Farm equipment manufacturer Yanmar Co. and precision equipment maker Konica Minolta Inc. are pushing the automation of Japan's agriculture amid an aging and decreasing farming population.
The two companies this month launched a joint venture to conduct a pilot project in which they will use a drone to observe rice crops and an unmanned helicopter to scatter fertilizer. The venture, FarmEye Co., is headquartered in Osaka with a capital of ¥250 million.
The partners expect the project to help farmers increase their earnings by allowing them to provide fertilizer to areas in their paddies that most need it.