DRONEs were first introduced to serve agricultural production in Viet Nam around 2017. In 2020, AgriDrone Viet Nam Aviation Equipment Joint Stock Company officially introduced drones into agricultural production. Up to now, the company’s drone service has been present in more than 50 provinces and cities across the country.
Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Huynh Tan Dat said that one of the common applications of drones is spraying pesticides quickly, evenly and accurately. Drones also support precise watering, helping to save water and maintain effective crop growth. In remote areas - where transportation is difficult, drones can easily access and support monitoring crop status without human intervention...
To unify the process of using drones nationwide, in 2023, the Department of Plant Protection (now the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection) officially issued standards on field testing of pesticides to prevent and control plant pests using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Dang Quoc Thang - Head of the drone group (CropLife Viet Nam Association) shared that although there have been significant advances in Viet Nam, the application of drones in agricultural production still has some challenges.
First of all, the process of operating drones in agriculture requires high technical skills and strict compliance with safety regulations. Meanwhile, the human resources with expertise in operating and calibrating flying devices in our country are currently limited.
The process of testing pesticides used on drones requires specific standards, suitable for actual farming conditions, while the implementation mechanism is still in the finalisation stage, leading to businesses taking a long time to complete the registration dossier for drugs used on this device.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of AgriDrone Viet Nam Mai Anh Tuan said that the price of unmanned devices is still a barrier for many small-scale farmers. The company recommends that relevant units invest in research and development of drone technologies suitable for farming conditions and crop characteristics in Viet Nam.
Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection Huynh Tan Dat said that in 2025, the Department will coordinate with relevant units to plan to organise another training course on operating plant protection spraying by drone for officials of organisations qualified to test plant protection products.
The Department will continue to integrate training programmes, develop plans, and sign cooperation agreements with a number of associations, unions, and enterprises to train, coach, and improve the capacity of officials of organisations qualified to test plant protection products on the use and operation of drones.
