Drone technology is to be deployed for paddy cultivation in the dry zone in the upcoming Maha season, the Ministry of Science and Technology said, with the unmanned aircraft to support seed placement and fertilizer application across farming districts.
A special workshop demonstrating the technology was held in Kurukulawa under the patronage of Minister of Science and Technology Professor Chrishantha Abeysena, NewsFirst reported. The drone showcased at the event was locally developed and features fully indigenous control software and systems.
Discussions at the workshop focused on how the technology can be integrated into cultivation practices for the upcoming season, which begins in October and is the larger of Sri Lanka’s two annual paddy-growing cycles.
The Maha season has come under unusual policy scrutiny this year. The Trade Minister said on Saturday that the country will not face a rice shortage until the next Maha cultivation season, and the Treasury has already released Rs. 8,990 million covering 75% of Yala season fertilizer subsidy commitments to clear the channel before the larger Maha disbursements begin. Forecasters have separately warned that an 82% El Niño probability through July-August could compress planting windows in the dry zone districts the drone programme is targeting.
The use of agricultural drones for seeding and aerial fertilizer application has expanded across rice-producing economies in Asia in recent years, with the technology marketed as a way to cut input costs and reduce exposure to volatile labour supply. Sri Lanka’s deployment is the first publicly announced government-backed pilot using a domestically built aircraft, distinct from earlier drone activity in the country, which has mainly involved imported recreational and commercial drones flagged by police for unregulated entry.
