TFP Bureau, Raipur, June 1,2026:<\/strong> In a landmark step towards modernizing agriculture and promoting technology-driven farming practices, Dhamtari district has become the first district in the country to provide drone sprayer facilities to farmers through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). The innovative initiative, launched under the leadership of Collector Abinash Mishra<\/strong>, is expected to revolutionize agricultural operations and improve farm productivity across the district.<\/p>\n The ambitious programme was formally inaugurated at Loharsi PACS on Monday, where trained drone pilots from 10 cooperative societies demonstrated drone-based spraying of fertilizers and pesticides before a large gathering of farmers and officials. The live demonstration showcased how drone technology can ensure precise application of agricultural inputs while reducing labour requirements, operational costs and time.<\/p>\n Speaking on the occasion, Collector Abinash Mishra described the initiative as a significant effort to connect farmers with modern scientific farming practices through the cooperative network. He said drone technology has the potential to bring transformative changes to agriculture by making farming operations more efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable.<\/p>\n “Our objective is to ensure that every farmer in the district benefits from advanced agricultural technologies that can enhance productivity and increase income,” he said. He added that continuous efforts are being made to establish Dhamtari as a model district for agricultural innovation, with the drone sprayer programme representing a major milestone in that direction.<\/p>\n A notable aspect of the initiative is the integration of PACS societies with the Common Service Centre (CSC) network in collaboration with CSC e-Governance. Under this model, cooperative societies will function as multi-purpose service centres, enabling farmers to access drone spraying facilities, digital services and various government schemes from a single location.<\/p>\n Officials said the move will significantly improve the accessibility of technology-driven services in rural areas while strengthening the role of cooperative institutions in rural development.<\/p>\n The drone sprayer facility has been introduced in 10 PACS societies across the district, including Bodra, Loharsi, Donar, Achhota, Kharenga, Bhothidih, Kundel, Gadadih, Jugdehi and Kareli. Farmers in the surrounding areas will be able to avail themselves of drone services according to their agricultural requirements.<\/p>\n Agricultural experts believe the use of drones will enable faster coverage of larger farm areas, ensure balanced and accurate chemical application, reduce labour dependency and lower operational costs. Since drones eliminate the need for workers to enter fields during spraying operations, the risk of crop damage is also expected to decrease.<\/p>\n Beyond improving agricultural efficiency, the initiative is likely to generate new opportunities for skill development and employment among rural youth by creating demand for trained drone operators and technology-based agricultural services.<\/p>\n The inauguration programme was attended by Janpad Member Sant Kumari Kiran Sahu, officials from the Agriculture Department, District Cooperative Central Bank, CSC e-Governance representatives and a large number of farmers from across the district.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Drone-powered farming services introduced in 10 cooperative societies; farmers to benefit from faster, cost-effective and precision-based crop management<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,118,117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-chhattishgarh","category-state"],"yoast_head":"\n