SRINAGAR, Oct 5: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called for greater synergy between artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence to address emerging challenges in agriculture and horticulture, including climate change, resource constraints and sustainability.
Addressing the inaugural session of the international symposium on “AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming” at the Shalimar Convention Centre of SKUAST-Kashmir, Sinha said AI and human intelligence must work together to develop practical solutions for the farming sector.
He stressed the need for technological innovations that directly benefit farmers and society at large, saying the challenges facing agriculture could not be addressed using conventional tools alone.
“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,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Sinha expressed hope that the symposium would contribute to the development of solutions using AI, robotics and other emerging technologies to improve agricultural productivity while optimising the use of resources.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was an appropriate venue for discussions on the future of agriculture, given its rich farming traditions and the challenges faced by farmers over generations.
The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted the significant contribution of women to the agricultural sector and called for greater focus on women-led engineering innovations that can be translated into practical solutions.
Referring to labour force data, Sinha said a significant proportion of rural women were engaged in agriculture, while many continued to contribute to the sector without adequate remuneration.
He called for innovations in smart farming, AI and robotics to be inclusive and tailored to the needs of small and marginal farmers, as well as women engaged in agriculture.
