The government is providing financial assistance so that farmers can make farming easier with agricultural drones. Let’s explore the benefits of agricultural drones and the subsidies available for them.
Benefits of Agricultural Drones
Drone technology is revolutionizing farming by enabling quick and efficient crop care, pesticide and fertilizer spraying. It helps reduce labor costs, ensures timely execution of tasks, and minimizes water usage for spraying. To encourage farmers to adopt this technology, the government is offering subsidies on purchasing agricultural drones. Farmers of all categories can avail of this assistance, reducing the financial burden of acquiring drones. Depending on the category, farmers can receive subsidies ranging from 40% to 50%. Let’s see who qualifies for what benefits.
Subsidy on Agricultural Drones
The government is offering financial assistance to different categories of farmers:
- Agriculture Graduate Farmers: Eligible for a subsidy of up to Rs 5 lakh, covering 50% of the drone’s cost.
- Small, marginal, Scheduled Caste/Tribe, women, and Northeast farmers: Receive 50% subsidy, with a maximum limit of Rs 5 lakh.
- Other farmers: Granted a 40% subsidy, with a cap of Rs 4 lakh.
- FPOs and rural entrepreneur farmers: Eligible for up to Rs 4 lakh in assistance.
- Educational institutions, ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, etc.: Receive full assistance of 100%, with a maximum limit of Rs 10 lakh.
Cost of Agricultural Drones
Now that we understand the benefits and subsidies, let’s examine the pricing of agricultural drones. The cost of these drones varies based on capacity, technology, and brand. With the available government subsidies, farmers can expect drone prices to range from Rs 3.45 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Farmers can choose a drone that best fits the scale and needs of their farming operations.