‘Agriculture First’ Key to Self-Reliant Jammu Kashmir, Says LG Sinha  | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said the ‘Agriculture First’ policy would be central to building a Developed India and an Aatma-Nirbhar Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that agriculture and allied sectors remain the “ultimate insurance policy” for any developing society.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day Agriculture Summit and Kisan Mela organised by SKUAST-Jammu, the Lieutenant Governor said that despite challenges ranging from climate change to economic uncertainty, agriculture continues to provide stability and prosperity. He stressed that a strong agricultural sector forms the foundation of national resilience, economic advancement and human welfare.

Highlighting the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in farming, Sinha called for affordable and accessible technology tools capable of predicting crop output using weather, soil and crop data. He said such tools would enable small and marginal farmers to plan cultivation strategically. He directed officials, agricultural experts and SKUAST to deploy IoT sensors and satellite imagery to create digital farm models enabling precision irrigation, which he said could reduce water usage by 50 to 60 per cent.

The Lieutenant Governor further advocated the development of farmer-centric AI solutions aimed at increasing yields by 15 to 30 per cent and cutting input costs by up to 50 per cent, while providing real-time data on soil health, crop condition and nutrient requirements. He also called for the establishment of village-level seed banks stocked with climate-resilient local varieties.

Referring to national policy support, Sinha said the Union Home Minister had reiterated the Centre’s commitment to strengthening Jammu and Kashmir’s dairy sector, including prioritising a milk processing capacity of two lakh litres per day through the National Dairy Development Board. He also addressed concerns surrounding recent trade agreements, stating that the Government of India had put in place safeguards to protect farmers’ interests.

The Lieutenant Governor emphasised the need to develop circular farming models in which crop residue is converted into animal feed and organic manure, thereby improving soil health and reducing dependence on external inputs. He also urged the creation of processing facilities in all 20 districts and stronger market linkages for Farmer Producer Organisations to enable value addition and reduce intermediary margins.

On the occasion, Sinha launched the Crop Cultivation Scheme of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. He also inaugurated the Bayer Learning Centre for Advanced Agricultural Learning and Innovation, a Branding Centre and a Pesticide Quality Control Laboratory.

The event included the felicitation of winners of the Startup First Awards under SKUAST-Jammu AgriThon 2.0 and the release of several publications on agriculture and allied sectors. Senior government officials, agricultural scientists, faculty members and farmers were present at the inaugural ceremony.