Vijayawada, July 15 (FN Agency) Stressing on the need to use drones extensively in the agriculture sector, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday directed the officials to ensure that drones are also used for soil testing by RBKs. Reviewing the activities of the Agricultural Department here, the Chief Minister told them that extensive use of drones in soil testing by RBKs will also help implement the Plant Doctor concept successfully besides arriving at correct estimates of productivity and maintaining related data. When the officials told him that drones are being used in arriving at estimates of paddy productivity, he suggested that they should be used for other crops also. “Now we are using drones for spraying pesticides but they should be used for multi purposes so that it would be more helpful to the farmers,” he said, adding that steps should be taken to equip all 10,000 RBKs with drones.
They said that 222 farmers were trained on the use of drones under the pilot project and the department is purchasing quality drones certified by the DGCA and all safety measures are being taken while launching and using them. The Chief Minister suggested that more audio-visual programmes should be made on the cultivating methods and telecast through the RBK channel for the benefit of farmers. Officials explained that, as per the instructions of the Chief Minister, efforts are being made to prepare the draft bill on MSP Act-2023 for ensuring MSP for all agricultural produce and bringing all aqua and dairy farmers under the Act. Officials further said that in the last four years, 4.34lakh acres have been additionally brought under horticultural cultivation.
The Chief Minister suggested that different types of horticultural crops used in food processing should be encouraged. “There should be more cold-storage rooms, go-downs and collection centers for encouraging the horticultural farmers,” he said, adding that procurement of all other crops should be through RBKs, in addition to the paddy. RBKs should play a key role in marketing as well. Steps also should be taken to establish onion and tomato food processing units in constituencies where there is more cultivation of such crops. To help women gain self-sufficiency, they should be encouraged to establish secondary food processing units helping them with loans under YSR Cheyuta scheme, he said.