Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) in India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to establish the “JFarm Adaptive Agriculture Research & Extension Centre” at the ICRISAT campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
TAFE inaugurated JFarm in 1964 as a CSR initiative committed to empowering farmers through research-driven solutions and training. With expansions in Bhawanimandi (2016), and through public–private partnerships, JFarm established the ‘JFarm and Product Training Centre’ with agricultural universities PJTSAU, Telangana (2019) and the ‘JFarm and Mechanisation Centre’ with VNMKV, Maharashtra (2023). Taking this vision global, TAFE has partnered with ICRISAT under the Centre of Excellence for South–South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) to drive innovation exchange and agri-development across the Global South.
The JFarm Adaptive Research Center at Hyderabad, will leverage ICRISAT’s innovations such as the machine-harvestable chickpea with TAFE’s farm-mechanization 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 mechanized agriculture and extending these advances throughout the Global South.
Sustainable agriculture practices
The Centre will focus on educating farmers on sustainable agriculture practices, focusing on soil conservation and efficient water use through dedicated infrastructure. It will promote scale-appropriate mechanization in agriculture, with special emphasis on crop-residue processing. It aims to encourage farmers toward agricultural service models and entrepreneurship, and facilitate lab-to-land transfer of appropriate agro-technologies. The center will also demonstrate integrated mechanization models and provide training to farmers in the operation and servicing of tractors, equipment, and machinery. It will showcase the successful Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Digital Custom Hiring model of JFarm Services, enabling mechanization access without equipment ownership. Additionally, the center will act as a platform bringing together industry experts, start-ups, institutions, and farmers.
Diverse needs of farming
Speaking about the event, Dr. 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 recognize and believe that knowledge-sharing is key to widespread adoption of mechanization. With ICRISAT’s expertise, we are confident in effectively disseminating these advancements to the last-mile farmer.”
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, added, “Mechanization is pivotal in modern agriculture, and without progress in this area, we cannot achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). This collaboration goes beyond just promoting mechanization, it’s about advancing research to reduce chemical inputs, labor dependency, and environmental impact. Our vision extends beyond India, we aim to also scale these innovations across Africa.”
