Virudhunagar Samba Chilli faces post-harvest losses, fragmented processing, and weak market linkages, reducing farmer income. Lack of proper storage, value addition, and organized systems limits its market potential despite GI recognition.
This integrated value chain is built to improve efficiency, reduce losses, and enhance farmer earnings.
This project aims to
01
Demonstrate the use of agricultural drones for efficient spraying operations
02
Reduce water and chemical usage through precision application
03
Lower labour dependency and overall cultivation costs
04
Promote access to drone services through FPO-led Custom Hiring Centres
05
Build farmer awareness and adoption of modern agri-technologies
Key Interventions
- Procurement of two agricultural drones for SEEDS and Valarchi FPCL
- Training and certification of two licensed drone pilots per FPO
- Conduct of 16 large-scale demonstrations across 160+ villages
- Village-level booking support and farmer orientation programmes
- FPO-managed, fee-based drone service model for long-term sustainability
Expected outcome
- Input wastage to reduce by 30–50%
- Crop yield to increase by 10–20%
- Water use will reduce from 150–200 L/acre to 5–10 L/acre
- Labour costs may reduce by up to 50%
Testimonials
I am a small chilli and cotton farmer from Virudhunagar district. For a long time, farming was becoming increasingly difficult due to labour shortages, rising input costs, and health risks from chemical spraying. Spraying even one acre was time-consuming, labour-intensive, and physically challenging.
Introduction of Drone Custom Hiring Centre by SEEDS FPCL and Valarchi FPCL has completely transformed our practices. Spraying is now completed in just 30 minutes per acre, with lower input costs and much better precision. Our crops are healthier, yields have improved, and we are earning more.
Most importantly, we no longer have to come into direct contact with chemicals, making farming much safer. This drone service has not only saved time and labour but has also given us confidence that modern technology can make our farming more efficient, safe, and profitable.
Mr. Palanisamy
Farmer