IFFCO to buy 2,500 drones investing ₹250 cr to popularise nano fertilizer usage
IFFCO announced on Tuesday that it will purchase 2,500 drones as spray solutions for use in its first-ever urea nanoparticles and Nano DAP. IFFCO is believed to have placed an order for around 1,700 drones which will already be delivered by March 31, 2024.
While Garuda Aerospace and Paras Aerospace have confirmed they have received 400 orders, the others have not been confirmed.
A statement from the fertilizer cooperative said the decision to purchase these drones would result in the development of 5,000 rural entrepreneurs identified by IFFCO to be trained in drone spraying. “It is a big step for the advancement of the rural economy and a step towards sustainable agriculture and comprehensive cooperative development,” said IFFCO.
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Garuda Aerospace also issued a statement saying that it has secured an order of 400 Agri Kisan Drones from IFFCO. Mumbai-based Paras Defense & Space Technologies, a listed company, confirmed on Monday that its subsidiary Paras Aerospace has been awarded a contract for the purchase of 400 units of Agri-Drones for IFFCO Nano Fertilizers. Paras said the contract, which totals ₹42.4 crore, also includes two years of AMC and pilot training.
increasing of demands
Industry sources said Gurugram-based IoTechWorld Avigation has secured maximum orders from IFFCO. Deepak Bhardwaj, Co-Founder of IoTechWorld said, “We are seeing increased demand for agricultural drones by agrochemical players including fertilizer and pesticide companies. With great benefits for farmers, we are also seeing increased demand from rural entrepreneurs and large farmers.” . However, he did not confirm the matter.
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IFFCO sources said that the cooperative aims to deploy the maximum number of drones in the current Khareef season itself since there is a need to circulate nano-fertilizers among farmers. During a fall conference, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar asked why the use of chemical fertilizers was increasing despite the release of urea nanoparticles and the increase in natural and organic cultivated area.
A drone is expected to be able to cover 20 acres per day spraying IFFCO’s nano fertilizers, other water soluble fertilizers (WSF), biostimulants and agrochemicals with backup.
To access the technical capabilities, manufacturing capacity, manufacturing process, quality processes, training curriculum, and infrastructure, IFFCO had the Drones Federation of India evaluate and confirm specifications as per industry standards.
3 electric wheels
IFFCO will also purchase 2,500 electric 3-wheel vehicles (loader type) in the L-5 class to transport the drones to the farmers’ field along with the nano-fertilizers and associated facilities. IFFCO said this would also support the newly announced PM-PRANAM scheme to reduce chemical fertilizer doses and enable countries to obtain further assistance under this scheme.
The co-op also ordered Tractor Mounted Boom Sprayers, Tractor Mounted Hose Reel Sprayers, HTP Sprayers with Pistol, Stationary/Portable Sprayer, Niyo Sprayers for Foliar Application of Nano Fertilizers. Nano fertilizers are used on various crops through foliar spraying using agricultural sprayers and drones.
The center estimated the needs of urea nanoparticles at 1.78 crore (500 ml each) during the current fall season, which is equivalent to 8 tons (liters) of conventional granular urea (sold in a 45 kg bag). Urea sales during the period from April to September (the autumn sowing season) in 2022 amounted to 172.11 liters, which the government aims to reduce to 170.68 liters this fall.