ATM News Network: FMC Corporation, an agro-science company, has launched a drone spraying services for farmers in India. Drone service has been approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is responsible for regulating air transport services in India. Drone services will help improve farm productivity by reducing the need for manual labour.
Drone spraying services can be initiated through the FMC India Farmer app, which operates in seven regional Indian languages. This service is currently available in Andhra Pradesh. Service will be available in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra by the end of the month.
Chairman of FMC India, Ravi Annavarpu, said, "Drones are expected to account for 2 percent of the country's total agricultural machinery expenditure by the end of 2030 as technology advances in the agricultural sector. This pilot phase will leverage FMC's global knowledge and expertise in drone applications for Indian farmers. We plan to expand our reach to Indian farmers in select states in the first three months. We will then expand the service to farmers across the country before the start of the next Kharif season."
Agricultural Unmanned Aerial Vehicles help in uniform spraying over the considered area. These drones also improve accuracy when spraying FMC's Coragen® and Benevia® brands of pesticides. Each spraying drone is capable of spraying 3-4 acres in 15-20 minutes. It makes pesticide spraying, easier and faster. Using this will protect farmers from environmental hazards like heat stroke.
Annavarpu added, Our efforts are always towards providing innovative solutions to farmers so, they can sustainably increase production. We will provide drone technology, training and financing to promote rural entrepreneurship. Additionally, the government is focusing on modernizing agriculture with technology. Developing the necessary skills to operate drones will ensure the widespread use of precision agriculture. Indian agriculture is on the cusp of change. We believe, that drone services will play an important role in changing agricultural practices.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ATM staff and is published from a web feed.)
(Source: Agropages.com)v