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In Samastipur, the Agriculture Department has started the pesticide spraying scheme through drones, through which farmers will get 50 percent subsidy and along with crop protection, time and cost will also be reduced.
SamastipurThis news is no less than a big gift for the farmers of Samastipur district, Farmers are continuously suffering losses due to attacks by pests, diseases and viruses on wheat, maize, potatoes, pulses, oilseeds and other crops, Spraying the medicine in the traditional way by hand pump or spray machine is not only time consuming but also involves a lot of labor and expense, Many times, due to the fields being filled with water or the height of the crop being high, spraying is not done properly, due to which there is a possibility of complete destruction of the crop, In view of these problems, the Agriculture Department has decided to adopt modern technology and start the scheme of spraying pesticides and liquid fertilizers through drones, which will prove to be a crop protection shield for the farmers,
Samastipur district has been included in the pilot project of drone spraying scheme by the Agriculture Department. Under this scheme, a target has been set to spray medicine through drones in a total of two thousand acres of land in the district. Each block will cover an area of approximately 100 acres. The special thing is that while it takes two to two and a half hours to spray an acre in the normal way, with the help of drones this work is completed in just six to seven minutes. With drone technology, the medicine is sprayed evenly, which makes it possible to control pests and diseases faster and the crop can be protected from damage.
Less burden on farmers’ pockets due to 50 percent subsidy
The cost of spraying with drones has been fixed at Rs 480 per acre, but due to 50 percent subsidy given by the government, farmers will have to spend only Rs 240. A farmer can avail the benefit of this scheme up to a maximum of 15 acres. Another special thing about this scheme is that its benefits will be available to both ryot and non-ryot farmers. Rayat farmers will have to produce land receipt, while non-Rayat farmers will have to submit a self-declaration form along with signatures of witnesses from two neighboring farmers. However, the medicine used for spraying will have to be provided by the farmer himself and only those pesticides will be used, which will be recommended by the Agriculture Department and agricultural scientists.
Online Application Process and Role of Officials
Farmers wishing to spray medicine through drones will have to apply online on the DBT portal of the Agriculture Department. During the application, it will be mandatory to upload the land area, type of crop, Aadhar card and land related documents. The applications received will be verified by the Agriculture Coordinator, Plant Protection Worker, Block Technical Manager and Assistant Manager. After verification, the selected service provider agency will spray the farmers’ fields with drones. According to Assistant Director (Plant Protection) Rajeev Kumar Rajak, this scheme is a big step towards making farming modern and profitable for the farmers, which will increase the production and also increase the income of the farmers.
