At six o'clock in the morning, the morning light cast a golden mist over the Fangting Hill estate in KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa. The rolling sugarcane sways in the wind, the antelope lightly leaps over the bushes, the zebra leisurely gnaws on the grass... The gentle breeze brings the fragrance of the soil, and the estate radiates vitality in the tranquility. On March 25th, at Fangting Hill Estate in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa, pilots operated drones to spray pesticides on sugarcane forests. Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Ge photographed a drone from China Jifei Technology Co., Ltd. loaded with 60 liters of pre configured disinfectant in the sugarcane fields in the hinterland of the estate. Under the control of the pilot, it slowly took off and flew smoothly according to the preset route to about three meters above the sugarcane fields to start spraying the pesticide. A fine mist of medicine poured down like a thin veil, covering every ridge of sugarcane forest. Fangting Hill is a large commercial farm that integrates agricultural planting, wildlife conservation, and ecotourism, located 30 kilometers from the capital of KwaZulu Natal province, Pietermaritzburg. The farm covers an area of approximately 2250 hectares and is planted with crops such as sugarcane, avocados, walnuts, and corn. As the main economic crop on the farm, sugarcane is plagued by sugarcane borer all year round. According to the agricultural manager of the estate, Deong Bugel, mature sugarcane can reach a height of 3 to 4 meters, with dense growth and sharp leaf edges. In addition, the terrain in the planting area is undulating, and traditional manual pesticide spraying operations are prone to crop damage and have very low efficiency. In 2024, Bugel approached agricultural service contractor John Prinzlu to introduce drones into the estate for spraying pesticides and fertilizers. Princelu has purchased a Chinese agricultural drone to provide services to 26 nearby farms. On March 25th, at Fangtingsil Manor in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa, Chinese agricultural drones sprayed fungicides on sugarcane forests. Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Ge photographed Prince Lu, saying that the advantage of agricultural drones lies in their high efficiency. He calculated an account for the reporter: manually spraying pesticides on 40 hectares of sugarcane forest requires 30 to 40 people to fight for a whole day, while using drones only requires three people to complete the operation. In steep terrain planting areas, the daily operation volume of a single drone can reach 90 hectares, and in flat areas, it can even reach 170 hectares per day. After completing the pesticide spraying on the first sugarcane forest, 21-year-old pilot Lucius Duplessis gently flicked the joystick in his hand, and the drone quickly returned and slowly landed in front of him. Two ground crew members quickly replaced the battery and refilled it with medication. The operation of drones may seem complex, but it is actually very simple. As long as it is pre-set, the operation after takeoff is basically fully automated Di Pu Li, the operator on the west side, told reporters that the drone can determine the safe altitude and speed of flight through 3D terrain survey before operation. The pilot can also adjust the spray amplitude, spray flow rate, and the size of the atomized particles of the medicine in real time to achieve precise spraying. In contrast, in the past, helicopters were used to spray pesticides due to their fast flight speed and high altitude, making it easy for pesticides to scatter with the wind during operations. This not only pollutes the environment but may also affect surrounding crops. On March 25th, at Fangting Hill Estate in KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa, staff prepared for the takeoff operation of the drone. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Ge: "China's drone technology has helped us achieve refined management of crops." Prinzlu said that unlike helicopters that can only perform large-scale and uniform spraying operations, drones can adjust the amount of pesticide spraying in different areas according to the actual growth needs of different crops. Not long after, the spraying task on one hectare of sugarcane land was completed. Di Plesi and his team drove with drones and medication trucks, continuing towards the sugarcane forest deep in the estate... It is reported that since entering the South African market in 2020, the cumulative service area of Jifei's agricultural drone products has exceeded 66000 hectares. Nowadays, a large number of Chinese drones have been introduced into African countries to assist in the modernization of local agriculture. Over the rice fields in Mozambique, wheat fields in Ethiopia, and vegetable gardens in Ghana, Chinese brand drones such as DJI and Jifei are bringing hope for a bountiful harvest to more African farmers. (New Society)