SUBANG, Indonesia, Sept. 30, 2025 -- As Indonesia accelerates its efforts to strengthen food security and modernize agriculture, leading players in the field are turning to new technologies to address challenges such as labor shortages and rising production costs. This season, amidst pushes for rice self-sufficiency and increasing climate unpredictability, the introduction of XAG agricultural drones at Sang Hyang Seri (SHS) marks an important milestone in the country's agricultural innovation.

SHS, a state-owned enterprise and one of Indonesia's most recognized rice companies, manages around 5,000 hectares of rice paddies and plays a crucial role in the nation's rice supply. According to Dasep Setiawan, farm manager at SHS Sukamandi, the shift from labor-intensive practices to digital and precise farming methods represents a significant turning point for the farm, even though SHS is still at the early stages of this transformation.

These changes align with national action plans set by the government and reflect recent reports from the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, which highlight the importance of precision agriculture and automation for increasing yields and improving resource efficiency.

Since early 2025, with support from PT Blessed Bentara Agri Indonesia, XAG's local distributor, SHS began trialing the P100 Pro drones across 15 hectares of rice paddies. The trials leveraged high-capacity autonomous spraying and spreading technology to enhance daily operations and streamline field management.

Transport logistics in Indonesia can be a major hurdle, especially for large-scale farms that operate across remote or scattered fields. The foldable design of the XAG P100 Pro reduces storage space requirements, making transport between rice paddies easy and safe even by motorcycle or minivan. Setiawan explained, "With the drone, we can have a high degree of mobility. This is important for our needs since we have to move between fields quickly, sometimes on just a moment's notice."

Precision crop protection is another benefit. As one of the classic models in XAG P Series agricultural drone, the trusted P100 Pro has been widely adopted on farms worldwide over the past two years, delivering highly precise and consistent results. It comes equipped with the XAG RevoSpray system and a 50-liter smart liquid tank, capable of spraying at a flow rate of up to 22 liters per minute. Setiawan said, "Now, pesticide spraying is much more accurate. We can control the dosage, the speed, and the height all through the app before every mission. Coverage is also more uniform compared to manual spraying, which used to have a lot of inconsistencies."

Studies from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture support these observations. Research shows that drone-based spraying can reduce chemical use by up to 30 percent while increasing the uniformity of application and minimizing operator exposure to agrochemicals. SHS fields managed with the P100 Pro is expected to show improved pest management and crop health, particularly during the busiest planting and harvesting periods.

The drone's RevoCast system extends its functionality to fertilizer and seed spreading. With an 80-liter tank and an ability to spread up to 150 kilograms per minute, the system allows for efficient and even application. Setiawan noted that "spreading fertilizer manually can easily lead to uneven distribution and waste. With the drone, the coverage is much more even, which directly affects yield and input savings."

SHS drone pilot Adam Dalah Agung, who oversees daily drone operations, has seen these benefits firsthand. "Drones have greatly improved efficiency. With the P100 Pro, you can spray or spread fertilizer on large areas alone. In the past, the same work needed at least ten people." He added, "Every parameter can be set on the XAG One app. The operation is simple, monitoring is clear, and we can complete a day's work in just a few hours. It really saves a lot of time and reduces workload."

While SHS is experiencing substantial efficiency gains, management also considers the social impact of introducing advanced machinery to farming communities. Both Setiawan and Agung believe technology should empower farmers to develop new skills rather than replace rural livelihoods. To support this, the company is piloting training sessions for farmers who want to learn about drone operation and digital agriculture.

Interest in the XAG agricultural drones is spreading among other large-scale producers. As climate variability and rising food demand shape each season's priorities, the adoption of drone technology is providing a clear pathway for management-led transformation, helping growers achieve more consistent yields and greater resource efficiency. "Many visiting farmers want to see and try the technology for themselves. We believe more companies and farmers across Indonesia will follow this path," Setiawan said.