Drones aid farming in eastern Taiwan with fertilizer and pesticide use

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Farmers in Taitung Valley have utilized drones for fertilization and pesticide spraying, a move aimed at addressing rural labor shortages while saving time and costs.

With assistance from the Taitung Farmers' Association, some local farmers have hired drone operator Lin Po-hsun (林柏勳) to apply the technology to rice and pineapple farming. Lin said that drones can spray 1,000 square meters of farmland in just five to 10 minutes.

A farmer surnamed Chen (陳) said that densely planted pineapple fields make manual spraying labor-intensive and time-consuming. With pesticide workers increasingly hard to find, she praised the efficiency of drones, noting that hiring a drone operator for less than 30 minutes of spraying costs her about NT$400 (US$13.33).

According to the Taitung County Government, drone operators for agriculture must hold an aerial pesticide spraying certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and a drone operation license issued by the Civil Aviation Administration. Additionally, all drone spraying activities must be submitted for approval at least two weeks in advance.

Taitung’s Agriculture Department noted that the vast size of many fields in Taitung Valley, Guanshan Township, and Chishang Township, combined with the increasing numbers and rapid reproduction of fall armyworms, has led many local farmers to turn to drones for pesticide spraying. The department added that many young people from the county have formed drone teams to assist local farmers with agricultural tasks.

In June, drone applications in Kaohsiung’s Qishan and Meinong Districts were suspended after the Naval Antisubmarine Aviation Command designated most of the airspace in these areas as no-fly zones, citing military training. A Kaohsiung drone operators’ union raised concerns, emphasizing that June and July are peak growing seasons for many crops in the region. It added the halt in drone operations could lead to a rapid spread of pests.

To address the issue, DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) held a meeting Thursday with the Navy, the Civil Aviation Administration, and other relevant agencies. She said the parties had reached a consensus that drone operators or academic institutions in Kaohsiung that need to use drones should submit applications for review by the city government, the Navy, and the aviation administration.