Kisan Drones
Adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones offers enormous potential to revolutionise Indian agriculture by helping farmers address the challenges of water scarcity, pests, and diseases. The growing use of drones in agriculture are primarily driven by the increasing adoption of precision farming techniques and the growing demand for organic and sustainable farming. The use of drones in agriculture can help to:
- Increase crop yields
- Improve crop quality
- Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers
- Reduce labour costs
- Improve farm management
Drones can be used for a variety of agricultural activities, including:
- Spraying pesticides and fertilizers on crops which will reduce the use of labour and improve the accuracy of spraying.
- Collecting data on soil health which can be used to improve fertilizer and irrigation practices.
- Monitoring crops for pests, diseases, and water stress enabling the farmers to take timely action to protect their crops.
- Collecting data on individual fields which enables precision farming or customized farming plans for each field.
Government Initiatives
The Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for 2022-23 said that the use of ‘Kisan Drones’ will be promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients. Subsequently, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 19, 2022, launched Kisan Drones at 100 places across the country.
In November 2023, the Government launched NAMO Drone Didi Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 1,261 crores to empower women Self Help Groups (SHGs) by providing them drones on subsidised price along with free of cost training to fly drones. A subsidy of 80% of drone cost or a maximum of Rs. 8 Lakh is provided under this scheme with a nominal interest of 3% payable on the loan.
Women SHGs can rent the drone to farmers for spraying of pesticides or fertilizers in agriculture fields and can earn a minimum additional income of Rs. 1 Lakh per year. The scheme aims to equip 15,000 SHGs with drones for rental services to farmers for applying fertilisers and pesticides.
Funds for Kisan Drones
(i) Under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), financial assistance @ 100% of the cost of drone up to a maximum of Rs. 10 lakhs per drone is provided for purchase of drones for their demonstration by institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, KrishiVigyanKendras (KVKs), State Agriculture Universities (SAUs), State and other Central Government Agricultural Institutions/Departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of Government of India engaged in agricultural activities.
(ii) The Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) are provided grants up to 75% of the cost of agriculture drone for its demonstrations on the farmers’ fields.
(iii)A contingency expenditure of Rs. 6,000 per hectare is provided to the implementing agencies that do not want to purchase drones but will hire drones for demonstrations from Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), Hi-tech Hubs, Drone Manufacturers and Start-Ups.
(iv) In order to make available drone services to farmers on rental basis, financial assistance @ 40% up to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs are provided for purchase of drones by CHCs under Cooperative Society of Farmers, FPOs and Rural entrepreneurs.
(v) Agriculture graduates establishing CHCs are eligible to receive financial assistance @ 50% of the cost of drone up to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakhs per drone.
(vi) For purchase of drones on individual ownership basis, the Small and Marginal, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe, Women and North Eastern State farmers are provided financial assistance @ 50% of the cost up to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakhs and other farmers @ 40% up to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs.