Under the MoU, TAFE will establish the “JFarm Adaptive Agriculture Research and Extension Centre” at the ICRISAT campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
Established in 1964, alongside the establishment of TAFE, on a barren, marginally rain-fed scrub land near Chennai, JFarm is an adaptive agri-research centre spread over 200 acres of land, dedicated to the memory of the Amalgamations Group’s founder, S. Anantharamakrishnan.
The JFarm adaptive research and extension centre in Hyderabad will leverage ICRISAT’s ground-breaking innovations, such as the machine-harvestable chickpea, with TAFE’s farm-mechanisation expertise to validate research across diverse ecologies and crops, while championing gender and social inclusion.
“The partnership is committed to accelerating India’s transition to sustainable, fully mechanised agriculture and extending these advances throughout the Global South,” said a release from TAFE.
The Centre will focus on educating farmers on sustainable agriculture practices, focusing on soil conservation and efficient water use through dedicated infrastructure. The centre will also demonstrate integrated mechanisation models and provide training to farmers in the operation and servicing of tractors, equipment and machinery.
It will showcase farmer-to-farmer (F2F) digital custom hiring model of JFarm Services, enabling mechanisation access without equipment ownership. Additionally, the centre will perform as a platform bringing together industry experts, start-ups, institutions and farmers.
T R Kesavan, Group president and a member of TAFE’s board, said, “Our goal is to implement precision agriculture while safeguarding land and water resources. We have a deep understanding of the diverse needs of the farming community. We recognise and believe that knowledge sharing is key to widespread adoption of mechanisation. With ICRISAT’s expertise, we are confident in effectively disseminating these advancements to the last-mile farmer.”
Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, said, “Mechanisation is pivotal in modern agriculture and without progress in this area, we cannot achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat (developed India). This collaboration is beyond just promoting mechanization. It’s about advancing research to reduce chemical inputs, labour dependency and environmental impact. Our vision extends beyond India. we aim to scale these innovations across Africa.”
