Introduction:
- Automation is bringing a change in the face of Indian agriculture by bringing in greater efficiency, cutting dependency on manual labor, and higher productivity.
Key Trends and Technologies in Agricultural Automation
- Technological Integration: Traditional farming methods have been substituted with advanced technologies, which are drones, IoT, robotics, and AI.
- Use of Drones in Agriculture: Drones in agriculture are used for precision farming; they provide real-time data, which helps to take decisions.
- Empowerment of women Self-Help Groups by the Indian Government in terms of drone technology: The government has provided ₹1,261 crores for empowering the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to be adequately prepared in delivering drone rental services under “Namo Drone Didi.”
- Resource Management Automation: Through precision farming technologies, the farmer would be able to effectively and efficiently harness the water as well as the soil resources.
- Training and Education of the Farmers and Rural Entrepreneurs: There are the training programs of 5,000 rural entrepreneurs in order to make an optimum use of automation technologies.
- Rural Employment: The new era of automation in agriculture will bring about enormous employment opportunities in rural areas, such as drone operators, technicians, data analysts, and agricultural engineers.
- Enabling a New Generation of Agriculturalists: Automation changes the culture of Indian farmlands, making agriculturalists more data-driven and better decision-makers.
Impact on Productivity and Efficiency:
Increased Yield and Labor Independency: Through automation, agricultural productivity would increase considerably as the farmers will achieve more yield without increasing labor.
- Climate Change Adaptation: Technologies driven like drones, weather forecasting equipment, and IoT sensors would make Indian agriculture responsive to climate variability because exact information related to weather patterns, soil health, and crop conditions would be available to the farmer.
- Sustainability and Resource Conservation: The use of water and fertilizers will increase, and waste material will decrease with the help of automated technologies; thus, farming will become more sustainable.
- Modernization of Farming Practices: Adoption of automation brings about a cultural change in the farming community, which makes farming more profitable and increases better living standards.
- Empowerment of Women and Rural Communities: “Namo Drone Didi” empowers women in rural regions, enhancing gender equity while promoting local economic development.
