The Apple growers in Himachal’s Tribal district Kinnaur are ready to embrace the revolutionary drone transportation. Soon, it would become a regular phenomenon in this remote area. At the Rohan Kanda village in Kinnaur district, the Vegrow apple procurement agency successfully did the trial of drone transportation of apples in association with Skyeair. Apple boxes weighing 20 kilograms were carried from an orchard to the main road, covering a distance of 12 km. This was completed in six minutes. Currently, they are working on the cost aspect. Vegrow’s target is to carry about 200 kg of apples in one go so that it would be economical for growers. They expect to implement the model by the next season.
The twin villages of Rohan Kanda and Chota Kanda in the Kinnaur district lack road connectivity. Transportation is a herculean task for apple growers here. They carry apple boxes on foot. Since the terrain is hilly, the process is time-consuming. Above all, apple growers face labour shortages. All these have inspired them to look for the option of drones.
In the Kinnaur district, apples are grown on 10,924 hectares. The bulk transportation of apples takes place from October 15 to November 15. This year, 40.83 lakh boxes were produced. Each box contains 20 kg of apples. Employing drone services will not only make transportation easier but also help in taking the apples to the market without much delay. The Himachal Pradesh Government approved the Drone Policy 2022 in June this year.
