Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar said funds amounting to Rs.126.99 crores have been released towards promoting Kisan Drones based on the proposals received so far. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Tomar said on Friday, this includes Rs. 52.50 crores released to the ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) for the purchase of 300 Kisan Drones and organising their demonstrations on the farmers’ fields in 75,000 hectares through 100 KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendras), 75 ICAR institutions and 25 SAUs (State Agricultural Universities). It also includes funds released to various state governments for the supply of more than 300 Kisan Drones to farmers on subsidy and the establishment of more than 1500 Kisan Drone CHCs (custom hiring centres) to provide drone services to the farmers. The use of Kisan Drones has the potential to provide ample opportunities for employment to people in rural areas.
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Tomar informed that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is promoting the adoption of Kisan Drones by the farmers. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which provide concise instructions for effective and safe operations of drones for pesticide and nutrient application have been released. Financial assistance is also provided under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), agriculture minister said in the upper house of the Indian parliament.
Financial assistance at 100 per cent of the cost of the drone up to a maximum of Rs. 10 lakhs per drone is provided for the purchase of drones by institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (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. The farmer producer organisations (FPOs) are provided grants up to 75 per cent of the cost of agricultural drones for their demonstrations on the farmers’ fields. A contingency expenditure of Rs.6,000 per hectare is provided to implementing agencies that do not want to purchase drones but will hire drones for demonstrations from custom hiring centres, hi-tech hubs, drone manufacturers and startups. The contingent expenditure to implementing agencies that purchase drones for drone demonstrations is limited to Rs.3,000 per hectare, Tomar said.
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In order to make available drone services to farmers on a rental basis, financial assistance at 40 per cent up to a maximum of Rs.4 lakhs is provided for the purchase of Kisan Drones by custom hiring centres (CHCs) under cooperative societies of farmers, FPOs and rural entrepreneurs. Agriculture graduates establishing CHCs are eligible to receive financial assistance at 50 per cent of the cost of drones up to a maximum of Rs.5 lakhs per drone, agriculture minister further informed the parliament.
For individual purchase of drones, the small and marginal, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, women and northeastern state farmers are provided financial assistance at 50 per cent of the cost up to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakhs and other farmers at 40 per cent up to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs, he concluded.
