Jammu, Feb 11 (JKNS): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated the three-day Agriculture Summit and Kisan Mela at SKUAST-Jammu, asserting that an “Agriculture First” policy is key to building a Developed India and an Aatma-Nirbhar Jammu & Kashmir, while pitching for large-scale integration of Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies in the farm sector.
As per news agency JKNS, Sinha highlighted that the ‘Agriculture First’ Policy will ensure Developed India and Aatma-Nirbhar Jammu Kashmir.
He emphasised that agriculture and allied sectors is the ultimate insurance policy that no developing society or nation can afford to ignore.
“Despite relentless tests by challenges- from climate change to economic uncertainty- one truth emerges unscathed that agriculture & allied sectors will keep us stable and our citizens prosperous,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Three-day Agriculture Summit and Kisan Mela organised by SKUAST, Jammu.
In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor spoke on transformative impact of ‘AI-Powered Advanced Agriculture’. He called for making the technology tools affordable and accessible which can predict output using weather, soil, and crop data so small and marginal farmers can plan their crops strategically.
“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.
The Lieutenant Governor, in his address, 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.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra 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 Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, while chairing a high-level review meeting, during his recent visit to the UT has 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 further 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 further said.
Addressing the misinformation being spread around the recent trade deal and trade agreement, the Lieutenant Governor stated that the Government of India is resolved to safeguarding Farmers’ Interests. He said that the Government of India is implementing robust safeguards to ensure farmers and their production remains unharmed.
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.
Shri Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments; Shri Atal Dullo, Chief Secretary; Shri 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. (JKNS)