Hyderabad, Aligning itself with the Government of India’s intent to promote drone use in agriculture, Coromandel International Limited, the country’s second largest Phosphatic fertilizer player and part of Murugappa Group, conducted its first drone trials in Hyderabad.
“The guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to make drone technology affordable to the stakeholders in the agricultural sector is indeed a major boost towards promoting precision farming in the country. Drones are especially suited for a country like India with small landholding farmers, since other modes of aerial application aren’t viable here. While bringing in an element of precision, drone spraying will also help farmers mitigate the issue of labour unavailability during peak season and decrease the time to spray. These trials are our first steps towards embracing this next-gen technology.”
Mr. Sameer Goel, Managing Director, Coromandel International Limited said,
In December 2021, the Government had released SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for drone regulation for pesticide application. These covered important aspects like statutory provisions, flying permissions, area distance restrictions, weight classification, overcrowded areas restriction, drone registration, safety insurance, piloting certification, operation plan, air flight zones and weather conditions.
Traditionally it has been the farmer who sprays his crops physically. Even with hired manual labour, this is a costly and time-consuming affair. In the manual spraying method, a farmer generally spends a considerable amount on labour charges, more water and a higher quantity of chemicals. With drones, it takes only a few minutes to spray fertilizers and permitted pesticides on 1 acre as opposed to 5 – 6 hours earlier. Also crops at any height can be effectively reached, as drones ensure comprehensive and equal distribution of fertilizers and pesticides.
“Coromandel has always been at the forefront when it comes to initiatives for betterment of agriculture and its allied sectors. The company firmly believes that drone technology in agriculture can be very beneficial for aerial spraying purposes,” adds Mr. Goel.
About Coromandel
Coromandel International Limited is amongst India’s pioneers and leading Agri solutions provider, offering diverse products and services across the farming value chain. It operates in two major segments: Nutrient and other allied businesses and Crop Protection. These include Fertiliser, Crop Protection, Bio pesticides, Specialty Nutrients and Organic compost businesses. The Company is 2nd largest manufacturer and marketer of Phosphatic fertiliser in India. The Company’s Crop Protection products are marketed in India as well as in
international geographies, offering wide range of technical and formulation products. The Specialty Nutrients business of the Company focuses on water soluble fertiliser and secondary & micronutrients segments. The Company is leading marketer of Organic fertiliser in India and has recently added bio pesticide solutions to its portfolio. It also operates a network of around 750 rural retail outlets across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Through these Retail outlets, the Company offers farming services including crop advisory, soil testing and farm mechanization to around 3 million farmers. The Company has a strong R&D and Regulatory setup, supporting the businesses in process development and new product introduction. The Company has 16 manufacturing facilities, producing wide range of Nutrient and Crop Protection products, which are marketed through an extensive network of dealers and its own retail centers.
The Company clocked a turnover of Rs. 14,163 Crores during FY2021. Its efforts towards environment have been well recognized by international organizations like UNDP and has also been voted as one of the ten greenest companies in India by TERI. Coromandel is a part of the INR 417 Billion (41,713 Crores) Murugappa Group.
About Murugappa Group
Founded in 1900, the INR 417 Billion (41,713 Crores) Murugappa Group is one of India’s leading business conglomerates. The Group has 29 businesses including ten listed Companies traded in NSE & BSE. Headquartered in Chennai, the major Companies of the Group include Carborundum Universal Ltd., CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd., Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd., Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd., Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd., Coromandel International Ltd., Coromandel Engineering Company Ltd., E.I.D. Parry (India) Ltd., Parry Agro Industries Ltd., Shanthi Gears Ltd., Tube Investments of India Ltd. and Wendt (India) Ltd.
The Group holds leadership position in several product lines including Abrasives, Technical Ceramics, Electro Minerals, Auto Components & Systems, Bicycles, Fertilisers, Sugar, Tea and Spirulina (Nutraceuticals). The Group has forged strong alliances with leading international companies such as Groupe Chimique Tunisien, Foskor, Mitsui Sumitomo, Morgan Advanced Materials, Yanmar & Co. and Compagnie Des Phosphat De Gafsa (CPG). The Group has a wide geographical presence all over India and spanning 6 continents.
Renowned brands like BSA, Hercules, Montra, Mach City, Ballmaster, Ajax, Parry’s, Chola, Gromor, Shanthi Gears and Paramfos are from the Murugappa stable. The Group fosters an environment of professionalism and has a workforce of over 53,000 employees.
This article was shared with Prittle Prattle News as a Press Release.
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