Ganderbal, Sep 19: With climate change increasingly affecting agriculture, farmers in mountainous regions need to be trained in new technologies, including robotics and satellite-based tools, to make farming more resilient and productive, ICAR Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) Professor Dr Rajbir Singh said.
Speaking exclusively to Rising Kashmir after attending an event of SKUAST-K’s KVK in Ganderbal, Singh said the pace of climate change was particularly concerning for mountainous areas and stressed the need to equip farmers with technologies that can help them adapt to changing conditions.
“Climate change is happening at a very fast pace and the biggest loss is in mountainous areas. We have to train farmers to adopt climate-resilient technology,” Singh said.
He said advances in robotics, satellites and digital technology could help farmers carry out agricultural activities in a more scientific and precise manner.
Referring to horticulture, Singh said technology was also being developed to perform tasks such as counting fruits on trees, adding that such innovations could help improve orchard management and productivity.
He said young people could adapt to emerging technologies quickly and their application in fields could bring major changes to the agriculture sector.
“If we talk about digital technology, the whole world has become a village. Similarly, when technology is developed and applied practically, it is going to be very beneficial for farmers,” he said.
Singh also highlighted the need to improve productivity through high-density planting and better planting material. He said the agriculture and horticulture sectors in Kashmir have significant potential, particularly as a large section of the population depends on farming and horticulture for livelihoods.
On complaints about the sale of spurious pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs, Singh urged farmers to insist on bills when purchasing such products.
He said maintaining bills would help establish the authenticity of the inputs and allow farmers to pursue complaints if the products fail to deliver the expected results.
“The farmer should be aware and smart enough to take a bill wherever he purchases fertilizers, pesticides or other inputs so that the matter can be pursued later if the results are not good,” Singh said.
He added that work was also underway to strengthen regulations and ensure stricter action against those involved in adulterating or supplying substandard agricultural inputs.
He said farmer awareness remained an important part of improving agricultural incomes and pointed to awareness campaigns carried out across the country to take information and new technologies closer to farmers.
He said the wider adoption of scientific farming practices, combined with new technologies, could help farmers increase productivity and income while preparing the sector to deal with the growing impact of climate change.
