A tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI -Zone 1), Ludhiana and M/s IQBri Verticals Pvt. Ltd. (IQVL), Mohali for collaborating on the execution for the training project “Kisan Drone Pilot”.
Kuljeet Singh Sandhu, MD of IQBri Verticals Pvt. Ltd said that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) affiliated Remote Pilot Training organizations (RPTO) will be opened in Punjab. The first one will be opened at KVK, Barnala and IQVL has a vision to train four lakh farmers in the coming years. Dr Parkash Singh Brar; Director of Extension informed that in the coming decade, Agri-drones are poised to become indispensable agricultural tools with upto 90% water saving during spraying of insecticides and fungicides etc. It will also reduce the use of pesticides/fertilizers and labour involved in agriculture operations.
Dr JPS Gill; Director of Research elaborated that drone application in agricultural fields would reduce the labor requirement drastically indirectly generating more income. Moreover, this tool will be a life-saver also as many deaths are reported during spraying in the fields.
Dr Parvender Sheoran; Director ATARI Zone -1 informed that this MOU is first of its kind in Punjab. The training to the interested farmers would be given at KVK Handiaya, under the aegis of Veterinary Varsity. Each training would be of seven-day duration and two batches would be trained per month with prescribed fees and formalities.
Dr Inderjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor congratulated the team and said that drone’s application in fields have already reshaped the agricultural industry and will continue to grow in the coming years. More research is needed for their applications in agriculture and allied fields.
