The case for farming drones

The increasing use of drones has rung alarm bells about future warfare. The unmanned flying objects have been associated mostly with negativity as a result. It doesn’t have to be that way, however, as mankind can benefit immensely from drones if they are utilised properly and their usage gets the full support of the peace-loving powers-that-be.
The proliferation of drones – in sports, military deployment and commercial use – has triggered fears of life imitating doomsday art. In other words, many people are increasingly worried that a world obsessed with drones would hasten the days when the best young gamers are recruited to control sophisticated weapons, like in many movies.
Such fears are justified. Drone-flying competitions have been frequent and feature very young contestants. The arenas are full of flashing lights and sounds that adults would find all but impossible to take part in. With a little tweaking, drone-flying contests could become ideal opportunities for military pilot recruitment in the future.
But the agricultural use of drones has become widespread, too, though in news terms that has “flown under the [reporters’] radar”. In Japan, for instance, companies are increasingly competing to develop high-tech farming drones for crop-spraying and other uses. The convenience provided by drones is said to be a new hope for agriculture in a country facing a shortage of new-generation farmers. According to a Japanese research, the crop-spraying drone market will grow almost 20 times between now and 2022, with new producers constantly emerging.
A big, ongoing factor in Japan has to do with how far the government will go in supporting these new activities. It will be the same for every other country trying to embrace the meaningful use of drones. Thailand, as an agricultural country, can not ignore the potential benefits. Education is very important, because the use of drones must be considered technically complicated by the nation’s majority, let alone the rural sector. This, along with the budgetary and regulatory aspects, is where the government must come in, totally and without politicisation.
Drones are an important issue, but debate or official talk about them has been overshadowed by divisive politics, which is leading nowhere. When drones became news, the headlines were concerned largely with recreational use of the flying objects. Required registration of drones, for example, has dominated news about the innovative objects, whereas talk about how to maximise their use for the public’s best interests has been minimal. Politicians and the media have to share the blame for this situation. 
Existing drone technology can provide soil or field analyses, drastically increase planting efficiency, play a big role in crop-spraying as well as crop-monitoring, and help identify irrigation needs. All these activities, if supported properly, can take agriculture from the hands of big conglomerates and hand it back to real farmers, experts say.
With the world’s population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, high-tech agriculture will become crucial. Old-fashioned farming will not be sufficient to meet the huge demands or cope with weather patterns that can grow more volatile.
The country needs visionary leaders who can see the importance of drones in economic development, and who realise the bad consequences of making the country obsessed with political divisiveness. 
Drones are very good tools if used positively, but they can be unbelievably destructive if used for military purposes. And one sure thing that can lead to disastrous utilisation of drones is divisive politics, which we have learned can bring about nightmarish scenarios.