5-7 November, 2019 • Bangkok Thailand
Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse

Welcome | Introduction

David Frabotta, Editorial Market Development Director, Meister Media Worldwide

Development of Technology in Agriculture and Investment Opportunities in Thailand

Ms. Wanlapa Nunual, Senior Investment Promotion Officer for Agriculture Industries, Thailand Board of Investment

ASEAN is investing into its agriculture infrastructure through business incubators and development initiatives aimed to create sustainable, scalable services to its predominantly smallholder farmers. Join BOI to discuss its Smart Farm lending facility, Thailand 4.0 agriculture initiatives, and other investment opportunities for foreign and domestic agriculture technology companies.

Disruption for Crop Protection

Gaurav Sharma, Global Agrichemicals Research Lead, Accenture

Explore mega trends and case studies that are threatening the status quo for crop protection products around the world and immediate implications for Asia Pacific. New crop protection methods, robotics, novel farming methods, digital farming, biotechnology, and emerging consumer demands all contribute to a shift in the way crop inputs will be utilized and applied in the near future. Learn how manufacturing, distribution, and volumes will change and how new business models will evolve, given these disruptions in Agribusiness.

Coffee and Tea Break

Real-World Use Studies | Application Innovations for ASEAN Crops

Summer Deng, Sales Director, DJI Agriculture

DJI leads the drone industry in manufacturing and its ability to fuel adoption through business creation throughout Asia Pacific. Its service partnerships with local companies could set the model for how drone applications will proliferate through the region. Learn about DJI’s results on pests for key crops in ASEAN, and how new crop protection partnerships are shaping the future of adoption in key markets.

Worker Safety and Product Stewardship | Next-Generation Pesticide Application Systems

Lawrence Yu, President of Asia Pacific, AMVAC

Learn how closed systems coupled with precision application brings about a paradigm change to traditional crop protection. Yu will discuss the future of sustainability for product stewardship, worker safety, food quality and the environment. Learn how new application systems can help to preserve natural beneficial pests, promote food security while creating additional benefit to consumers with quality produce.

Lunch

State of Commercial Drone Adoption | Leading Markets and Drivers to Farmer Access and Use

Markus Scherer, Consulting Director, Ipsos Business Consulting

With capabilities ranging from remote sensing, liquid and granular spaying, to automated flights and precision variable rate applications, drone adoption will transform farm management practices, business models, and distribution channels across our agribusiness ecosystems. Users adopting this technology, particularly by smallholder farms and cooperatives in Asia, have also developed new business services and promoted digital platforms dedicated to this technology. How will the rising trend impact spray volume? Where is drone technology finding a home in the supply chain, and how can input companies plan their business strategy to capitalize? Examine the role of drones in agriculture, pillars of adoption in country case studies, as well as the untapped opportunities and imminent implications to the agribusiness industry, drone manufacturers, and farm operators in Asia.

Advances in Formulation Chemistry and Research | Exploiting the full potential of drone application with specialized Adjuvants

Prof. Dr. Peter Baur, Head of Competence Center Crop Solutions, Clariant

Drone application has the potential to become a significant application technology in the very near future. In addition to existing uses as alternative to backpack sprayer application in particularly challenging conditions like paddy rice in Asia or hillside locations, it appears to almost perfectly meet current trends. It fits to precision agriculture that is increasingly based on big data; it needs low water volumes and potentially allows liquid oil-based carriers as an alternative; a lower input of energy and better carbon footprint has potential to be superior to established technology; loss of, or risk for reduced performance of multiple product mixes can be effectively avoided by multiple flights; and a couple of other clear benefits like preventing user exposure and reduced input in machinery and traffic are striking. A big potential exists also in the management of climate change-related crop stress situations like drought, flooding or radiation. In this context, custom-made formulation and preparation concepts for foliar nutrients that cannot be utilized with today’s mixes and potentially bulky hard water can result in a huge gain of efficiency and compensate for limited mineral availability in dry soil. As with every new disrupting technology, there are some intrinsic challenges that are becoming more evident or are related and even caused by the new technology.

Coffee and Tea Break

Disruption’s Role in Value Chain Creation

Rob Hulme, Cofounder and Asia Director, Beanstalk AgTech
Paul Voutier, Director of Knowledge and Innovation, Grow Asia
Dr. Ravi Khetarpal, Executive Secretary, APAARI
Dr. Saowaluck Pornkulwat, Thai Crop Protection Association and FMC AG Thailand

New technologies are creating new industries to serve farmers. Systems, innovation, technology, and digital platforms are creating new ways to assess crop value, access markets, generate more income, and establish more sustainable agronomic systems. We’ll examine how the existing channels must evolve and where opportunities exist for new industries and investment.

Cocktail Reception

Location: The Garden at Surawongse (if raining: Dok-Kaew Room)

Welcome | Introduction

David Frabotta, Editorial Market Development Director, Meister Media Worldwide

Innovation for Asia Pacific: Case studies and laying the foundation for heightened adoption

Dr. Bjoern Roepke, Head of Regulatory & Product Safety, Bayer Crop Science

Join Bayer Crop Science as they discuss the benefits, regulatory implications and impact of emerging application methods for smallholder farmers. UAV application and other methods are already making an impact on farm efficiency, product efficacy, worker safety, and upskilling in leading markets. Learn how a cohesive regulatory framework covering safety is crucial to the growth, development, and adoption for countries throughout Asia.

Adjuvant Technology Innovation | Research on new adjuvants designed for optimization of droplets sprayed from UAVs

Fernando Lopez, Agro Asia Pacific Lead, Lamberti

Optimize Your Formulation Delivery: New application methods require a rethink on how adjuvants and nozzles interact to influence drift and deposition for low-volume formulations. Learn how emerging research in this area is creating new best management practices for service providers who provide application services to farmers. Learn about the benefits of matching the proper nozzles and adjuvants to deliver more crop protection technology to the target while improving protection of the environment.

Coffee and Tea Break

Real-World Use Studies | Providing Aerial Insights and Automation for Plantation Crops at Scale

Jin Xi (JX) Cheong, CEO, Poladrone

Oil palm and other plantations in ASEAN are important staples for the agriculture economies of the region. Learn how Poladrone is providing pragmatic solutions using automated drones powered by artificial intelligence for specific pests, crops, and spraying applications. With over 300,000 hectares of plantation land mapped in ASEAN, they seek to further optimize existing land use to increase efficiency and profitability to ensure a sustainable industry.

Regulatory Update | Emerging Commercial Drone Regulations

Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director, CropLife Asia

Drone piloting regulations vary by country with national aviation regulators setting unfavorable rules to protect national security and commercial air travel. But attitudes toward commercial UAV are loosening to embrace emerging business models. Night spraying, BVLOS, and other approvals could vastly change agriculture applications, chemistries, and product registrations. Learn what’s coming next and how agriculture lobbyists are paving the way for tomorrow’s regulatory approvals.

Lunch

Real World Case Studies | China and Japan: Past, Present and Future

Dr. Tong Wei, Global Cooperation Director, XAG

XAG is driving adoption and serving leading markets on key crops. This presentation will examine success stories by showcasing past and present projects that are creating more efficient farmers, more judicious use of fertilizers and pesticides, and better data for decision-making tools.
Future plans: With the management of more acreage, XAG is compiling agronomic information and deploying AI that will change the way farms and farmers manage their crops. XAG is more than a drone company, it’s an agriculture mainstay that is compiling the tools to deploy predictive analytics on its platforms in Asia Pacific and other key markets around the world.

Coffee and Tea Break

Panel Discussion: Where to Next? Next Steps for the Next Two Years

Moderated by David Frabotta, Editorial Market Development Director, Meister Media Worldwide

Join presenters and panelists from the previous two days as they distill key points from expert presentations and identify a path forward for agribusinesses and service providers. Learn how supply channels can instigate grower adoption that generate better farm income, access to markets, and sustainable farming systems for the future.

Closing Remarks and Adjourn

Cocktail Reception

Location: The Garden at Surawongse (if raining: Dok-Kaew Room)