Rubber Growers in Tripura Face Crisis of Shortage drone-based spraying of pesticides, Hampers Fungus Control in Plantations
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 9, 2025
After a long wait, rubber growers of Tripura had hoped for relief with the decision to introduce drone-based spraying of pesticides in rubber plantations to control a fast-spreading fungal disease. However, due to the unavailability of sufficient drones, many growers are unable to protect their plantations, leaving them anxious and distressed.
The crisis emerged as rubber plantations across Tripura have been witnessing a severe outbreak of fungus due to excessive rainfall, leading to premature leaf fall and even death of several rubber trees. The disease has drastically affected latex production, creating panic among farmers. Rubber Board experts have confirmed the infection as a fungal attack and recommended aerial spraying of Copper Oxychloride as an urgent remedy.
In principle, the Rubber Board decided to adopt drone-based spraying as successfully implemented in Kerala. Initially, two drones were ordered from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, but only one has reached Tripura so far. With only limited drone support, many plantations remain untreated. Adding to the complexity, despite having a contract with a Tripura-based company to provide drone services whenever required, the Rubber Board has not engaged local operators, raising questions over coordination and policy execution.
The issue has gained more significance as the RNJ Group of Companies, a Tripura-based investor, had signed three MoUs worth Rs 1.86 crore during the Destination Tripura 2025 event at Polo Towers in February. One of the MoUs, worth Rs 50 lakh, was specifically for drone services and skill development in the state. According to Managing Director Shri Niraj Kumar Jha, his company has already invested over Rs 50 lakh, procured two medium-class agricultural spraying drones with a 10-liter payload capacity, and established a Drone Skill Development Center in Agartala. Mr. Jha, himself a DGCA-certified drone pilot, has also hired another certified pilot from Delhi.
Despite this, the Rubber Board continues to depend on drones transported from Kerala, covering nearly 2,400 km by road, incurring avoidable costs and delays. RNJ Group officials have expressed that their center is fully equipped to provide services and training for drone operators under the Kisan Drone and Drone Didi schemes, and they are also in the process of obtaining DGCA authorization to establish the first Remote Pilot Organization (RPO) for medium-class drones in the Northeast.
In addition, RNJ Group has partnered with Tripura University’s Startup initiatives for deploying drones in natural disaster management and research related to safe drinking water solutions.
The current mismatch between the availability of local drone services and the Rubber Board’s reliance on outside resources has left farmers in limbo. Unless immediate coordination is established, Tripura’s rubber sector, already under pressure from falling yields and diseases, may face further setbacks.
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