Xinhua News Agency, Johannesburg, April 6 (Xinhua)
By Xinhua Reporters Bai Ge and Tian Hongyi
At 6 a.m., the morning sunlight casts a golden mist over the Fountain hill Estate in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Rows of sugarcane sway gently in the wind, antelopes leap gracefully through the bushes, and zebras leisurely nibble at the grass... A light breeze carries the earthy scent, and the estate exudes vibrant life in the tranquil morning.
On March 25, at the Fountainhill Estate in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, a drone operator controls a UAV to spray pesticides over the sugarcane fields.(Photo by Xinhua reporter Bai Ge)
In the heart of the estate’s sugarcane fields, a drone manufactured by China’s BRICS Innovation Technology Company takes off slowly under the control of an operator. Loaded with 60 liters of pre-mixed fungicide, the drone follows a preset flight path and hovers about three meters above the sugarcane before beginning its spray operation. A fine mist of pesticide cascades down like a thin veil, evenly covering each row of sugarcane.
Fountain hill is a large commercial farm that integrates agricultural planting, wildlife conservation, and eco-tourism. It is located about 30 kilometers from Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal Province. The farm spans approximately 2,250 hectares and grows crops such as sugarcane, avocados, pecans, and maize.
As the farm's main cash crop, sugarcane is frequently troubled by sugarcane borers. According to the estate’s agricultural manager, Deon Bugle, mature sugarcane can reach heights of 3 to 4 meters. The dense growth, combined with the sharp-edged leaves and the undulating terrain, makes traditional manual pesticide spraying not only highly inefficient but also likely to damage the crops.
In 2024, Bugle approached agricultural service contractor John Prinsloo to introduce drones for pesticide and fertilizer application on the estate. Prinsloo purchased a Chinese agricultural drone, which now serves 26 farms in the surrounding area.
On March 25, at the Fountainhill Estate in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, a Chinese agricultural drone sprays fungicide over the sugarcane fields.(Photo by Xinhua reporter Bai Ge)
Prinsloo explained that the main advantage of agricultural drones is efficiency. He gave the reporters an example: manually spraying pesticides over 40 hectares of sugarcane would require 30 to 40 people working an entire day, while using drones, only three people are needed to complete the same task. In hilly farming areas, a single drone can cover up to 90 hectares per day, and in flatter areas, it can even cover up to 170 hectares daily.
After completing the pesticide spraying on the first sugarcane plot, 21-year-old drone pilot Lucius du Plessis gently moved the control stick, and the drone quickly returned and slowly landed in front of him. Two ground crew members swiftly replaced the battery and refilled the pesticide tank.
The operation of the drone seems complicated, but it is actually very simple. As long as the settings are done in advance, the operation is essentially fully automated after takeoff," said du Plessis while controlling the drone. He explained that the drone can determine safe flying height and speed through 3D terrain mapping before starting the operation. The pilot can also adjust the spray width, flow rate, and pesticide mist particle size in real-time to achieve precise spraying. In contrast, when using helicopters for pesticide spraying, the high speed and altitude often cause the pesticides to drift with the wind, not only polluting the environment but also potentially affecting nearby crops.
On March 25, at the Fountainhill Estate in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, staff prepare the drone for takeoff.(Photo by Xinhua reporter Bai Ge)
"China's drone technology has helped us achieve precision management of our crops," said Prinsloo. Unlike helicopters, which can only spray pesticide uniformly over a wide area, drones can adjust the pesticide application rate by region according to the actual growth needs of different crops.
Soon, the pesticide spraying task on one hectare of sugarcane was completed. Du Plessis and his team drove with the drone and the pesticide truck, continuing deeper into the estate's sugarcane fields...
Since entering the African market in 2022, BRICS Innovation’s agricultural drone products have covered a total service area of over 180,000 hectares. As the equipment used in the drone competition of the China-Africa Vocational Skills Challenge, the products have demonstrated excellent performance and garnered a great reputation, whether in pre-competition training, in-competition applications, or post-competition purchases.
Today, Chinese drones are being widely introduced into African countries, assisting in the modernization of local agriculture. Over rice fields in Mozambique, wheat fields in Ethiopia, and vegetable gardens in Ghana, drones from Chinese brands like DJI and BRICS Innovation are bringing hope for a bountiful harvest to more African farmers.
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