Regular Update
ATM News Network: Efforts are being made by the central government to encourage modern farming. As part of this effort, efforts are underway to use drones in the fields. For this, farmers are also being given subsidies from the Centre. On this background, the Union Agriculture Minister has informed the parliament about how much is being spent on the use of drones.
About 126 crore rupees have been disbursed for the promotion of Kisan drones based on the proposals received so far across the country, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Minister Tomar said that Rs 52.50 crore has been disbursed to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for conducting demonstrations on 75,000 hectares of farmers' fields through 100 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, 75 Institutes of ICAR and 25 State Agricultural Universities, including purchasing 300 Kisan drones.
This includes the provision of over 300 Kisan drones on subsidy to farmers including the provision of drone services to farmers as well as funds released to various state governments to set up over 1500 Kisan Drone Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs). Kisan drones have the potential to provide a lot of employment opportunities to the people of rural areas.
Minister Tomar informed that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is promoting the adoption of Kisan drones. Standard operating procedures have been issued that provide brief instructions for the effective and safe operation of drones for the application of pesticides and nutrients.
The financial assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture is as follows:
(1) Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Agricultural Science Centres, State Agricultural Universities, State and other Central Government Agricultural Institutions/Departments and Public Sector Undertakings are provided with 100% financial assistance per drone for procurement of drones up to Rs.10 lakhs.
Farmer Producer Organizations are subsidized up to 75% of the cost of Kisan drones for farmers' field demonstrations. Organizations such as custom hiring centres, hi-tech hubs, drone manufacturers and startups who don't want to buy drones but want to demonstrate to farmers are given drones on rent by providing a contingency of Rs 6000 per hectare. Contingency expenditure to enforcement agencies purchasing drones for drone demonstrations is limited to Rs 3000 per hectare.
(2) Farmer Co-operative Societies, Farmer Producer Companies, Rural Entrepreneurs as well as Custom Hiring Centres have financed at a 40% rate up to a maximum of Rs.4 lakh for providing drone services to farmers. Agricultural graduates setting up CHCs are eligible for financial assistance at the rate of 50% of the drone cost up to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh per drone.
(3) Financial assistance for individual purchase of drones to small and marginal Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, women and North Eastern States farmers upto a maximum of Rs.5 lakh at the rate of 50% of the drone cost and to other farmers at the rate of 40% of the cost up to Rs.4 lakh.
