our country, namely olives, vines, citrus fruits, potatoes, deciduous and wheat and barley. At the same time, practical advice is given to farmers depending on the weather conditions of the coming days and depending on the crop.
Furthermore, more complete data analysis will be provided for temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and wind, as well as early forecasting of hazards such as frost, drought and hail, said Ms. Panayiotou.
In addition, he said, a new element is added, evapotranspiration, which helps the farmer know in combination with other data when and how much to water. “This is an indicator that shows the rate at which water is ‘lost’ from the soil and plants due to evaporation and transpiration. It is a valuable tool, especially today when our country's water balance is under pressure. Based on the forecast for next week's evapotranspiration, farmers can accurately plan irrigation, save water and improve the efficiency of their production,” he explained.
He continued by saying that in the immediate future, within May, at the initiative of the Department of Meteorology and in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, an organized information and contact with producers will begin, with organized tours per province, always in collaboration with agricultural organizations with the aim, on the one hand, of informing about the new agro-meteorological services and, on the other hand, of educating farmers in the correct use of information, so that they can interpret the data, adapt their practices and make timely, documented decisions for the cultivation and protection of their production, based on weather conditions.
"However, our effort does not stop here. We are already working on the next step: the development of a special application (app) for mobile devices, which will gather and make all useful information for our producers immediately and easily accessible," said the Minister.
In his greeting, the Director of the Meteorology Department, Philippos Tymvios, said that the Agrometeorological Bulletin and the accompanying website constitute the foundation upon which we will continue to build and that the gradual expansion of the station network, the inclusion of additional crops and the enhancement of the Bulletin's content with practical information, depending on the needs of farmers, are planned.
At the same time, he said, we are promoting artificial intelligence solutions for the development of specialized forecast models with local characteristics. “We are already working on the prediction of critical parameters, such as the minimum temperature, and the issuance of automated frost warnings, tools that can be decisive in protecting production,” he said.
He pointed out that the Agrometeorological Bulletin does not aspire to replace agronomists or other professionals in the sector.
On the contrary, he said, it comes to offer new tools to experts and to empower the farmer with awareness of the meteorological conditions in the coming days for the area of interest to him, so that he can either make decisions on his own for simple actions, or — in more critical circumstances — turn to his scientific colleagues with a more complete picture and preparation.
He said that the Department of Meteorology, in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, will seek to reach out to producers, in their own communities, and make every effort to provide guidance and education. “Knowledge must reach where it is needed, in an understandable and practical way,” he concluded.
