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How sustainability can modernise rice farming
Olam Agri’s Better Rice Initiative Asia focuses on reduced reliance on chemical inputs and more efficient water management
Published Sun, Mar 9, 2025 · 05:00 PM
[SINGAPORE] Thai farmer Khun Thanu has two new “employees” – a drone and a direct-seeding machine.
The drone can apply fertiliser to plants in minutes, not only saving hours of work for the 57-year-old, but also reducing damage to crops.
Meanwhile, the direct-seeding machine speeds up the planting process and eliminates the need for heavy flooding, which is traditionally done for rice crops to control the growth of weeds. As a result, Thanu’s seed usage per rai – a land measurement unit in Thailand – has been reduced from about 10 kg to just 3.5 kg.
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