Page 30 - Vol.39-No.6

DRONES FOR FARMING SPECIALIST

DRONES FOR FARMING SPECIALIST ABZ

INNOVATION LAUNCHES SOLUTION THAT COULD

OFFER WAY OUT OF FARM LABOUR CRISIS

Hungary-based drones for agriculture About ABZ Innovation
pioneer ABZ Innovation is readying its in- According to experts, British farmers are
troduction into the UK market following some of the most enthusiastic in the world
success in countries across Europe with about the benefits of drones for farming.
a technology that could help alleviate ABZ is poised to enter a large and rela-
Britain’s farm labour shortage. Already tively untapped market, thanks to new
present in five countries, the system of- rules which allow drones to spray crops.
fers a revolutionary new use for drones This could transform British farming and
far removed from hobbyists or their use massively boost its productivity at a time
in conflict zones. ABZ chief executive Karoly Ludvigh
said: “With the problems with the lack of of high energy costs, and a tight labour
workforce in crops and orchards in the UK, shortage.
drones can provide a very cost-effective ABZ is considered the European leader
alternative. They also have the benefit of in drone technology, and the large British
helping growers use significantly less water market offers a foothold to challenge Chi-
and chemicals.” nese dominance in the area. This could be
With the cost of rising input materials a boon to farmers large and small, wheth-
having a major impact on accuracy, Lud- er they are a massive wheat grower on
vigh said the pinpoint accuracy of spray- England’s eastern plains, or an ancient
ing with ABZ drones – within 1.5m – can family-run dairy farm set among hills and
be a valuable asset in keeping input and hedgerows.
water costs down. In fact, in the light of The full impact of drones on farming
the Ukraine war, food shortages and the may be nothing short of revolutionary, and
rapidly changing weather, Ludvigh believes thanks to new post-Brexit rule changes,
precision farming is no longer a choice, ABZ and British farmers can make this a re-
but the only way to uphold agricultural ality in the UK in the next few years, cutting
production. food prices, strengthening the economy,
He continued: “Proper soil and crop man- and boosting national security all at once.
agement has become paramount to really
provide our plants with the kind of soil they
require to withstand weather conditions
as well as possible.”

At the same time, Karoly says drone
Developed and tested together with the
University of Gyor, the drone solution of- technology has been accelerating at an
incredible rate with as many changes in
fers a lower-cost, highly-efficient means the 12 months of 2022 as in the previous
of spraying fields and orchards that allows six years put together. “The pace of these
farmers and growers to benefit from a re- changes has been amazingly fast and I think
duced workload and an easier means of it will get even faster,” he added.
spraying hard-to-access areas.
Cost savings are a key element of the
ABZ system, which tests showing that tar-
geted, precise management through drones
uses 90% less water than conventional
spraying and up to 50% fewer chemicals.
In the case of the UK, the ABZ drone sys-
tem offers a potential system to growers
and farmers hit hard by the post-Brexit
shortage of agricultural labour. According to
calculations from the UK’s National Farmers’
Union, some £60m of fresh produce was
left to rot in the fields in 2022 due to a
lack of workers.

28 Vol. 39 No. 6
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