The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Rizal Municipal Agriculture Office conducted a drone seeding demonstration during a Harvest Festival held at Barangay Candawaga, Rizal.

The initiative, spearheaded by DA-MIMAROPA Regional Technical Director for Operations Vener Dilig and Regional Rice Focal Person Ronald Degala, aims to revolutionize rice farming practices and enhance productivity.

During the harvest festival, a yield of 8.25 tons of rice per hectare was achieved, showcasing the fruitful outcome of the drone seeding demonstration conducted on ten hectares of farmland last year.

Over 250 farmers from various clustered farms participated in the event.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the utilization of agricultural drones streamlined the rice seeding process, significantly reducing farmers’ input costs.

With the assistance of drones, farmers distributed 15 kilograms of hybrid rice seeds per hectare and dispersed 30-40 kilograms of seeds within a mere 10 to 15 minutes.

Each hectare received 15 liters of fertilizer and pesticide, enhancing crop health and yield potential.

The implementation of the drone seeding program extended to 210 hybrid cluster areas, benefiting from the services provided by New Hope Corporation from December 11 to 17.

The DA-MIMAROPA Drone Team facilitated the seeding demonstration on the initial ten hectares, while farmers availed themselves of the service for the remaining 200 hectares at a cost of 2,500 pesos per hectare.

Published Date: March 23, 2024