Pune: Jayant Patil, MLA and member of the Board of Trustees of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), who also chairs the institute’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee, has stated that AI is poised to revolutionize the agricultural sector. He emphasized that artificial intelligence will prove highly beneficial for agriculture in the near future.
Currently, the availability of sugarcane has become a pressing issue for several sugar mills across Maharashtra. According to Patil, the adoption of AI technology can help address this shortfall effectively. He expressed confidence that the sugar industry will thrive in the coming years with the help of such advanced solutions.
Patil urged sugar mills to take responsibility for introducing AI to farmers. He stressed the importance of using modern technologies like AI to boost farmers’ incomes and reduce production costs. VSI, he said, has already committed to guiding 10,000 farmers in the initial phase. This move is expected to inspire more farmers across the state to adopt AI tools. With this technology, sugarcane yield can reportedly increase by 30 to 45 percent at a relatively low cost, significantly supporting the growth of Maharashtra’s sugar industry.
The state government has also allocated fund for the implementation of AI in agriculture, reflecting its belief in the technology’s potential to benefit farmers. Patil noted that efforts are underway to expand the reach of AI not just to farmers in Maharashtra but across the country.
To begin the promotion and use of AI in sugarcane production, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Vasantdada Sugar Institute and the Agricultural Development Trust, Baramati. The agreement was signed by Nilesh Nalavade and Shankarrao Magar from the Agricultural Development Trust, and by Jayant Patil and VSI Director General Sambhaji Kadu-Patil on behalf of VSI. An informational booklet on artificial intelligence was also released during the event.
Prominent leaders and dignitaries present included VSI President and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories President Harshavardhan Patil, West Indian Sugar Mills Association President B.B. Thombre, State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Chairman P.R. Patil, former Minister Balasaheb Patil, Vidhyadhar Anaskar from the Agricultural Development Trust, along with officials from various cooperative institutions, experts, and scientists.
