Drone use booms
Drone spraying in New Zealand has surged over the last five years, AgDrone Director and Chief Pilot Jacob Robinson says.
The demand from the agricultural and commercial sectors has grown particularly throughout the North Island.
AgDrone Limited and DroneUp New Zealand Limited’s booth showcased advanced agricultural drones and compliance packages, drawing interest from farmers and operators focused on precision spraying and aerial mapping. Photo: Lachlan Eddie
Robinson said drones could now handle jobs like roof spraying, water blasting, window cleaning, lifting hay bales, cleaning solar panels, and lifting heavy construction tools.
“We probably do about 60 agriculture and then 40 commercial works,” he said.
Robinson, who was at Mystery Creek for Fieldays in June, said his company’s drone capacity had increased significantly as technology improved.
AgDrone director and chief pilot Jacob Robinson with a drone at Fieldays, where tech and training providers showcased drones’ rising impact in farming and commercial operations. Photo: Lachlan Eddie
“We started with a 10 litre drone, then went to a 15, to a 30, now we’re at 40 — and now we’ve finally got the 100 litre.”
The 100 litre drone is designed for large scale commercial work, a sector Robinson describes as highly competitive.
A high‑capacity drone designed for heavy lifting and wide‑area farm spraying. Photo: Lachlan Eddie
“That’s a competitive field for us because we save commercial companies a lot of money in terms of safety and scaffolding costs. We can get the job done much quicker, so that’s been growing a lot for us lately,” he said. AgDrone was one of the first companies in New Zealand to begin drone spraying. The business has changed ownership several times and is now operated by Robinson and his business partner, Jordan Salmons, who runs DroneUp New Zealand Limited.
