As part of its efforts to increase the efficiency and productivity of Filipino farmers, the Department of Agriculture's (DA) Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) promotes utilizing drone technology, which is seen to boost rice growers’ yields while reducing their manual labor. 

Launched in April this year by PhilRice and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),  the DA Bureau of Agricultural Research-funded Drone4Rice project aims to standardize protocols for drone applications of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for local rice cultivation and trim the production costs of rice farmers.

With the use of technology entailing less manual labor, the agency said this project also aims to attract youth to farming, thus addressing the challenges of the declining number of Filipino farmers and their aging population.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that, as of 2020, there were 2.4 million rice farmers in the country. As of 2016, their average age was 56, with an estimated monthly income of P22,405.

Drone4Rice PhilRice lead Dr. Jasper G. Tallada explained that 50 percent of rice production costs are manpower; thus, he highlighted how the utilization of drone technology can revolutionize the production of the crop.

“This optimization would also expand the distribution of seeds by expanding areas of coverage, particularly through initiatives like the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund,” he said.

“Just imagine that it takes you half a day or a day to seed a hectare, which can easily be done in just 20 minutes by using drones,” Tallada stressed. 

PhilRice said that the project also aims to establish drone service providers where farmers can rent or lease their aerial vehicles.

Drone utilization in rice farming is among the DA directives on the use of the P22.903 billion financial assistance intended for hybrid seeds, inorganic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and ameliorants through discount vouchers and e-wallets, like the interventions monitoring card, the agency said.