Terra Drone Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that its subsidiary based in Indonesia, Terra Drone Indonesia, in collaboration with Midwest Composites, a developer of advanced materials, has developed and officially started using an aircraft cover (hereinafter this product) suitable for agricultural drones in the palm oil industry. Instead of conventional plastic covers, this product uses a bio-composite material that can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 73.2% during manufacturing, and is highly durable even in the harsh agricultural environment of tropical regions, achieving both reduced environmental impact and stable on-site operation.
Environmental issues in the palm oil industry and the significance of using drones
The palm oil industry, which continues to expand mainly in Southeast Asia, faces environmental issues such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Against this backdrop, Terra Drone has been providing a drone-based pesticide spraying service. Compared to spraying by hand, spraying with a drone reduces the risk of workers coming into contact with pesticides and allows for efficient spraying of the minimum amount of pesticide required. As a result, it also leads to an increase in the yield per oil palm tree and contributes to environmental conservation from a broader perspective, such as curbing unnecessary deforestation.
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As part of these efforts, Terra Drone Indonesia has been working with Midwest to adopt a bio-composite material made from renewable natural fibers for the body cover of agricultural drones. In February 2025, the two companies signed an MOU on R&D, with Midwest responsible for material development and molding, and Terra Drone Indonesia responsible for flight testing and structural evaluation. As a result, they were able to achieve both the durability and environmental performance required in agricultural fields, and have now officially started operation.
SOURCE: PRTimes
