The first 'Made-in-Vietnam' agricultural drone costs VND300-500 million

A hi-tech agriculture drone HLD-18 was first introduced in the southern province of Hau Giang on March 18. The drone weighs 16kg, can carry up to 10kg liquid payloads and fly for 10 minutes.

Agricultural drones are among the hi-tech applications that Vietnam’s agriculture sector has been promoting. The devices could help farmers increase the efficiency of the farming process,  monitor and manage crops and livestock management, pray fertilisers and develop irrigation maps.

Agricultural drone HLD-18 is wholly made in Vietnam. It was developed and manufactured by the Hoa Lac High Technology Application Research Institute (HIRA). On March 18, 2021, it was first tested to spray plant production products in the southern province of Hau Giang.

The HLD-18 drone is equipped with an electric motor multi-rotor and can vertically take off or landing.

With the weight of 16kg (including its battery),  a 10-litre tank,  it can carry up to 10kg liquid payloads. During a trip of 5 - 10 minutes, it could spray 0.35 - 1 ha with a spray width of 4 – 6 metres.

The HLD-18 drone is integrated with automatic flight setting, automatic spray adjustment for many crops such as food crops, fruit trees and industrial crops.

The drone is easy to carry, easy to use and could help save pesticide and more than 90 per cent of water.

With mist technology, the spraying drone increases permeability on crops, thus increase spraying efficiency by 50 times; reduce harms for users, soil and the environment as well as reduce production costs for farmers.

The drone has received much attention from farmers, especially the agricultural cooperatives in localities in the Mekong Delta.

After a flight test period, HLD-18 has shown its advantages in spraying pesticides over large areas where it is difficult to access and especially reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning for sprayers. . The drone is estimated to cost VND 300-500 million.