‘Students must research on AI-based farming to bring down the cost of labour’

Apoorva emphasizes AI in farming to reduce labor costs; VIT leaders stress need for increased productivity in agriculture.

“Students should conduct research on artificial intelligence-based farming which will bring down the cost of labour in agriculture,” said Apoorva, Principal Secretary and Agricultural Production Commissioner, Agriculture-Farmers Welfare Department on Saturday at Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore.

Speaking at the Uzhavar Kalanjiyam 2024 farmers meet organised by VIT, she said, “As farmers adapt well to technology, students should conduct research on how to use artificial intelligence in agriculture to bring down the cost of labour.”

Pointing out that mechanisation in farming had become the need of the hour, Ms. Apoorva said that the farmers need to increase the productivity of crops. She stressed that the State government had come up with a lot of policies to increase productivity in the agricultural sector.

“We are an old civilisation. We have been in the farming sector for several generations and will continue to do so in the future,” Ms. Apoorva said. She also called upon farmers practising organic farming to create awareness about it among others.

Founder and Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) Dr. G. Viswanathan said that governments and people had to work together to preserve water bodies. “We have to increase productivity in the agriculture sector and make agriculture profitable. We have to compete with other countries in terms of increase in productivity and production in the agriculture sector,” he added.

VIT Vice-Presidents Mr. Sankar Viswanathan and Dr. G.V. Selvam, Vice-Chancellor Dr. V.S. Kanchana Bhaaskaran, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr. Partha Sharathi Mallick, Registrar Dr. T. Jayabarathi and Dr. S. Babu, Dean, VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL) were present at the meet.