Pre harvest forecasting of crop yield using non-linear regression modelling: A concept

A reliable and timely forecast of crop production helps in planning, formulation and implementation of policies relating to food procurement, its distribution, price, import and export and for exercising several administrative measures for storage and marketing of agricultural commodities. Thus pre-harvest forecasting of production is required when crop is still standing in the field. An efficient forecasting is thus a pre-requisite for food supply information system at district and state level. The final crop production estimates, though based on objective crop-cutting experiments, are of limited utility as these become available much later after the crop harvest. In view of this, there is a need for developing an objective methodology for pre-harvest forecasting of crop yield..