Revolutionizing Farming: The Launch of the XAG P100 Pro in Vietnam

Key Takeaways

• The XAG P100 Pro Agricultural Drone has launched in Dong Thap province, Vietnam, enhancing operational efficiency for farmers.
• This advanced drone boasts a 50-kilogram payload and fully autonomous functionality, signaling a shift in agricultural practices.
• The establishment of the Dong Thap Digital Agricultural Cooperative aims to promote drone technology in rural farming.
• With a focus on reducing labor and production costs, this drone technology addresses the shrinking agricultural workforce in Vietnam.

In an exciting development for the agricultural sector, the XAG P100 Pro, the next-generation agricultural drone, has made its debut in Dong Thap province, Vietnam. This launch is set to elevate efficiency and agility across farms, offering Vietnamese farmers a user-friendly, fully autonomous solution capable of carrying a substantial payload of up to 50 kilograms. Renowned for its ability to reduce production expenses and minimize adverse climate impacts, the XAG P100 Pro is poised to become an essential farming tool nationwide.

The XAG P100 Pro Agricultural Drone in action over a Vietnamese rice field.

In conjunction with the drone’s launch, the Dong Thap Digital Agricultural Cooperative has been established. This initiative is designed to advocate for the integration of drone technology in rural farming practices. The cooperative plans to offer training sessions and facilitate farmers’ access to innovative solutions, thereby enhancing the digital competencies of rural youth and generating job opportunities for drone operators and engineers.

Despite being a leading global exporter of rice, bananas, and durians, Vietnam faces challenges related to a declining agricultural workforce. An increasing number of farming workers are transitioning to manufacturing and service sectors, creating a significant gap in agricultural labor. According to Drone Nerds, the XAG company perceives this shift as an opportunity to further its mission of modernizing agriculture.

Inauguration of the Dong Thap Digital Agricultural Cooperative.

The XAG P100 Pro is an electric unmanned aerial vehicle engineered for rigorous farming tasks such as precise seeding, crop spraying, fertilizer distribution, and field mapping. This drone integrates a flying platform with a variety of payload systems, encompassing multiple functionalities. An evolution of its predecessor, the P100 drone has already empowered local farmers to optimize production.

Featuring a foldable quadcopter design, the P100 Pro reduces its dimensions by 62% when collapsed, allowing for seamless transportation via vehicle or motorcycle. The drone utilizes the innovative XAG RevoSpray 3 system paired with a 50-liter smart liquid tank, achieving a maximum spraying rate of 22 liters per minute. Its crop protection capabilities enable coverage of up to 19 hectares per hour on open fields and 2 hectares per hour in orchards.

Personnel get ready for a demonstration flight of the P100 Pro.

For tasks such as seeding and fertilizer application, the drone excels with its RevoCast 3 system and an 80-liter container, dispersing 50 kilograms of fertilizer in just 20 seconds—effectively achieving 10,000 kilograms in a day. Broadcasting vertically, this technology ensures that seeds and fertilizers are evenly distributed, optimizing crop yields. Additionally, the XAG One App simplifies operations, allowing farmers to manage activities remotely via smartphone.

XAG Mekong, the authorized distributor for XAG products in Vietnam, is committed to providing sales, training, and post-sale support focused on digital agriculture technology. Through collaborative efforts, the XAG P100 Agricultural Drone is already in widespread use across the Mekong River Delta, serving rice, banana, and durian plantations.

The growing popularity of agricultural drones in Vietnam reflects a significant market shift. For instance, a 28-year-old farmer from Dong Thap province managing a 30-hectare rice farm decided to invest in the P100 drone for cost savings and enhanced productivity. The drone completed spraying across the entire farm in just four hours, a process that traditionally took five days of manual labor, achieving a commendable 30% reduction in chemical usage.

A Vietnamese farmer transporting the XAG P100 Agricultural Drone by motorcycle.

The demand for the XAG P100 has also been echoed by a banana plantation owner in Dong Nai province, who reported significant cost and resource reductions. Previously, two workers could cover only 1 hectare daily using manual methods, but with the P100, a small team can now manage 30 hectares in two days, also reducing water usage by an impressive 80%.

Following the launch, several farmers had the opportunity to test the P100 Pro. Nguyen Thanh Tung, a farmer from Dong Thap with three years of experience using agricultural drones on his 5-hectare farm, shared, “The drone carried 50 liters of pesticides and sprayed at an impressive speed, ensuring an even application.”

The P100 Pro flies over a Vietnamese banana field during a demonstration.

With the introduction of the XAG P100 Pro Agricultural Drone, the market is witnessing a significant demand for efficient and flexible farming solutions. As drone technology becomes increasingly integrated into rural farming practices, an array of new career opportunities is emerging for the next generation of farmers.