Jammu, Feb 11 (KNO): Asserting that “Agriculture First” policy will ensure a developed India and Aatma-Nirbhar Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Wednesday reiterated the Centre is committed to safeguard the interests of farmers.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Agriculture Summit and Kisan Mela at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, here, LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), while dispelling the misinformation being spread around the recent trade deal and trade agreement, said, “The Government of India is resolved to safeguarding farmers’ Interests. The Centre is implementing robust safeguards to ensure farmers and their production remains unharmed.”
He said, “Despite relentless tests from climate change to economic uncertainty, one truth remains unscathed—agriculture and allied sectors will keep the nation stable and its citizens prosperous.”
“Technology and Agriculture Development must go hand in hand. Technological progress births new startups, industries and unicorns and fields birth life itself. Technology creates opportunities; agriculture and allied sectors create survival. Strong agriculture means a strong nation. Strong agriculture sector is the foundation of national resilience, advanced economy and human prosperity,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He extended his heartfelt gratitude to the agricultural scientists and the farming community, attributing the India’s emergence as global top performer in agriculture and allied sectors to their relentless hard work and innovation.
“PM Modi has envisioned a future where every plate in the world features at least one Indian dish. The day this milestone is achieved, the agricultural sector will emerge as the largest contributor to a Viksit Bharat,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor stated that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while chairing a high-level review meeting, during his recent visit to the UT also reiterated the Government of India's commitment to boosting the J&K’s dairy sector by prioritizing the 2 lakh liters per day milk processing capacity through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).”
The Lieutenant Governor directed officials, SKUAST and experts to deploy IoT sensors and satellite imagery to create digital farm twins which will enable precision irrigation that slashes water use by 50-60%.
He called for building farmer-centric AI tools that boost yields 15-30%, cut input costs by 50%, and deliver real-time soil, crop health, and nutrient data to small and marginal farmers.
“AI-technology will revolutionize agriculture and allied sectors. We need viable, affordable, high-impact solutions designed for small and marginal farmers in J&K UT,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed the officials and SKUAST to establish village-level seed banks stocked with climate-resilient local varieties
“Scientists and officers must realise that civilization's fate hangs on every seed sowed in the soil. Agriculture is one of the key sectors that locks in both national advancement and human welfare. It will continue to guarantee progress regardless of global turbulence,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor laid special emphasis on creating circular farming models where crop waste becomes high-protein animal feed and manure returns as organic fertilizer-boosting soil health on-site, eliminating external inputs.
“Continued focus should be on building processing facilities in all 20 districts and we must connect FPOs directly to consumers for value-added products to capturing margins for farmers which is often lost to middlemen,” he said.
Highlighting the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, the Lieutenant Governor said AI technology is set to revolutionize agriculture and allied sectors. He stressed the need for viable, affordable and high-impact technological solutions tailored for small and marginal farmers in the Union Territory.
He directed officials, SKUAST scientists and experts to deploy Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and satellite imagery to create “digital farm twins” that would enable precision irrigation and slash water usage by 50 to 60 percent. He also called for the development of farmer-centric AI tools capable of boosting yields by 15 to 30 percent, cutting input costs by 50 percent, and delivering real-time soil, crop health and nutrient data directly to farmers.
“Make technology affordable and accessible so that small and marginal farmers can predict output using weather, soil and crop data and plan their crops strategically,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Emphasizing sustainability, he directed SKUAST and concerned departments to establish village-level seed banks stocked with climate-resilient local varieties. He also advocated the creation of circular farming models where crop waste is converted into high-protein animal feed and manure is returned as organic fertilizer to boost soil health and reduce dependency on external inputs.
“Civilization’s fate hangs on every seed sown in the soil. Agriculture is one of the key sectors that locks in both national advancement and human welfare. It will continue to guarantee progress regardless of global turbulence,” he observed.
He called for the establishment of processing facilities across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir and urged that Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) be directly connected to consumers for value-added products to help farmers capture margins often lost to middlemen.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor launched the Crop Cultivation Scheme by Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
He also inaugurated several facilities including Bayer Learning Centre for Advanced Agricultural Learning & Innovation, Branding Centre and Pesticide Quality Control Laboratory.
The event also featured the felicitation of winners of Startup first awards under SKUAST-Jammu AgriThon 2.0 and release of various publications on agriculture and allied sectors.
Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments; Atal Dullo, Chief Secretary; Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Prof. B. N. Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu; Padma Shri Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Professor Emeritus and Former Director IARI, New Delhi; Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu; Heads of Departments, agri-scientists, experts, faculty members, progressive farmers, various stakeholders and senior officials attended the inaugural ceremony—(KNO)