COFCO International harnesses technology to promote sustainable agriculture
From its technology centre in São José do Rio Preto, in São Paulo state, Brazil, COFCO International oversees its sugarcane plantations to optimise efficiency and increase yields, as the company strives towards sustainable agriculture in its mission to meet demand responsibly.
“We harness innovation and technology to produce more and better crops” says Julio Cesar de Paula Rocha, Agricultural Operations Coordinator, COFCO International Brazil. “All of our equipment has embedded technologies, and we are able to manage all processes online.”
For example, the company’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team uses satellite imagery and drones to monitor progress. A pilot flies the drone over farms, collecting accurate, real-time updates to detect planting failures, map rows for autopilot, and map farms. This allows farm teams to better nurture and manage their crops, with rapid detection of regulatory controls, crop health indices, and other benefits of drone use. Additionally, all the company’s planting and harvesting is fully mechanized.
“We are leading the way in our sector in using automation to compile precise, valuable information to improve our operations,” says Rogerio Rombola Nicola, Agricultural Automation Manager, COFCO International Brazil. “In the future, we plan to operate unmanned vehicles on our plantations and implement robotization in the sugarcane bioenergy sector.”
Julio Rocha, Agricultural Operations Coordinator, COFCO International Brazil
GIS team uses satellite imagery and drones to monitor progress
