A 45-year-old farmer named Pallaprolu Bapireddy and his wife Kanakadurga from the village of Kaza in the Guntur district, who studied fifth class only surprised everyone by adopting technology in farming and giving almost 20–30 jobs to women throughout the year.
The farmer started using drones for spraying in his field to reduce farm labor expenses after cultivating jasmine flowers on eight acres of leased land for the last five years without any technical background or help.
The farmer explained that due to the high cost of agricultural labor and the lack of available laborers, he began researching the use of drones in agriculture on social media. He said that he purchased a drone and got fifteen days of training in the operation of the drone. He said that his wife could now use the drone independently.
According to the farmer, he used to grow jasmine during the summer and jaji and kagadamalli flowers during the wet and winter seasons. He said that he used to employ nearly 20–30 ladies to pick flowers during the peak of the flowering season. Women who work in the horticultural sector would receive a daily income ranging from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 depending on how much based on their work.
Additionally, because there was no electricity in the area, the farmer used a solar pumping system to give water to the flower plants. He claimed that the summertime water deficit is a concern for him. If there was a power source, he would be able to grow more flowers, giving more ladies a daily job.
Due to the non-availability of water, he was forced to dry some parts of his land. He said that he had submitted an application for power supply two years ago, and the line was sanctioned and work orders were issued. In the construction of the electricity lines, however, there was no progress in the power line works. If the government extends support by providing a power supply, he will be happy by cultivating one crop or another throughout the year.
To minimize the use of pesticides and protect crops from insects, the farmers also set up a solar insect trapper. Says Bapireddy: "My wife and I both start our agricultural job early in the morning and return home in the late afternoon. Without using any intermediaries, I bring the cargo of flowers to Vijayawada market and sell them to wholesalers. Since we like the agricultural labour, there will be satisfied after a hectic day while reaching home which is just because we enjoy the farm work."
