India RegionCrop Protection

Government Extends Interim Approval for Drone-Based Pesticide Application

30 April 2024, New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (Plant Protection Division), has extended the interim approval for the application of already approved pesticide formulations through drones. The decision comes in response to a request from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) seeking an extension of the approval.

The competent authority has granted an extension of one year for the interim approval. This means that registered pesticide formulations, including insecticides, fungicides, and plant growth regulators (PGRs), which are already permitted for manual spraying using knapsack sprayers as per the specified guidelines, can now be applied through drones until April 18, 2025. The conditions and provisions outlined in the previous Office Memorandum of April 18, 2022, remain unchanged.

The use of drones offers the potential for precise and targeted crop protection, contributing to improved productivity and sustainability in farming practices.

Also Read: Bayer partners with the Government of India’s Common Service Center (CSC-SPV) and Gram Unnati to Facilitate Last Mile Delivery of Agri-inputs to Smallholder Farmers

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