Gadkari backs AI, drone technology to improve sugarcane farming, cut input costs
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said AI and drones can reduce farming costs, optimise water and fertiliser use, improve disease detection and boost productivity. The Agrovision Foundation will support 5,000 sugarcane farmers and 1,000 orange growers in Vidarbha through technology adoption and farmer training.
Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology can help reduce production costs, improve crop management and increase productivity in agriculture, with a special focus on supporting 5,000 sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.
Speaking at a programme in Nagpur, Gadkari said AI could help farmers optimise water use, reduce fertiliser consumption and detect crop diseases at an early stage, enabling timely intervention and minimising crop losses, Gaon Junction reported.
He said the Agrovision Foundation is working to introduce AI-based farming practices to at least 1,000 orange growers and 5,000 sugarcane farmers in Vidarbha. The initiative aims to assist farmers in crop monitoring, irrigation management and disease surveillance using advanced technologies.
According to Gadkari, AI-driven agriculture has the potential to improve resource efficiency by lowering water consumption and reducing expenditure on fertilisers, while enhancing farm productivity.
The minister stressed that providing technology alone would not be sufficient and called for extensive training programmes to help farmers effectively use AI tools and drones in their fields.
He said the adoption of modern technologies would become successful only if farmers were equipped with the knowledge and practical skills to integrate them into day-to-day farming operations.
Gadkari made the remarks while addressing a function in Nagpur where Rajendra Pawar, Chairman of the Agricultural Development Trust, Baramati, was honoured with the Dr C.D. Mayee Award instituted by the Krishi Vikas Pratishthan.
He praised Rajendra Pawar and the Agricultural Development Trust for promoting technology-based farming and livestock management through farmer training, technical guidance and extension activities.
Gadkari urged that similar technology-led agricultural models be replicated across Vidarbha, saying AI, drones and other advanced technologies would play a key role in making farming more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective in the future.
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Source : ChiniMandi
