India, Feb. 29 -- Study looks into farmers' behaviour based on forecast information, insurance in 250 Telangana villages

Can a highly accurate weather forecast change farmers' stated beliefs about monsoon onset and impact their agricultural behaviour and investment decisions? According to new research, the answer is yes.

Providing farmers with highly accurate information (at least four to six weeks ahead) about the onset of monsoons can lead to a change in their behaviours over how much to plant, what to plant or whether to plant at all, making such forecasts an important climate adaptation tool for the agricultural sector, new research done in two districts of Telangana has shown.

The researchers from University of Chicago tracked far...