TIRUCHY: As Tamil Nadu’s agriculture sector steadily embraces mechanisation, farmers are pushing for access to drone technology, particularly for tasks like spraying fertilisers and pesticides. While agricultural department officials continue to promote the benefits of modern machinery, the high cost of hiring drones from private operators remains a major hurdle for farmers.
Despite the agricultural engineering department owning and renting out various farm implements, it currently has no drones. This has led to growing demands from farmers urging the state government to procure drones and make them available through the department at nominal rental rates.
“Drones are increasingly being used for crop monitoring, sowing, and spraying. These technologies reduce labour costs and improve precisions,” said N Veerasekaran, state spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. “But hiring drones from private agencies is expensive. If the government provides them through the department, it will help small and marginal farmers,” he added.
The issue was raised during a recent monthly grievances meeting at the Tiruchy Collectorate. District collector M Pradeep Kumar assured that efforts would be made to procure drones using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from companies and hand them over to the department for public use.
Speaking to TNIE, A Kandasamy, Executive Engineer said, the government currently offers a 50% subsidy to individual farmers purchasing drones for rental services. “A farmer from Thachankurichi bought a drone worth Rs 5 lakh with this subsidy. Anyone completing a 20-day training programme with an authorised seller will be eligible,” he said, adding that there is no separate government scheme for the department to directly procure drones as of now.
At present, the department has six earthmovers, 16 tractors, and two harvesters, which are rented out to farmers at subsidised hourly rates. Small and medium-sized farm equipment is also made available under various subsidy schemes. Notably, the Cooperative Department in Karur set a precedent last year by procuring three drones through a convergence of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and NABARD support. “We rent them to farmers at Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per hour depending on the field condition,” said P Kantharaja, joint registrar of the cooperative department, Karur.