CropLife India, an association of both Indian and Global R&D-driven crop science organisations, pioneered a workshop on “Innovative Technologies in Crop Protection” in Warangal in Telangana. The workshop was organised jointly with Foundation for Agriculture Sustainability and Transformation (FAST) and CropLife India. A demonstration of Kisan Drones and their advantages in agriculture along with a discussion on the importance of millets for producers and consumers were integral parts of the workshop.
Speaking at the occasion, Usha Dayal, District Agriculture Officer, Warangal said, “With the introduction of Kisan Drones, they are becoming the Indian farmers’ new best friend which would help in saving time, cost and increasing yield and productivity. The Centre and state governments are taking all the necessary steps to facilitate the usage of drones.”
“The outreach effort being done by CropLife India towards Integrated Pest Management techniques like role of beneficial insects including pollinators; judicious and responsible use of crop protection products; secure storage of crop protection products; impacts of counterfeit and illegal products; use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment); correct spraying techniques and triple rinsing of used containers; are highly beneficial for farmers,” Dayal added.
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Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India said, “We believe that with all the favourable policy support coming in from the government, the conducive ecosystem needs to be nurtured in order to ensure faster adoption of drones in Indian agriculture. All the ecosystem stakeholders- government, agricultural universities, research institutions, corporates, industry associations, drone training institutes, drone manufacturers, drone service providers, FPOs, farmers and agri & rural entrepreneurs will have to work in tandem towards achieving this.”
“Our member companies are exploring avenues for enhancing faster adoption of Kisan Drones. Hence, going forward, the demand for customised Drone-as-a-service models (Agricultural applications and crop protection) is bound to rise by leaps and bounds. Early acceptance of innovative technologies in agriculture has enhanced relevance when India is poised to elevate the usage of millets in the world,” Chandra added.
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During the programme, ‘ Innovative Technologies in Crop Protection’ CropLife India distributed mini PPE kits and key safe-use messages pamphlets for quick reference and further dissemination.
Present on the occasion were national awardee farmers, officials of FAST, scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) and extension officers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), CropLife India member companies and other officials.
CropLife India remains committed to advancing agriculture in India and to meaningfully engage with the government and farming community; to enable a safe and secure food supply. CropLife India assures full support in the interest of progressive and pragmatic initiatives of the government for the benefit of farmers and sustainable agriculture in India, the industry association said.
