India Rural Dialogue

Farmers can now book drone spraying services just like cabs, marking a major step towards technology-driven agriculture. Announced in Visakhapatnam, the initiative aims to make drone services easily accessible to farmers through a mobile app or call centre, allowing them to schedule spraying at their preferred time. The drones are designed to spray fertilisers and pesticides quickly and evenly, ensuring better coverage while reducing wastage as the spray reaches crops directly.

Officials said the service will help farmers save time and labour, address labour shortages in agriculture, and cover larger areas more efficiently. It is also expected to lower fertiliser and pesticide costs, reduce health risks associated with chemical spraying, and ultimately support higher profits at lower costs. Farmers have been encouraged to adopt this modern technology to improve efficiency and make farming more sustainable and productive.