Using Agri Drones! Zero-Tillage Farming For Sorghum Production

For the first time in my advocacy to address poverty in remote communities in Mindanao, I will be fielding today three giant agricultural drones to introduce Zero-Tillage Sorghum farming in two highland barangays of Alamada, North Cotabato.
Two of the drones are owned by a friend, Julie Llamo of Better Yield Agri Supply, while my farm, Braveheart Farms, has one unit.
These will be flown today in Barangays Rangayen and Dado, both highland communities of Alamada.
Zero-Tillage Farming means the field where Sorghum will be planted will no longer be plowed.
Instead, with the use of three units of the DJI Agra T40 Agri Drones, the weeds will be eliminated using herbicide.
Once the grass and weeds are cleared, Sorghum seeds will be planted manually in furrows made by carabao-pulled plows or by using stakes to dig small holes in the ground.
This system of farming had long been practiced by highland farmers whose sloping lands could not be plowed using tractors.
By introducing modern agricultural drones, we will be able to clear wide areas in two days starting today and tomorrow, Sunday.
While it would take at least one day for four workers to clear one hectare, it only takes 10 minutes for the DJI Agra T40 Agri Drone to cover 1 hectare.
Guided by GPS, the DJI Agra T40 Agri Drones could even do aerial spraying at night.
In 2 days, we target to cover at least 100 hectares which would be ready for planting in 10 days.
In the Sorghum Production Program, the Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures, Inc. (SAAVI ) will provide the seeds on credit and buy back the farmers’ produce at an agreed price.
Filipino-American farmer-scientist Rocky French has also formulated a mix of Organic and Inorganic fertilizer which would cost the farmers less than P10,000 per hectare.
This would also be payable upon harvest.
SAAVI Chairman Ping Lacson and the SAAVI Board where I am the COO will also be providing technical assistance to farmers under this program.
The Zero-Tillage Sorghum Production Program is expected to improve the productivity of highland farmers because they could plant in wider areas at a very low cost.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!