Mekong Delta rice farmers in Vietnam launch drones to reduce production costs
As a more price tag-powerful device, agricultural drones have turn out to be a new beloved of Vietnamese farmers who mature rice.
Drones can spray pesticides, distribute fertilisers and sow seeds right by working with a cellular cell phone to operate them.
Their multipurpose programs and comprehensive automation are reshaping how rice is farmed, encouraging growers decrease labour expenditures, slice down the use of agricultural inputs and increase yields.
Le Thanh Nguyen, a 62 yr-previous farmer who was born and elevated in Tam Nong District of Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta bordering Cambodia, now turns his seven hectares of rice with drones designed by agricultural drone professionals, XAG.
While Mr Nguyen has been farming in a classic way for more than 40 many years considering the fact that he was 15 decades outdated, is open to the new know-how.
He is one of the earliest farmers to undertake agricultural drones in rice creation and is a devoted follower of drone alternatives for farming.
Vietnam is the world’s next largest rice exporter with 6.24 million tons exported in 2021, generating great development on productivity and output.
Having said that, urbanisation and the mounting price tag of fertilisers continues to heap pressure on farmers as they must cope with a absence of labour and increased costs of manufacturing.
As a result, some rice growers have decided to cut the scale of their rice farming procedures.
Like many other individuals, Mr Nguyen used to have complications choosing staff for guide jobs.
During the chaotic rice season, farm employees ended up demanded to operate in the early early morning to sow seedlings, but frequently they arrived in the late afternoon.
By that time, the seeds experienced germinated, and the shoots were quickly damaged for the duration of spreading and, therefore, resulted in a loss of produce.
Even when personnel did appear on time, Mr Nguyen nonetheless was not satisfied with the end result of seeding by hand or by spreader, they had been significantly from specific and did not allow perfect plant density.
Illustrations like this have urged farmers like Mr Nguyen to obtain methods of which the use of drones as been a single.
In 2021, when he 1st acquired about the agricultural drone for the duration of a family excursion, Mr Nguyen determined to acquire far more information about the machine.
After XAG’s neighborhood companion DigiDrone gave Mr Nguyen a total introduction to and demo of the drone’s functions, Mr Nguyen resolved to use a drone on his farm.
In the Mekong Delta, rice is planted and harvested 3 occasions a yr.
Historically, rice farming depends on pesticides at diverse phases to guarantee rice is secured from pests and ailments, even though fertiliser and nutrient methods in significant quantities are necessary to boost crop progress.
Rice growing calls for a considerate financial investment in not only agricultural elements, but also guide labor.
Mr Nguyen now utilizes the XAG drone from crop spraying, spreading fertiliser and dseeding, which turns out to be much more exact, better distributing it on crops and in the long run sales opportunities to increased rice yields.
“The drone eases the burden and tremendously increases efficiency,” states Mr Nguyen. “In the previous, I had to pay back four employees to carry and spread a single ton of fertiliser on my area from 6 am to 2 pm and they were fatigued as a consequence.
“Now with the newest XAG P100 agricultural drone, fertilising one particular ton only normally takes an hour to complete with even spreading effects,” he suggests.
In addition to performance, what drove Mr Nguyen to adopt drone technological innovation is the reduction in charges. He defined that buying drone services from the area team gives additional price for dollars than choosing employees. This not only assists him help you save appreciable on the price of guide labor, such as wages, meal allowances and transportation. It also enormously lowers the amount of crop inputs, this kind of as seeds.
“For a person hectare of rice, it only can take 120 kilograms of seed to sow by drone, but 150kg to 200kg is ordinarily essential for the exact yield.
“In addition, spreading by hand or by traditional machinery is likely to final result in crop destruction and a wastage of seeds, leading to a loss in produce and profits,” states Mr Nguyen.
As agricultural drones from XAG achieve far more interest in Vietnam, the number of farmers using drones for autonomous operations is rising.
Their efficiency, precision, and cost-preserving know-how, alongside with the excellent of the service, will be critical for drones to gain greater level of popularity in rural parts in Vietnam.
