Budget 2022: FM announces Kisan drones, digitisation of land records to boost farm sector

Women farmers work in a paddy field. (Representative image: Reuters)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a grand plan to deal with India’s chronic agrarian distress.

The use of Kisan drones will be promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides and nutrients. This is expected to drive a wave of technology in the agriculture sector, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting Budget 2022.

Additionally, states will be encouraged to revise the syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget, and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, the Finance Minister said.

The FM further added that funds will be facilitated through NABARD to finance startups for agriculture and rural enterprise, relevant for the farm produce value chain. Startups will support FPOs and provide tech to farmers.

The finance minister also announced the implementation of the Ken Betwa Linking project at an estimated cost of Rs 44,605 crore. This is aimed at providing irrigation benefits to 9.0 lakh hectare farmland, drinking water supply to 62 lakh people, 103 MW hydropower, and 27 MW solar power generation.

Natural farming will be promoted along the Ganga river corridor, the Finance Minister said. She added that chemical-free natural farming will be promoted throughout the country with a focus on farmers’ land in the five km wide corridors along the river Ganga in the first stage.

Sitharaman announced: “Procurement of wheat in Rabi season 2021-22 and the estimated procurement of paddy in Kharif season 2021-22 will give cover 1208 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and paddy from 163 lakh farmers& Rs 2.37 lakh crores will be the direct payment of MSP value to their accounts.”