LG Sinha urges agri engineers to develop affordable tech for small farmers

Ziraat Times Team Report

SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 05: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called upon agricultural engineers and innovators to develop affordable and practical technologies that can work under real field conditions and benefit small and marginal farmers.

Addressing the 60th Annual Convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE), co-hosted by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, Sinha said the success of agricultural technology should not be measured only through patents or research publications, but by its long-term impact on farmers.

“Create technology that can endure in real fields, under real monsoon conditions, and within the limited budgets of real farmers. Do not measure your success solely by patents or published research papers. Measure it by whether, five years later, a small farmer in Anantnag, Amritsar or Akola is genuinely better off because of your tools,” he said.

Sinha congratulated ISAE on completing six decades of service and commended SKUAST-Kashmir for its role among India’s leading agricultural universities.

He said the convention’s themes—Women-Led Engineering Innovations in Smart Farming and AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming—were particularly relevant as India moves from addressing food security challenges towards assuming a greater leadership role in global agriculture.

The Lieutenant Governor said Jammu & Kashmir, with its rich agricultural heritage and challenging terrain, provided an appropriate setting for discussions on the future of agricultural engineering.

Women’s leadership in agricultural technology

Highlighting the role of women in agriculture, Sinha said nearly 64% to 76% of the rural female workforce is engaged in farming and allied activities, often without wages or land ownership.

He called for greater support to women innovators and their leadership in agricultural technology.

“Women-led start-ups in agricultural technology should receive financing with the same confidence with which any other start-up is provided the necessary support and facilities,” he said.

He called upon institutions and private-sector stakeholders to establish laboratories, fellowships and incubation platforms to support young women engineers and scientists, particularly those from rural areas.

He said engineering colleges and agricultural universities should actively nurture women innovators and help them progress from ideas to market-ready products.

AI, robotics must remain affordable and accessible

Sinha stressed that artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture must be developed with affordability and accessibility at their core.

He noted that small and marginal farmers account for nearly 86% of India’s farming community and said technological innovations should not remain limited to farmers with large landholdings.

He called for agricultural tools that can operate on ordinary smartphones in low-bandwidth rural areas and advocated collective ownership and leasing models through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

“I urge the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, SKUAST-Kashmir, and every young engineer and innovator to develop tools with affordability and access at their core,” he said.

Citing drones, IoT-based sensors and machine-learning models, the Lieutenant Governor said emerging technologies were already transforming agriculture but stressed the need to focus on solutions that can withstand real-world conditions.

“Create instruments that work not only on cloud infrastructure, but also on an ordinary smartphone in a low-bandwidth village in Reasi,” he said.

He also suggested developing robotic equipment that could be leased through FPOs or collectively owned by farming communities.

Focus on climate change and sustainable farming

Recalling the contribution of agricultural scientists and engineers to the Green Revolution, Sinha said mechanisation and technological innovations had helped increase agricultural productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.

He urged the younger generation to draw inspiration from these achievements while developing solutions to contemporary challenges, including climate change, resource scarcity and sustainable farming.

Sinha said Jammu & Kashmir’s Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) could serve as a replicable model for other states and expressed confidence that agricultural scientists and engineers from across India would learn from the Union Territory’s experience in precision agriculture and sustainable resource management.

On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor also felicitated recipients of ISAE awards.

Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Javid Ahmad Dar; Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma; SKUAST-Kashmir Vice Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai; ISAE President Dr SN Jha; Prof VP Singh of Texas A&M University; ISAE Secretary General Dr PK Sahoo; Convention Convener Prof Rohitashw Kumar; Organising Secretary Dr Mudasir Ali; and members of ISAE, researchers, academicians, technocrats, innovators, industry leaders, faculty and students were present.