Terra Drone, a global drone service provider, has expanded its agricultural services in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of precision agriculture technology from Avirtech, an Indonesian startup. Terra Drone has subsequently founded Terra Drone Agri, a new entity focusing mainly on servicing palm plantations.
This move is significant as it represents Terra Drone’s strategic foray into the agricultural sector of the region, leveraging technology for precision farming. The acquired technology from Avirtech includes not only pesticide spraying and mapping services but also the world’s first gimbal-based high-precision drone spraying system, which boasts 10 cm accuracy.
Terra Drone Agri's establishment is timely, aligning with a growing global trend where farmers are increasingly integrating drones to acquire scientific data aimed at optimizing the use of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers without compromising crop yield. This development promises a quicker and more precise approach to fieldwork, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint in comparison to conventional heavy ground machinery.
Avirtech's technologies have been instrumental in aiding farmers and plantation companies focused on palm oil in minimizing crop failures and decreasing operating costs by up to 30%. Additionally, the use of drones is addressing agricultural labor shortages prevalent in Southeast Asia. Avirtech executes approximately 4,000 flights daily and has facilitated the scientific cultivation of over 200,000 hectares of land in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Terra Drone’s assimilation of Avirtech allows immediate service provisioning to Indonesia and Malaysia, countries that collectively represent around 80% of global palm oil production.
Toru Tokushige, the CEO at Terra Drone Corporation, emphasized the synergistic benefits of the integration, stating that combining Terra Drone’s and Avirtech’s specialized expertise paves the way for “enhancing productivity, optimizing resource allocation, and promoting environmental sustainability in farming.”
Meanwhile, Rendy Ferixsen, CEO at Avirtech, expressed his optimism about the sale to Terra Drone, viewing it as a “strategic progression” and an opportunity to explore the untapped potential of agricultural drone solutions, while underscoring their continued commitment to technological excellence.
Terra Drone aims to address several critical issues in agriculture such as labor shortages, operational costs, and environmental impact, specifically in the realm of palm oil production in Southeast Asia. This strategic integration signifies a step towards enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability in the region.
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