The business case for precision drone spraying: A smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal

This case study examines the economic and operational impact of adopting precision drone spraying for an 80-hectare smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Comparing drone services to traditional tractor-mounted boom sprayers, the document details significant reductions in costs, chemical use, and labour, alongside increases in crop yield and sugar content.

• The adoption of drone spraying by the 80-hectare cooperative led to a reduction in total spraying costs of approximately 25%, primarily driven by lower labour and application expenses.
• Drone technology decreased chemical usage by 20% to 30%, which improved operational efficiency and reduced waste.
• The use of drones resulted in yield increases of 6 to 12.5 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) and a 2 percentage point increase in estimated recoverable crystal (ERC) sugar content.
• The cooperative achieved net annual financial benefits of approximately R8,400 per hectare, totaling roughly R672,000 per year for the 80-hectare area.
• Operational efficiencies included a 75% reduction in spraying time (from 4 days to 1 day) and the total elimination of operational downtime following rainfall, which typically lasts 4-6 days for tractors.
• For farmers opting for direct ownership of drones, which cost between R250,000 and R400,000, the estimated payback period is 1 to 1.5 seasons.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). The business case for precision drone spraying: A smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/KZN-Agtech-Case-Study-Final.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. The business case for precision drone spraying: A smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/KZN-Agtech-Case-Study-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=The business case for precision drone spraying: A smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/KZN-Agtech-Case-Study-Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendbusiness, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{The business case for precision drone spraying: A smallholder sugarcane cooperative in KwaZulu-Natal}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/KZN-Agtech-Case-Study-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }