Transformation towards smart agriculture

Situbondo (ANTARA) - In the morning, as the sun rises, it signals the start of routine activities for farmers, from planting rice to tending and weeding the crops. Luciano Satrio Himawan Afianto, an employee of the Situbondo Regency Agriculture and Food Security Office (Dispertangan) in East Java, has taken on a new role as an operator of agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles, or agri-drones. The hum and whir of the drone’s propellers, operated by the Dispertangan employee, indicates preparations for spraying fertiliser or pesticides on rice fields owned by farmers who have previously registered to use the government-facilitated agricultural drones free of charge. Since early May 2026, the Situbondo Regency Government has begun transforming towards smart agriculture by providing free agricultural drones to local farmers for fertilisation efforts to increase food crop productivity, particularly rice. The agricultural drone operator from the Agriculture and Food Security Office can complete the spraying of fertiliser, pesticides, and crop nutrients on five hectares of rice in less than an hour. Luciano, as he is known, has been assigned since early May to serve local farmers by spraying liquid fertiliser on rice crops on a rotating daily basis. “This agricultural drone has a capacity to carry 40 litres of liquid fertiliser for spraying, and five hectares only take about an hour,” he said. Farmers in the City of Santri can now utilise digital technology to enhance their rice productivity. Dispertangan Situbondo currently has only one agricultural drone unit, and farmer groups spread across 17 sub-districts are expected to make use of this future technology to optimise harvest yields. During the first week of the smart agriculture transformation, 21 farmer groups have registered to use the unmanned aerial vehicle designed specifically for agricultural land fertilisation. There are several requirements that must be met to utilise the drone for fertiliser spraying, including farmer groups coordinating the farmers with a minimum land area of five hectares. Other requirements include the spraying location being accessible by pickup truck and drone carrier, as well as proximity to a water source; the nutrients (fertiliser or pesticides) to be sprayed are prepared by Dispertangan or provided by the farmers themselves.