Agriculture needs more automation to make it a lucrative business

The need now is to promote novel and state-of-the-art technologies, such as geospatial programming and artificial intelligence, to optimise farm productivity

The decline in the prices of agricultural machinery, thanks to the recent cut in goods and services tax (GST) from 12-18 per cent to 5 per cent, is expected to impart the much-needed impetus to mechanisation in Indian agriculture. Doing field work mechanically, rather than manually, is warranted not merely to lessen dependence on human labour, which is turning scarce due to unabated migration from rural areas, but more so to ensure greater precision in farm operations to boost productivity and profitability. It also mitigates drudgery in farm work, which is driving the rural youth away from farming.