Technology startup for agricultural services begins drone operations in the United States

Technology has been a great ally in improving agricultural productivity and reducing losses caused by pests that can compromise crops and plantations. Therefore, different companies have combined their expertise to offer complete services to meet the current demands of the segment.

And even in the midst of the crisis, the results are encouraging in the agricultural sector, as it was the only one growing in Brazil in the first quarter of this year, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ) from the country. Also because of this, the country has become an international hotbed of innovation for agribusiness. This is the case, for example, of Arpac - startup focused on agricultural services and technologies, which has just started operations in the United States.

With the first drone flight carried out in the United States in August, the initiative is the result of a partnership that has been taking place in Brazil since 2018, between Arpac and Taranis - an Israeli startup providing precision agricultural monitoring technology. Both combined their know-how in the development and operation of agricultural drones and the use of artificial intelligence to detect anomalies. Together, the companies flew over 75 thousand hectares, mainly in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil.

"We have assembled a team for the States of Indiana and Illinois and we should expand it until March of next year. The partnership with Taranis has allowed Brazilian producers access to a precise analysis of the health of their crops, one day after the drone overflight. We are sure that this partnership has the same potential internationally", says Eduardo Goerl, CEO and founder of ARPAC.

Since the beginning of the partnership, this joint agricultural work has generated satisfactory results. This is because the field operation teams have full training and use the drone manufactured by Arpac itself, generating high-resolution images that are sent for analysis by Taranis and made available to rural producers. After receiving the images, the Israeli startup carries out complete analyzes to identify pests, diseases and weeds. Thus, it is possible to view the crop in a broad and agile way, and detect anomalies in production with a high level of detail for more assertive decision-making.

"Continuing to expand our partnership with Arpac and utilizing their drones will allow Taranis to greatly expand our presence in the Brazilian and US markets," said Ofir Schlam, CEO and co-founder of Taranis. "Arpac's drones combined with our AI2 SmartScout Solutions will allow us to cover exponentially more hectares and provide our necessary imaging, analysis and prescription services so that farmers can be more profitable during this time of high volatility."

In Brazil, the main crops already worked through this partnership are soybeans, corn, sugarcane and rice, while in the United States, initially, they will be soybeans and corn.