BAGUIO CITY – Rice farmers in the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao have started the use of drones, this is part of precision agriculture through the Drones4Rice project of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) and the Department of Agriculture National Rice Program (DA-NRP) allocating ₱300 million to support the commercial application of drones.
The Drone4Rice project aims to empower rice farmers through subsidized access to drone services. Just like in other areas in the country, the beneficiaries in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will receive the appropriate financial allocation for the full use of drone-assisted farming operations through their Intervention Monitoring Cards (IMC).
DA-CAR Rice Program Coordinator Edwin Joseph Franco explained DA-NRP has identified five groups to be the primary beneficiaries of the project.
“The project will cater to organized groups such as rice clusters, irrigators’ associations (IAs), farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs), small water irrigation system associations (SWISAs), and agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs). The use of drone-assisted farming operations was initially for seeding purposes, but DA-CAR has considered its full use from pre-flight planning, crop establishment, nutrient management, fertilizer application, and pest and disease control,” Franco said.
DA-CAR has selected the Agri-DOM company as the drone service provider after presenting a comprehensive spraying, seed spreading, granulated fertilizer application, and drone broadcasting fee. While DA-NRP would not purchase drones directly under the said project, the program would ensure CAR farmers access to these services through their IMC.
The Rice focal person encouraged public support for the Drones4Rice project pointing out its potential to boost agricultural innovation, reduce production costs, and enhance sustainability in the rice farming sector through precision agriculture.
“An FCA in Rizal, Kalinga started direct seeding of fertilizers and bio-fertilizers through the use of the drone in a 50-hectare area, with an additional 15 hectares in Tabuk City that will also be using drone. Fertilizer application and pesticide spraying was applied by an FCA in Apayao covering 100 hectares, both initiated in December last year. We will see the performance output of the use of drones by these two FCAs in March of this year,” Franco added.
Also under the Drones4Rice project, the FPA has developed protocols and will regulate the use and operation of drones in agriculture that will ensure the safety of users, consumers, and the environment, along with the proper application of agricultural inputs, and for the drones not to be used in non-agriculture related activities while under the project.
The projects objective is the establishment of a drone-based monitoring system to track crop health, map weed distribution, and assess nutrient levels in rice fields, with the data leveraged to develop innovative methods for adjusting nutrient and weed management strategies throughout the growing season, ultimately promoting sustainable farming practices. By JTLlanes