Union Budget: Giving wings to Kisan Drones

“Kisan Drone” will be the next big focus of the government as it has potential to create an agri-tech revolution. Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman said Kisan Drones would be used for crop assessment, land records and spraying of insecticides. The government had, in December last year, released guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP) for spraying pesticides through drones to reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals and ensure judicious use. As the adoption of the technology depends on its cost-effectiveness, since over 80 per cent of farmers in the country hold less than 2 hectares, the government recently announced a subsidy plan to popularise the use of drones. It will offer 40-100 per cent subsidy until March 2023 for drone purchases, for which it has revised the,uidelines in the existing scheme on farm mechanisation h