MARGAO
Undeterred by the government’s decision to bulldoze the western bypass through their lush green paddy fields at the Tolleaband water body, beleaguered farmers from Benaulim cultivating the fields on Thursday adopted drone technology to spray fertilisers on the crop.
Even as vehicles plied on the newly-built western bypass passing through the Tolleaband water body, a drone hovered over the fields to carry out spraying of fertilisers on the paddy.
Within no time, the drone completed the job of spraying the fields measuring 3.5 hectares with fertilisers with the help of ICAR officials.
Farmer Raymond D’Costa said the farmers of Tolleaband have, as usual, gone to cultivate the fields at the Tolleband water body. He thanked the ICAR officials for their support and assistance in spraying fertilisers on their crop with the drone.
These farmers have never stopped cultivating the fields of their ancestors despite encountering numerous difficulties after the government bulldozed the western bypass through their fields.
An ICAR official, Vishwajit Prajapati, told the media that spraying fertilisers on the crop helps to save manpower and labour costs. “Progressive farmers from Tolleaband-Benaulim approached ICAR with a request to spray their paddy crop with a drone. We have provided them with the facility,” he added.
