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. 

XAG Agricultural Drones, P40 and V40, have been granted the UK's first-ever Operational Authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for agricultural spraying operations. With the efforts of XAG's partner, AutoSpray Systems, drone spraying and spreading on farms become legal in the UK, which means that agriculture is about to embrace automation and AI for the net-zero goal.Using Smartphone to Control DroneDrone technology has been developed and widely used in various industries, where agriculture is one of the most promising. In the UK, the applications of drone are strictly regulated by the CAA. Drone's takeoff weight was limited to under 25kg, and dropping materials from drones is also prohibited. Although farmers have a growing demand for intelligent production tools, agricultural drones did not ground on UK farmland. Change comes with the release of the UK Government's ambition statement and vision for commercial drones, CAA started to consider granting Operational Authorization to heavier spray drones. XAG's autonomous drones for agriculture can spray and spread precisely straight to the target. They not only conform to the operational safety standards, but also help farmers boost yields with less input.According to PwC's forecast for the future of commercial drones in the UK, by 2030, the country will have 900,000 drones in operation, which would create 650,000 new jobs, contribute £45 billion to the UK economy, save £22 billion in business and reduce carbon emissions by 2.4 million tons. The widespread use of commercial drones will benefit the UK rural economy and reduce environmental footprints.XAG Drone in Greenhouse Shading OperationEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that the UK's utilized agricultural area accounts for 71% of UK's land total, which puts larger pressure on the environment. To help farmers produce in a greener, energy-smart way, the government released the Sustainable Farming Incentives. Farmers will be paid up to £40/hectare for the effective improvement of soil health and for mitigating climate change during production.Drones deliver clear environmental benefits in agriculture. Running on batteries, the electric XAG Agricultural Drone reduces diesel use and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. It is designed for precision, with RTK centimeter-level navigation, to decrease the amount of chemicals used. Also, aerial operations protect the soil from compaction. Typical applications for drones include plant protection spraying, fertilizer spreading, broadcast sowing, and greenhouse shading. Pilot Swapping Battery for DroneTraditionally, UK farmers use large tractors or self-propelled sprayers. In addition to high costs, the use of heavy ground machinery is limited by the rainy climate and mountainous terrain. The alternative solution is to apply the fully autonomous drone to reach and treat previously inaccessible land with no damage. Since cooperating with Harper Adams University in research on precision agriculture in 2018, XAG has never stopped exploring the UK drone market. The grantee of Operational Authorization marks a significant change that agricultural drone officially set foot in the country.