Farmers’ interests are fully protected in Indo-US trade deal: J&K LG Manoj Sinha

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said that the government of India is implementing robust safeguards to ensure farmers and their production remains unharmed while finalising the Indo-US trade deal.

Seeking to dispell the “misinformation” being spread around the agreement while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Three-day Agriculture Summit and Kisan Mela organised by the Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science & Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, the LG said, “The government of India is resolved to safeguard farmers’ interests in the trade deal.”

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He called for building farmer-centric AI tools that boost yields 15-30%, cut input costs by 50%, and deliver real-time soil, crop health, and nutrient data to small and marginal farmers. “AI-technology will revolutionize agriculture and allied sectors. We need viable, affordable, high-impact solutions designed for small and marginal farmers in J&K UT,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

Dweling on the transformative impact of ‘AI-Powered Advanced Agriculture’, he called for making the technology tools affordable and accessible which can predict output using weather, soil, and crop data so small and marginal farmers can plan their crops strategically. “Technology and Agriculture Development must go hand in hand. Technological progress births new startups, industries and unicorns and fields birth life itself. Technology creates opportunities; agriculture and allied sectors create survival. Strong agriculture means a strong nation. Strong agriculture sector is the foundation of national resilience, advanced economy and human prosperity,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

“Despite relentless tests by challenges — from climate change to economic uncertainty — one truth emerges unscathed that agriculture and allied sectors will keep us stable and our citizens prosperous,” he said.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a future where every plate in the world features at least one Indian dish. The day this milestone is achieved, the agricultural sector will emerge as the largest contributor to a Viksit Bharat,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while chairing a high-level review meeting, during his recent visit to the UT has also reiterated the Government of India’s commitment to boosting the J&K’s dairy sector by prioritizing the 2 lakh litres per day milk processing capacity through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

He also directed the officials and SKUAST to establish village-level seed banks stocked with climate-resilient local varieties. “Scientists and officers must realise that civilization’s fate hangs on every seed sowed in the soil. Agriculture is one of the key sectors that locks in both national advancement and human welfare. It will continue to guarantee progress regardless of global turbulence,” he said.

“Continued focus should be on building processing facilities in all 20 districts and we must connect FPOs directly to consumers for value-added products to capture margins for farmers which is often lost to middlemen,” he further said.