Emerging tech can make farming profitable, opine scientists at symposium in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD:  Suggesting that smart agriculture, vertical farming, digital agriculture, application of machine learning in agriculture and robotic operations were needed to be encouraged on a large scale, Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) president Dr RK Mittal on Thursday advised scientists to look at alternative agricultural methods to ensure food security for India’s growing population.  
Mittal was addressing the two-day 14th National Symposium on “Creating Enabling Ecosystem in Agricultural Universities for Agritech innovations: Challenges and Opportunities,” that commenced at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) on Thursday.S Siva Kumar, Group Head of Agri and IT Business, ITC Ltd, the guest of honor, said that the technology being given to the farmers needed to enhance their income and increase productivity in all aspects, and ensure remunerative prices.  

M Raghunandan Rao, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Co-operation Department, who was the chief guest, suggested the IAUA members (V-Cs, Deans and Directors) to put in efforts to make emerging technologies available to small and marginal farmers in the State, unlike the western countries where only big farmers could avail such technologies. 

“This symposium has to create an enabling environment for implementation of emerging technologies in agriculture at large,” he expressed. Several publications were released during the event, cash prizes and certificates of merit were distributed to students who participated in the innovative idea competitions conducted by the Aghub.