SARATOV, August 16. /TASS/. The use of small-size unmanned aerial vehicle technologies in the agribusiness sector reduces the damage and preserves up to 4% of the harvest, CEO of Rosagroleasing Company Pavel Kosov said.

"Small-size unmanned aerial vehicles are one of the most promising areas for the agribusiness segment," Kosov said. "Agricultural plants are already proactively using and testing drones in their estates. This is not a large-scale effort thus far, more likely to be pilot operations, creation of a kind of methodology and experience buildup," the chief executive said. "Drones do not merely make field work simpler and cheaper; operation reduces the damage significantly - up to 3-4% of the harvest can be saved owing to unmanned aerial vehicles," he noted. "Unmanned aerial vehicles make it possible to significantly reduce the price of rolling out modern technologies of mapping <…> and fields monitoring. This is the economic perspective increasing overall returns," Kosov stressed.

Incentivization of using leased vehicles on natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuel is one more proactively developing agribusiness sector, the chief executive noted. "Mitigation of risks and seasonal fluctuations of fuel and lubricants prices is no less important problem, with the natural gas vehicle fuel capable of helping in solving it. Total savings from using vehicles with the natural gas vehicle fuel stand at 43%," he added.

Rosagroleasing invested in supplies of machinery and equipment using the NGV fuel to the amount of 1.65 bln rubles ($18.3 mln), the chief executive said. "This is not merely machinery but also driers for grain, trailers for gas transportation, and gas refueling dispensers," he noted.

The subsidized rate for lessees using NGV fuel equipment is 6% in 2024, Kosov stressed. "Our customers understand advantages of gas-fired vehicles and do not wait for subsidies to purchase such vehicles. They take them even on commercial conditions and at market rates," he added.