- DJI is using Thailand’s diverse agricultural landscape, particularly durian orchards, as a testing ground for advanced agricultural drone technologies like precision spraying and aerial lifting.
- Thailand has rapidly become DJI’s largest Southeast Asian market for agricultural drones, experiencing significant growth since 2016.
- Drones address critical challenges in the cultivation of high-value crops like durian, especially by enabling effective spraying on very tall and mature trees that are otherwise inaccessible with traditional methods.
Thailand has emerged as DJI’s most important market in South East Asia as agricultural drones have rapidly scaled across the country’s agricultural sector.
“Thailand now covers 50% of our Southeast Asia business, so it is a very important market for DJI. Since we entered the market in 2016, it has grown around 50 times in just seven years,” said Joanna Wang, Global Policy Lead, SZ DJI Technology.
At this year’s Agritechnica Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, DJI introduced the new DJI AGRAS T50 drone.
This reflected the company’s belief in Thailand, not just for its strong customer base but also as a strategic launchpad and anchor.
Revolutionising durian farming
The introduction of the T50 reinforces the country’s importance as a testing ground and early adopter market for DJI’s agricultural technologies.
Speaking to AgNavigator, Wang said Thailand offered agtech companies a unique landscape to operate in.
Like its home market of China, Thailand has plenty of land growing staple crops like rice. At the same time, it grows high-value orchard crops like durian, which require more precision solutions.
This mix of staple crops and high-value produce makes it an ideal testing ground.
Durian, in particular, has played a key role in demonstrating the value of drones in solving major pain points.
For instance, a major issue in durian cultivation is tree height. Mature durian trees can exceed 30 metres, making them extremely difficult to treat using traditional methods.
However, it is often the tallest, most mature trees that have the most valuable yield.
These difficulties create a critical gap. The inability to properly spray these trees directly affects yield and quality, making an effective aerial solution essential.
“If the tree is very old and valuable, it can be more than 30 metres. Manual spraying cannot reach that height, so that’s where drones come in,” said Wang.
Drones address these constraints by enabling precise spraying at height, particularly in challenging terrains such as mountainous orchards where durian is often grown.
Unlike staple crops such as rice, durians are a premium product, making farmers more willing to invest in advanced technology to protect and maximise yields.
This has allowed DJI to explore more drone applications in the segment, including logistics like transporting durian aerially, saving farmers trips up and down the difficult terrain.
“This reduces a lot of time and costs for the farmers. Last year, we just launched the first lifting system, first in China. And this year, it’s already come to Thailand. We have already lifted 6.5 million tonnes in China, just in one year,” said Wang.
A bright future
Wang expressed confidence in the growth and adoption of drones in Thailand, which she described as being largely organic and peer-driven.
Furthermore, compared to traditional machinery like tractors, drones are relatively inexpensive.
In many countries, government support through subsidies or agricultural loans has helped farmers acquire the equipment.
She added that farmers view the return on investment as highly attractive.
“Farmers can recover the cost of a drone within a month by using it not only on their own land but also as a service provider for others. This reinforces the idea that drones are not just tools but income-generating tools.”
Looking ahead, DJI expects drones to become increasingly intelligent, said Wang.
While early models required full manual control, modern drones are incorporating advanced features such as LiDAR and obstacle detection systems.
These technologies allow drones to autonomously navigate complex environments, enabling operators to focus on spraying tasks rather than piloting.