Drones give a helping hand to farmers across China

Drones for agriculture have proved popular with farmers in China.

“Drones are over 10 times more efficient than skilled manpower, cost-effective and environmentally friendly,” said Li Liping, a major grain grower in Xiangxiang in central China’s Hunan Province.

The 51-year-old farmer, who learned to fly the machine three years ago, said he no longer needed to wade through fields to spray and fertilise as drones have replaced manual work.

“It was so exciting to see the drone taking off,” said Li, recalling the first time he used it in the summer of 2018.

As Covid-19 wanes across China, farmers are encouraged by local governments to expand planting areas and increase their production input. The city of Xiangxiang, for example, is ready for a bumper summer harvest of early rice.

Li has grown another 20ha of early rice this year and expects to see a major rise in grain output with drones being a great help.

Xiao Jianliang, owner of another major farmland in Xiangxiang, has also benefited from the use of drones in agriculture.

He acquired his drone licence in late 2017 after 15 days of intensive training. The skill of flying drones has brought him additional income as the machine boosts the efficiency of sowing and crop-dusting.

Li and Xiao are among a growing number of Chinese farmers who are introducing smarter, innovative ideas to boost their yields.

Both are skilled drone pilots, capable of designing the most efficient flight routes and heights, analysing the flight path to fill the gap and calculating the precise amount of fertiliser and pesticide for the land.

“A revolution in agricultural production is taking place because of mechanisation and intelligent intensive farming, especially in pioneering areas like Xiangxiang,” said Li Xiangping, an agricultural expert in Hunan with over two decades of experience in farm management.