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The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare have released guidelines to promote drone technology in agriculture in order to boost precision farming in India. 

About the Programme:

• Grant up to Rs 10 lakhs will be offered to the agricultural institutes for the purchase of drones.
• Custom hiring centres will be set up by the Cooperative Society of Farmers, FPOs and rural entrepreneurs to obtain financial support for purchasing purposes.
• The entire programme intends to make technology accessible to common people and enhance domestic drone production.
• The drone operations are being permitted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Director General of Civil Aviation.
• The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has introduced the Standard Operating Procedures for the use of drone applications.

About SMAM: 

• This sub-mission operates under the aegis of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) which aims to incorporate new institutional arrangements for technology dissemination in agriculture.
• There are four sub-missions under the NMAET of which SMAM is also a part.

Application of Drones

• This technology helps the farmers in data collection related to planting and in treatments to achieve best possible crop yields. 
• It can be beneficial for precision agriculture.
• Drones are beneficial in monitoring the plant health
• It is also beneficial for examining field conditions.
• It enables spray applications which are extensively used in countries like south-east Asia and South Korea.