HYDERABAD: While agriculture is becoming increasingly complex, there seems to be a dearth of solutions to tackle increasing costs, labour shortage and climate change. However, a 20-year-old grassroots inventor from Suryapet is breaking the barriers to innovation and has already come up with nine products to help farmers.
Hailing from an agricultural background, Ashok Gorre began his journey in innovation during sixth grade, starting with basic tools and progressing to designing machinery that is useful for farmers. His inventions, such as the four-in-one cycle weeder, paddy hand weeder, seeds sowing tool and spraying machines, have gained appreciation from all around.
His remarkable achievements have earned him numerous national and international medals, and most recently, he was honoured with the Young Rural Innovator Award at the Global Indian Scientist Technocrats (GIST) event held in June. Ashok is the sole recipient representing both Telugu states.
Speaking to TNIE, Ashok says, “In today’s times, finding daily labourers for field work, especially for small farmers who own a few acres of land, has become a challenging task. Hence, there is an urgent need for technological intervention in agriculture. While several companies and individuals offer advanced technologies like drones for agricultural purposes, they are not economically or easily accessible options for many rural farmers. Therefore, my goal is to provide affordable tools and machinery that are energy and time-efficient for marginal and small-scale farmers.”
Ashok actively seeks feedback from farmers who have used his products and modifies them accordingly to meet their specific needs. One of his innovations, the seed-sowing tool, has already assisted approximately 200 farmers in the local community.
“From developing tools to machinery, I have acquired knowledge through self-learning via online resources, relevant content on the internet, books, and, most importantly, through hands-on experience. In the future, my aim is to develop automated machines,” he adds.
Additionally, Ashok aspires to train rural youth, students and college dropouts by offering short-term courses and organising workshops. “These skill development courses will not only provide employment opportunities to the locals but also ensure that basic technologies reach the rural areas of our State.
I also plan to establish an R&D centre in our village, Anjanipuram, to further develop my skills, share my knowledge, and generate new ideas. To successfully implement these plans, support and investment are required,” the young innovator shares.
In July, Ashok is set to visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a public land-grant research university in the US to attend the annual meeting of the American Society for Agricultural Biological Engineers (ASABE). The conference will see participation from over 100 countries, and Ashok will be the sole representative from India.