The drone giant is revolutionizing a $60 billion market

With the ability to apply (spray) crop protection products at 2,400 acres per hour, American Pelican start becomes the eldest Drone which obtain approval from the Civil Aviation Service in United States of America In order to use them in the country’s crops.

A drone (similar to aircraft used by the armed forces) can carry 245kg or 265 liters of plant protection material, while the fact that its wings are attached opens up new ways – from the air – of plant protection.

It’s electric, so the environmental footprint of its flights is zero, it’s easy to handle, and a 150-meter long road/runway is sufficient for takeoff/landing. In addition, it is equipped with the latest obstacle avoidance technology and can fly at night. As mentioned above, it can spray 2,400 acres per hour, while its operator can adjust spray speed and droplet size for precision planting applications.

Pelicans are already being used on banana plantations in Costa Rica, where in 2021 the first ever pilot spraying of banana plantations on the planet took place, in Honduras, Brazil and New Zealand. In Costa Rica, they are licensed for overnight cruises.

The idea was born in a garage, the drone built in a yard

The idea for the drone originated in a garage, as it has with many other startups, but due to its size, the first experimental drone called “Big Bird” was built in the backyard of Becca, co-founder Michael Norcia’s home. .

Passionate about aircraft from a young age, Norcia started working for an air taxi company, however, since the relevant licenses would be granted after 10-20 years, he turned to building agricultural drones, thus Pyka appeared in 2018.

Today, the company manufactures its drones in California, taking advantage of investment incentives offered by the country, which is the world’s leading agricultural technology company.

The United States, a leader in the agricultural UAV industry

estimated m. Norcia predicts that the air spray market will reach tens of billions of dollars in the coming years (today estimated at $60 billion worldwide). The United States is the leader in this market with air sprayer sales valued at $800 million annually with leafy greens, fruits and vegetables in general, as there are crops that require up to 15 sprays during the growing season.

Licensing the Pelican for use in US agriculture is a huge step for the agricultural drone industry in both the US and the world.

At the same time, there is also a lot of interest in drones in the European Union, where legislation for their use is being updated. Today, spraying – from the air – is prohibited, but in practice the use of drones by farmers – also in Greece – is increasing at an exponential rate, although of course it is much smaller in scale than the aforementioned American company Pyka.

However, on the one hand the significant shortage of labor force and on the other the need to reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture, as well as to increase the competitiveness of European agriculture so that it does not lag behind its competitors, they are clearly pushing for faster decision-making by the EU and European governments.

Follow Powergame.gr on Google News to get instant and valid financial information!