Terming the drone technology-related proposals for the agricultural sector in the Union Budget 2022 as revolutionary, home-grown unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) specialist Paras Aerospace said the progressive measures will eliminate social barriers in the agricultural sector across the country, especially among the marginal and small farmers.
“We are delighted with the introduction of drone tech to the farming sector. Kisan drones can eliminate the risky trend of spraying insecticides on crops, reduce the cost of farming and enhance the yield for farmers at a fraction of the cost,” said Pankaj Akula, CEO of Paras Aerospace, which has several farmer-friendly drones in its product portfolio.
At present, aerial spraying of insecticides and pesticides in India is restricted. Moreover, farmers have to spray the insecticides or nutrients themselves as well as through labor, which is expensive and risky. “Imagine, if a village comes together to hire a drone to spray insecticide or nutrients, the job will be done in less time and lesser cost, reduced by as much as 50% of the current practice,” pointed out Pankaj.
Abolition of manual labor in spraying pesticides is a big step in reducing the social barriers, according to Pankaj, who said the scope for Kisan drones is immense, as it has the potential to improve the socio-economic conditions of the farming community.
Drones can be deployed at every stage of farming, starting from analyzing and conducting a feasibility study of growing a particular crop. Drones can be used for digital scouting of crops to identify insect-infested areas in 30 minutes unlike the present whole day required to spot crops infected by pests. Subsequently, an aerial spray of nutrients or leaf supplements can be carried out in a few minutes.
“The government has unlocked the true potential of drone technology for farmers and it is a viable option. We are excited with the opportunity presented to indigenous companies like Paras,” added Pankaj.
