Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu wants farm technology designed for the dirt, not the lab. He spoke at the EARITA 2026 conference held at the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, or NERIST. The event focused on artificial intelligence, robotics, and IoT applications for the fields.
Small plots and rugged terrain define Northeast farming. Wangsu warned that models built for massive, flat farms will not work here. Tech must be cheap, accessible, and built to survive difficult conditions. He said, "Technology in agriculture must ultimately serve the farmer."
The minister highlighted specific threats to the region. Research on glacier retreat, permafrost, and changing rain patterns directly impacts crop health. He pushed for smart irrigation and remote sensing to boost efficiency. Innovation must also tackle the back-breaking labor of traditional work. Machinery should make the job safer and more dignified for the operator.
Digital tools cannot become a walled garden for the wealthy. Wangsu cautioned against limiting AI to those with fast internet and high-end gear. He praised new research into low-bandwidth solutions and machine-vision grading to stop post-harvest waste. He believes the farmer of the future should be more than a laborer. "The farmer of the future should not only be a producer. They should also have the opportunity to become a processor, entrepreneur and value creator," he said.
The state aims to blend traditional wisdom with modern science. Wangsu tasked researchers with moving their prototypes out of the conference halls and into the mud. He wants field tests where growers can offer real-time feedback. "Farmers should be able to see the technology, understand it, use it and tell us how it can be improved," he said.
NERIST Director Prof Narendranath S attended the ceremony alongside various scientists and students. Wangsu wants NERIST to lead the charge in creating home-grown solutions. He promised to seek government support for future iterations of the program. The Northeast must evolve from a consumer of technology into a developer of its own farming future.
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