Bayer to help hike agri production through AI

CEBU, Philippines — Life science company, Bayer Philippines Inc. (Bayer) has committed to help Filipino farmers increase their production through the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to farming.

A strategic partnership on digital farming technology in the Philippines and Southeast Asia was forged under a Memorandum of Understanding between Bayer and XAG which claims to be world’s largest drone supplier.

According to Iiinas Ivan Lao, country commercial lead for Bayer CropScience in the Philippines, Filipino farmers will soon have access to drones that intelligently map farms or collect crop growth information via remote sensing or AI (artificial intelligence) farm technologies.

The use of drones will tremendously raise efficiency in small Filipino farmers’ production, he said.

The technology will enable farmers to overcome farming challenges including labor shortage, water availability, product stewardship and safe use, and most importantly, allowing them to grow more with less.

“As the leader in agriculture, Bayer is committed to enabling smallholder farmers access

to digital technology and solutions. We look forward to working closely with XAG, our channel and value chain partners, as well as the governments and other key stakeholders in the countries to leapfrog the smart agricultural movement in Southeast Asia and Pakistan from farm to table,” added Andre Kraide, the Bayer head for its CropScience division in Southeast Asia and Pakistan.

XAG’s drones, specifically the granule spreading system, is used in seeding, fertilization, and plant protection in an arial way accurately through AI techniques.

The partnership involves distribution of XAG products through Bayer’s channels.  It will jointly promote and develop markets through partnerships with local distributors.