PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) -- Around 8.25 tons of palay per hectare were harvested during the drone seeding demonstration of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 10 hectares of rice fields in Rizal town, Palawan.

The demonstration was conducted by the agri department during the harvest festival under its Mimaropa Rice Program in partnership with the Rizal Municipal Agriculture Office.

The demonstration was attended by 250 farmers from different clustered farms in town. They are encouraged by the department to use the technology to speed up the process and save money on their expenses.

“Sa tulong ng agricultural drone, mas napadali ang pagtatanim ng binhi ng palay at makatipid sa farm inputs ang mga magsasaka,” the department said.

[Through the help of agricultural drones, the planting of unhusked rice will be easier, and farmers can save on farm inputs.] 

Through the use of a drone, the 15 kilos of hybrid unhusked rice, or palay, will be sufficient for an hectare. About 30 to 40 kilos of palay can be spread on a hectare within 10 to 15 minutes, while 15 liters of fertilizer and pesticide will be spread in a period of six minutes.

Around 210 hybrid cluster areas have benefited from the drone seeding through New Hope Corporation, DA added.

The 10-hectare land in Barangay Candawaga, Rizal used in the demo was financed by the DA Mimaropa Drone Team.

The other 200 hectares of rice fields were financed by farmers by the service provider in the amount of 2,500 per hectare. (RG/PIA Mimaropa - Palawan)

BANNER PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MIMAROPA