<span style="color: #222222;">The Centre is providing financial assistance to purchase drones for agricultural purposes under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed that ICAR, KVKs and the State Agricultural Universities and other departments and institutions engaged in agricultural activities get a hundred per cent financial assistance for the cost of agriculture drones. Similarly, FPOs get 75 per cent assistance for drones used for demonstration purposes.<br />''<br />''The Minister also said, a contingency expenditure of Six thousand rupees per hectare will be provided to those who do not want to purchase but would like to hire. Similarly, implementing agencies get three thousand rupees per hectare for drone demonstrations.<br />''<br />''Mr. Tomar said, to make the drone services available to farmers on a rental basis, custom hiring centres under farmers cooperatives, FPOs, etc get 40 per cent up to a maximum of Four lakhs to purchase drones. He said, if the agricultural graduates establish the custom hiring centres would get 50 per cent of the cost of drones or a maximum of Five lakh rupees per drone.<br />''<br />''He also said, small and marginal, SC, ST, Women and North Eastern State farmers get 50 per cent of the cost of up to Five lakhs, and other farmers will get 40 per cent of the cost of up to Four lakhs will be provided for individual purchases. He said, all drone operations are governed by the Drone (Amendment) Rules 2022 of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.</span><br />