Rajasthan needs champion farmers, AI outreach and alternative farming models to combat water crisis: Experts

Alwar : Rajasthan's worsening groundwater depletion cannot be addressed through water conservation measures alone and will require urgent action on soil health, nutrient management, quality farm inputs, farmer awareness, and adoption of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, experts said at an agriculture conference at Krishi Vigyan Kendra on Tuesday. Calling for a multi-pronged approach to safeguard the state's agricultural future, experts stressed the need to create a network of "champion farmers" who can drive behavioural change at the grassroots level, while warning against the growing threat posed by counterfeit seeds and pesticides to farm productivity and sustainability. The observations were made during the Regional Policy Dialogue on ‘Strengthening Sustainable & Water-Smart Agriculture in Rajasthan’ organised at ICAR-KVK Alwar-II, Bansur, under the Sustainable Agriculture Summit & Awards 2026 initiative by Sustainability Matters, IndiAgri, and ACTION (Alliance for Change, Transformation, and Innovation). The participants included Saurabh Garg, Assistant Director, Agriculture (Extension), Behror; Leelaram Jat, Deputy Director, Horticulture, Kotputli; Dr Sushil Kumar Sharma, Soil Science Expert, ICAR-KVK Bansur; Dr Premchand Garhwal, Horticulture Expert, ICAR-KVK Bansur; Deepak Jakhar, AGM, NABARD; Arvind Kumar Jat, CEO, Pragatisheel Mustard Producer Company Limited; progressive farmer Dharmveer Yadav; and Dr Navneet Anand, Executive Director, Sustainability Matters. Dr Sharma...