Agritech platform Salam Kisan has introduced drone based spraying service through farmer producer organisations in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
By making drones an efficient and doorstep solution, the company intends to equip farmers with cutting-edge spraying capabilities for seamless pest management and precise use of agrochemicals. It also reduces water wastage by about 85-90 per cent and product usage by 20-30 per cent, the company said.
Dhanashree Mandhani, Founder & CEO, Salam Kisan, said, “We’re committed to empowering rural communities toward resilience and sustainability, and collaborations between public and private entities will be pivotal in implementing change at the grass-roots level.”
Akshay Khobragade, COO, Salam Kisan said “Usually, traditional pump spraying uses 100 to 120 liters of water per acre, and drone spraying uses 10 liters per acre. Traditional spraying is time-consuming and requires manual labour, while drone spraying takes seven minutes. By making drone service accessible to farmers, we are helping reduce input costs, increase efficiency, and ensure farmers’ safety. At the core, we intend to benefit farmers, our agricultural ecosystem, and FPOs.”
Salam Kisan provides farmers with a range of solutions from pre-sowing to post-harvest, from AI-enabled crop planning calendars, equipment rentals, drone rental services, storage facilities, and produce marketplace, among others. In about seven months, the company said it has catered to over 22,000 farmers across 7,000 villages in India.