To cut costs and reap higher benefits, Vietnam's farmers are applying the XAG P100 Agricultural Drone to the cultivation of high-value crops, such as banana and durian. With the advantage of fully autonomous and precise operation, XAG drones have become more widely used on farm. They can help fruit growers address labor shortage and make for the reduction on agricultural input. XAG P100 Agricultural Drone Spraying in Durian OrchardAs a leading agri-tech company, XAG sees the potential of unmanned drones in Vietnam's fruit industry amid the shrinking agricultural workforce. Tropical fruit exports play an important part in Vietnam's economy, with durian and banana being representative. In the fourth quarter of 2022, durian exports surged to $421 million, up 137% from the same period last year. Banana exports also experienced strong growth of 34.5%, reaching $311 million last year.However, banana and durian are usually planted in hot and humid climate, which are prone to pests and diseases. Multiple spraying and fertilization are required throughout the growth cycle, and the investment can be heavy in labor and fertilizer. Despite the relatively good profit margin of fruit crops, farmers in Vietnam are faced with increasing pressures.Keeping costs down amid labor shortageIn Vietnam, most farmers rely on manual labor to manage their banana plantations. Once the farm size reaches 1 hectare and more, they must hire workers to assist in watering, fertilizing, and pest control. A considerable amount of foliar fertilizer is needed to boost growth. And pesticide spraying is also a necessity to prevent pests and diseases, including aphids, mites, powdery mildew, and black rot.XAG P100 Agricultural Drone Spraying in Banana PlantationFarm Krong Pack from Dak Lak Province used to be troubled by labor shortage, but this year they have found a solution by introducing the XAG P100 Agricultural Drone. After the drone pilot set parameters and planned flight route on App, the XAG P100 followed the preset path autonomously to spray. It sprayed 20-30 hectares of banana field within a day, which was equivalent to the efficiency of 20 workers toiling simultaneously.In the past, this banana farm was sprayed twice a month with hand operated sprayers, but manual labor was inefficient and often unsatisfying. During the rainy season, when the frequency of spraying increased, banana growers often struggled to hire enough workers.Now Farm Krong Pack turns to the XAG P100 drone, which can adjust droplet size to different micron level, together with the RTK centimeter-level navigation system to achieve precision spraying. The application of drone helped reduce 80% water, 70% pesticide, and 60% fertilizer. Additionally, since no one needs to carry a box of pesticides on their back and spray in the fields, the health of the workers was protected. Foliar Fertilizer is Sprayed Evenly on Banana LeavesMaintaining good agricultural practices Besides banana, Vietnam's durian known as "the king of fruit" are popular around the world. To meet the high-quality standards for export, its cultivation needs to follow good agricultural practices, in accordance with strict limitations on the timing of pesticide application and the amount used. A large number of workers were hired to maintain a uniform farming process.For farmers who grow export fruits, which require strict cultivation standards, XAG P100 Agricultural Drone saves much trouble. In a 4-hectare durian farm in Binh Phuoc, Vietnam, the P100 drone has been adopted to save costs by 60%. "Before, it took workers 8 hours to spray out the farm, but now a P100 takes only 2 hours," said Thanh, the owner of the durian farm. "I used to hire 10 people to help me conduct farm work, but now two are enough."Apart from efficiency, Thanh is also satisfied with the smart control of XAG P100. The XAG One App can provide flight route planning and record operational data throughout the whole process. The drone flew stably at 1 to 3 m/s on top the durian trees to penetrate the crops. Its centimeter-level of precision can avoid repetitive or missed spraying that would cause yield loss.Durian Tree in the Farm of Binh Phuoc, VietnamIt is expected that the autonomous drone can help farmers meet high requirements in the international market. According to the prediction of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, the country's fresh fruit export value will reach $4 billion in 2023, a year-on-year surge of 20%, with half of it contributed by dragon fruit, banana, and durian. Eying on these promising prospects, XAG will speed up its pace of diffusing drone technology, that is to reduce cost pressure and facilitate growth in Vietnam's fruit industry.

XAG has teamed up with FarmInno (Thailand) by Chia Tai Group, Thailand’s leading innovative agricultural company, to introduce fully autonomous agricultural drones in Thailand. This takes smart agriculture to the next level aiming to scale up the potential of Thai farmers with advanced technology and increase both productivity and quality in the agricultural sector.(From left) Mr. Cao Nan (Charles), Head of Overseas Business Department, XAGMr. Manas Chiaravanond, Chief Executive Officer, Chia Tai Company LimitedWallapat Kaewumpai Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Chia Tai Company LimitedXAG announces its strategic partnership with FarmInno (Thailand) with an aim to push forward the cultivation technology in Thailand to the next level. The collaboration results in the launch of the fully autonomous agricultural drones with an intelligent control system. The drones are fully autonomous and powered by AI, making them highly efficient in terms of spreading and precision spraying. This helps save both time and energy and most importantly, help alleviate labor shortage which responds to the current situation in Thailand as the country is now facing an ageing farming population, where the average age of farmers is 58.46 years[1]. Additionally, the introduction of this technology is in line with Thailand 4.0, which aims to transform traditional agriculture into smart agriculture and improve the country's ability to compete globally.XAG P100 Agricultural DroneManas Chiaravanond, Chief Executive Officer of Chia Tai Company Limited, expressed his thoughts on the collaboration, stating,  "It is Chia Tai's aspiration to contribute to the transformation of Thailand's agricultural industry, to add to farmers' ability to grow more efficiently, and more notably and to instill a great sense of pride in the farmer's profession while also advocating for safe, high-quality produce and improving the quality of life for both farmers and consumers in accordance with our strong commitment to strengthen food security."He further stated, "Through this strategic partnership with XAG, FarmInno (Thailand), one of Chia Tai's new businesses, aims to tackle challenges in this industry, including aging farmer population, lack of access to agricultural technology and tools, as well as lack of cultivation know-how to transcend from subsistence farming to become a professional farmer. This fully autonomous agricultural drone will help farmers to work faster and more precisely especially in large plantations with efficient spreading and spraying. With more than a century of expertise in the agricultural industry, Chia Tai has accumulated an extensive and diverse body of agricultural knowledge, which has led to an integrated agricultural solution that bring about innovations to solve agricultural complications and issues in a bid to make farming smarter and more convenient than before, while adding value to agricultural produce."Mr. Cao Nan, Head of Overseas Business Department, XAG Company Limited reiterated the company's vision, stating “XAG focuses on developing drones, robots, and AI technology to advance farming processes with a vision to build a smart agriculture ecosystem for the future. Our drone applications range from seeding, fertilization to crop spraying, which have helped smallholders and large farms worldwide to grow more with less. With our ambitious plan, we work with strategic partners to expand our high-performance products to other countries, including Thailand, which is one of the leading export countries of high-quality agricultural products in Southeast Asia. Through this partnership, we have seen the potential for growth and development of Thai agriculture which is the mutual ambition to uphold high standards of cultivation and add value to agricultural produce."FarmInno (Thailand) is ready to launch 2 models of XAG high-performance agricultural drones, including XAG P100 and XAG V40, both of which stand out in term of performance and cost-efficiency. [1] Data from the Office of Agricultural Economics 

As wine grapes hit a critical stage in the Southern hemisphere, drones are changing vineyard management to make it safer, easier, and more efficient. XAG P100 Agricultural Drone, with a large payload for spraying, flew over the steep hills and into the vineyards of Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. In face of climate change, it has helped wine growers control fungal diseases with less water and reduce manual labor. XAG P100 Agricultural Drone sprayed vineyard to protect wine grapes Oceania is an important grape-growing region for producing quality wines, where New Zealand is known for its outstanding wine grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. In 2022, New Zealand exported $1.9 billion of wine, representing 3.6% of its annual export revenue. The wine industry has become one of the country's top export earners.Powdery mildew, a typical type of fungal disease spread by spores, is the key challenge of grape cultivation. It can attack both vines and grapes, decreasing yields and affecting the aroma of wines. Due to the changing weather, the fungal spores are running more rampant under excessive rainfalls, which has put more disease pressure on farmers. Fungicides should be sprayed regularly to prevent and control powdery mildew. Warren Gibson, the manager of Bilancia Vineyard in Hawke's Bay, had trouble with how to spray safely and efficiently, and now drones from XAG become his new solution. Dating back to the 1850s, Hawke's Bay is the oldest and second-largest wine-producing region in New Zealand. It is home to over 200 vineyards covering 4,600 hectares. As one of its boutique vineyards, Bilancia was located in the steep hillside block, where Gibson and his colleagues used to spray with a 4-wheel motorbike. Bilancia Vineyard in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand"On such sloped terrain, the previous way the job was done was getting too dangerous for us. And we would easily get covered in chemicals, risking our health," Gibson said. Efficiency is another problem that the 2-hectares vineyard took about 3 hours to cover with motorbike spray. To find a safe, sustainable approach, Gibson turned to Airborne Solutions, XAG's local partner in New Zealand, to try spraying with drones. The solution for the hilly terrain is to first create a 3D topographic map with XAG M500 Remote Sensing Drone, then use XAG P100 Agricultural Drone to spray precisely according to the terrain. With a flight speed of 2.3m/s, XAG P100 can spray the 2-hectare vineyard within an hour.This drone with an upgraded capacity can bring better coverage on crops. Scott Horgan is the drone pilot on mission, who is impressed by the rotary nozzles and adjustable droplet size of the XAG P100. He was able to select 70 microns to achieve the best coverage possible and to stop powdery mildew. "The P100 has a 40kg payload, so it is heavy enough to generate a strong downdraft when flown slowly and penetrate the vines. With grape spraying, you need to cover every single piece of the plants, or else the vine will get diseases," Horgan explained. Also, drone operation only consumed 1/5 the amount of water used in the past. Set up XAG RTK Portable Base Stations to provide network for drone operationsWhat attracted Gibson most is that the introduction of drones can save vineyard workers from any danger. After the pilot set parameters on the smartphone, the XAG P100 can operate fully autonomously, while the wine growers watch it spray from safety of the flat ground. Gibson and his colleagues no longer have to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) or drive the motorbikes up steep hillsides to spray.The application of autonomous drones has huge potential to scale up in viticulture. In most places, vineyards still rely on tractor sprayers and overseas workers to manage the grapes, but changes must be made as labor shortages can stress out farmers.