AGRIDOM

By Edg Adrian A. Eva, Reporter

AGRIDOM SOLUTIONS, INC. uses advanced drones to help local farmers overcome field challenges, leading to higher yields and increased profits.

“We saw an opportunity to help farmers and the agriculture industry modernize and keep up with our neighboring countries,” Agridom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dominador L. Subang said in an interview. “When we did the market research, most of the pain points of farmers were, No. 1, their bottom line — low income.”

“Second is hard labor… Farming, as most people know, is a very laborious endeavor. And next is the safety of the farmer, as they are exposed to harmful chemicals. With our solution, we can address all those issues,” he added.

The Philippine agricultural tech startup’s flagship product features artificial intelligence (AI)-equipped drones and services, giving farmers the option to either buy the equipment or avail themselves of drone-assisted solutions.

These include unmanned aerial and ground vehicles equipped with real-time mapping, terrain sensing and fully autonomous systems.

The drones can perform precise spraying, spreading and high-definition crop mapping, enabling smart farming for high-value crops like rice.

This helps farmers reduce manual labor, minimize exposure to chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and improve yield and profit.

“When you observe farming practices, especially traditional ones, we just broadcast the fertilizer — even the seeding — randomly,” Mr. Subang said. “But with drones, it’s autonomous, automated and mapped.”

Rice fields integrated with Agridom’s smart farming solutions have posted an average yield increase of 30%, a 20% reduction in labor costs, a 30% decrease in chemical use and as much as 90% in water savings, according to the startup.

Mr. Subang said they want to make their technology both affordable and farmer-friendly, offering drone spraying services for rice fields at rates as low as P750 per hectare.

To date, the agri-tech company has worked on 12,000 hectares across 14 regions.

The CEO said they plan to expand and enhance their technology to help more farmers increase their income and reduce their workload.

He added that this could eventually lead to attracting a new generation of farmers, as the long-held notion that farming is backbreaking work could now be dispelled through technology.

“People should realize that farming, when done properly, is profitable,” Mr. Subang said.

Farmers and fisherfolk are the poorest in the country, according to a 2023 report by the local statistics agency.

Mr. Subang said he is optimistic that in three to five years, smart technology like drones would become the norm in agriculture, helping more farmers and boosting food security.