Chinese drones help Thailand’s agriculture

An agricultural plant protection drone hurtles through the fields of Lai Yat Phu in northeastern Thailand, spraying a curtain of white pesticide from below. On the ridge, flying hand Nikkong is concentrating on the control of the drone.

Before 2020, Nikkong and his wife worked in a duty-free shop in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Due to the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Thailand’s economy, the family decided to quit their jobs and return to their hometown to work as farmers. Before returning home, Nikon bought a China-made DJI agricultural plant protection drone. He decided to use the expertise of UAV aerial photography to develop a new career in agricultural cultivation.

Finishing the task at hand, Nikong told reporters that the main function of the agricultural drone is to spray pesticides and fertilizers. “Young people don’t want to stay in the countryside to work,” he said. “There is a shortage of labor in the village, so using drones can help farmers improve their work efficiency. “No more than 10 lai (24 mu) of paddy fields can be sprayed by hand a day, while 40-50 lai can be sprayed by drones.”

In recent years, intelligent machinery represented by plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has played a great role in agricultural production. China-made agricultural plant protection drones have empowered Thai farmers and made agricultural production more efficient and safe.

Arun uses a DJI Agricultural plant protection drone to kill pests at his durian farm in Chunpong province, southern Thailand. ‘At first I wasn’t sure about the effectiveness of drone spraying, but after using it I found it was very effective in killing pests.’

In recent years, due to the worsening aging and increasing labor costs, Thailand’s demand for modern agricultural machinery has been growing rapidly. In this process, Chinese agricultural plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) have been continuously optimizing their functions for the local core operation scenarios, continuously providing “acceleration” for the development of modern agriculture in Thailand.