In Union Budget 2022, the agriculture sector allocation has been increased by 4.4% to Rs 132,513.62 crore. From promoting chemical-free farming to funding agri-tech start-ups to digital services to farmers, the budget looked at taking agriculture on a sustained higher growth trajectory with a slew of innovative announcements.
The reform-oriented scheme- Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is being attributed to the sharp rise in the sale of tractors recently. This is a clear indication of deepening mechanisation of agriculture and rural economy and generates hope to double farmers’ income.
Drones have flown into Indian landscapes quite fast. In August 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation liberalised the drone use policy. This was followed by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare issuing the SOP for using drones to spray pesticides in agricultural, forest lands and non-cropped areas. In October 2021, India became the first-ever country to commercially produce and spray Nano Liquid Urea through Drone in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar. A drone subsidy proposal was also included later in the drone policy. It is through this clause that FPO’s can now receive a grant of up to 75% of the cost of an agriculture drone.
Innovative drone-powered solutions and government initiatives like the Svamitva scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas), which is surveying inhabited Indian rural lands using drone technology are taking advantage of these measures. This will empower villagers with a “record of rights”, which may further assist them to fight off property disputes or make more enterprising decisions concerning their land.
As for crop assessment, drones can be peerless as they can provide high-resolution crop data which can help identify, warn & fix issues with the agricultural produce. Other uses include livestock Management, crop health and stress analysis, plant growth monitoring and treatment, scouting, precision farming, fertiliser spraying and more. High-tech aerial surveying drones have advanced sensors which procure precise data. Geo-tagging aerial images provide information that can result in lesser cost, improved crop yields and profitability.
Clearly, the increased public expenditure on infrastructure, agri-techs including ‘Kisan Drones’, crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides and nutrients, other R&Ds, and FPOs is sure to create a multiplier impact on the growth and competitiveness of the agriculture sector in coming years.
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