LG Calls for Smart Agriculture, Robotics and Emerging Technologies to Boost Productivity and Help Small Farmers
SRINAGAR, OCT 5 (KNC): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday stressed the need for closer collaboration between artificial intelligence and human intelligence to address emerging challenges confronting agriculture and horticulture, including climate change, limited resources and the need for sustainable farming.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the inaugural session of the international symposium on “AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming” held at the Shalimar Convention Centre of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Kashmir.
Sinha said agriculture could no longer depend solely on conventional methods and stressed the adoption of advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics and innovative farming solutions to enhance productivity while reducing pressure on natural resources.
“Artificial intelligence and human intelligence should work together,” the Lieutenant Governor said, underlining the importance of combining technological capabilities with human experience and expertise.
He said the agriculture sector was facing multiple challenges and that solutions developed through emerging technologies must ultimately benefit farmers and society.
“With limited resources, we won’t be able to produce more. We need to find out how we can protect agriculture from the effects of climate change and make agriculture and horticulture sustainable,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed hope that the international symposium would provide a platform for experts, researchers, scientists and innovators to deliberate on practical applications of AI, robotics and other emerging technologies in farming.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was an appropriate venue for discussions on the future of agriculture, considering its rich agricultural traditions and the challenges faced by farming communities over generations.
Sinha also highlighted the critical contribution of women to the agricultural sector, stressing that innovations led by women engineers and researchers should move beyond academic discussions and be converted into practical solutions benefiting farming communities.
Referring to labour force data, he observed that a substantial number of rural women were engaged in agriculture, while many continued to contribute significantly to the sector without receiving adequate remuneration.
The Lieutenant Governor called for the development of inclusive smart-farming technologies that address the requirements of small and marginal farmers and women working in agriculture.
He emphasised that technological advancement in farming should not remain limited to large-scale or commercially viable operations, but should reach ordinary farmers and strengthen their productivity, income and resilience against climate-related challenges.
The symposium is aimed at bringing together experts and stakeholders to explore the potential of AI, robotics and next-generation technologies in transforming agriculture and preparing the sector for future challenges.(KNC)
