Drone services giant Terra Drone Acquires Agriculture Startup Avirtech
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
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Drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology leader Terra Drone Corporation is entering the precision agriculture sector through its acquisition of agricultural drone spraying and mapping startup Avirtech. Terra Drone will expand under the new “Terra Agri” brand in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Terra Drone has been recognized as one of the world’s leading drone service providers by drone research firms like Drone Industry Insights. Terra Drone has carried out over 3,000 surveys and inspection projects in 10 countries, while its subsidiary Unifly has the leading unmanned traffic management (UTM) system in North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Avirtech offers pesticide spraying and mapping services that utilize drones and artificial intelligence (AI). Its solutions assist palm oil farmers and plantation companies to reduce crop failures, with a 30% reduction in operating costs. With an average of 4,000 flights per day, Avirtech has aided in the scientific cultivation of over 200,000 hectares of land throughout Indonesia and Malaysia. The two countries supply roughly 80% of the global production of palm oil, yet they are faced with major challenges such as deforestation, ecological impacts, harsh labor conditions, labor shortages, and other environmental problems. Additionally, major price increases resulting from a palm oil shortage have become a significant issue.
Avirtech is credited with helping to solve labor shortages, improve worker safety, and increase productivity in the palm oil industry. The company is expected to continue in these efforts and support sustainable palm oil production, as well as provide value from an ESG investment perspective.
“Terra Drone is entering the agricultural sector anew with the transfer of business from Avirtech,” said Terra Drone Corporation Founder and CEO Toru Tokushige. “The integration of our expertise with Avirtech’s groundbreaking crop intelligence technologies opens doors to unprecedented opportunities for enhancing productivity, optimizing resource allocation, and promoting environmental sustainability in farming.”
“We are pleased to announce the sale of our business to Terra Drone,” added Avirtech CEO Rendy Ferixsen. “This strategic progression not only empowers us to redefine the potential of agricultural drone solutions but also reinforces our unswerving dedication to technological excellence.”
“We believe Terra Drone will further elevate our technology to our customers and bring further advancement into Agriculture 4.0,” said Avirtech COO Wilson Ong.
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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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