Agros focused on farm mechanization
Rent Drones to Farmers
* Start from next rainy season
*Training to youth with DGCI
* Available by ARSK
*Agros focus on farmer income hike with technology
Hyderabad, March 15: Agros, a public sector organization focused on agricultural mechanization, is set to introduce drones in agriculture to help farmers with seed spraying, fertilizer spraying, disinfecting chemicals and organic chemicals. The drones will be made available to farmers through the Agros Farmer Service Centers (Rythu seva kendra ARSK) from the next rainy season.
To ensure proper use of drones, Agros has signed an agreement with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCI) to provide training to ARS managers on drone operation and maintenance. After completion of the training, Agros banks will provide loans to managers for the purchase of drones, which will then be made available for rent to farmers. The aim is to increase the income of ARS centers and farmers.
According to Ramulu, Managing Director of Agros, “The cost of cultivation for farmers will reduce with the availability of drones in rural areas. Drones become an alternative to shortage of wages. Farmers are saving time with the cost of cultivation and their income increases.”
The drones are expected to reduce the cost of cultivation for farmers and increase their income. Agros officials say that drones will have better results in agriculture, and they will be made available to farmers at a thousand ARS centers in the state. As part of agricultural mechanization, the government provides tractors, sprays, ducking machines and rice harvesting machines to farmers. However, the introduction of drones to farmers was previously unclear, and it was left to Agros to make them available.
The Agriculture Department plans to provide subsidies to rural youth for drone purchases. The extent of the subsidy is yet to be finalized. However, officials say that loan assistance will be easy to provide to young people who complete DGCI drone filet training and obtain the certificate. Each drone purchase costs Rs. 10 lakhs. It is not yet clear how much of this funding will be used for the purchase of drones.
