ICAR–NIVEDI and IMD Signs MoU to Strengthen Climate-Based Livestock Disease Forecasting

16 September 2025, New Delhi

ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, during the Brainstorming and Strategy Workshop on Developing Weather-Driven Advisories for Horticulture, Livestock, Poultry, and Inland Fisheries Sectors held today at Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi.

The agreement marks a major step in integrating IMD’s climate data into ICAR-NIVEDI’s forecasting system (NADRES), aimed at improving the accuracy of livestock disease predictions and enhancing the granularity of advisories from district to block level. This will help in better prediction, prevention, and management of livestock diseases, ultimately supporting farmers’ income and resilience.

On the occasion, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES, said ‘IMD is fully committed to sharing weather data and climate services with ICAR organizations. By combining our strengths, we can deliver accurate, science-based advisories that not only help prevent livestock losses but also build resilience and improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers.’

Dr. Baldev Raj Gulati, Director, ICAR–NIVEDI, stated that our collaborative efforts with IMD will greatly enhance the prediction and prevention of livestock diseases. This will not only safeguard animal health but also contribute to improving farmers’ income and strengthening the livestock- based rural economy.”

In his concluding remarks at the workshop, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, Meteorology, IMD, assured full cooperation to ICAR-NIVEDI by sharing API- based meteorological information to strengthen forecasting of livestock diseases, thereby ensuring timely and precise advisories for farmers.’

During the brainstorming session, the experts presented a roadmap of initiatives under this collaboration, including strategies for strengthening NADRES with IMD inputs and a proposal to establish an automatic weather station at ICAR-NIVEDI.

(Source: ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru)