Smart Rice Planting Demonstration...
Advanced Agricultural Machinery Expected to Address Labor Shortages
Demonstration of GPS-Based Autonomous Rice Planter and Drone-Based Crop Spraying Technology
On April 29, Pohang City held a 'Smart Rice Planting Demonstration' in the fields of Singwang-myeon, showcasing the latest agricultural technologies such as autonomous rice planting machines and drone-based crop spraying.
This demonstration event was organized as part of the introduction of new technologies to increase agricultural productivity and address labor shortages. More than 200 people attended, including Vice Mayor Jang Sanggil, members of the Korea Rice Farmers Association, and other agricultural stakeholders, showing great interest in the event.
At the event site, a GPS-based autonomous rice planting machine was demonstrated, drawing significant attention.
Vice Mayor Jang Sanggil is demonstrating an autonomous rice planting machine driving without manual operation, with his hands off the controls. Photo by Pohang City
This rice planting machine can travel in straight lines and automatically change direction without any manual operation by the worker, enabling precise and efficient rice planting.
The depth and spacing of rice seedlings are also automatically adjusted, which is expected to greatly contribute to improved productivity.
In addition, drone-based pesticide spraying technology was demonstrated. The drone autonomously flies along a pre-set route, accurately spraying pesticides, and can complete the work on 1,000 pyeong (approximately 3,300 square meters) in less than 10 minutes, boasting high efficiency.
Vice Mayor Jang Sanggil spoke with farmers on site, listening to a variety of opinions regarding the mechanization of rice production.
One farmer expressed high expectations, saying, "Labor shortages have been a major concern, but if these machines are widely distributed, it will be a great help."
Vice Mayor Jang stated, "The voices from the field are valuable data for determining the future direction of agricultural administration," and added, "We will continue to provide various forms of support to reduce the management burden on farmers and create a sustainable agricultural environment."
Pohang City expects to produce about 37,000 tons of rice this year from approximately 5,340 hectares of cultivated area.
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