Drones for GoodIRRI, the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s rice research arm PhilRice and DA regional offices run Drones4Rice, a three-year initiative funded by the DA Bureau of Agricultural Research. In its first year (2025) the team developed protocols for drone-based seeding, pesticide spraying and fertilizer spreading and field-tested them in Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON and Bicol.
According to IRRI, the protocols support the DA drone voucher programme, which provides PHP 2,000 per hectare in assistance for farmers to access drone services. IRRI notes that labour accounts for nearly one-third of rice production costs. Private drone service providers assisted with field operations and trials.