Challenging Labor Shortages with "Evolved Rice Farming": 70% Labor Reduction, "No-Planting Rice Farming" Demonstration to be held in Namie, Fukushima on May 19, 2026, from 10:00 AM.
Chi-no Co., Ltd. will demonstrate "no-planting rice farming" using drones in Namie, Fukushima on May 19, 2026. This "evolved rice farming" involves multiple drones simultaneously performing seeding, fertilizing, and herbicide spraying to reduce labor by 70% and address labor shortages.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 01:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 2, 2026 at 16:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 2, 2026 at 16:43 (11 min after Collected)
Chi-no Co., Ltd. will showcase a demonstration of "evolved rice farming" utilizing drones.
In this initiative, drones will collaborate to simultaneously perform:
- Seeding
- Fertilizer spraying
- Herbicide spraying
with three drones.
You can witness "no-planting rice farming," which differs from conventional rice transplanting.
The company (Headquarters: Namie Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture; Representative Director: Yoshiaki Nakayachi) will begin a "linked demonstration of drone seeding and top dressing" utilizing agricultural drones in collaboration with "Shiga Environmental Maintenance Co., Ltd.," a local drone service company (Headquarters: 200 Takatsudo, Oaza Kamioka, Tomioka Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture; Representative Director: Yoichi Shiga).
This initiative will be conducted with three agricultural drones.
First, Unit 1 will scatter "rice seeds," followed by Unit 2 for "fertilizer spraying."
Furthermore, Unit 3 will follow for "herbicide spraying."
Through this, the process from seeding to top dressing will be optimized as a continuous flow, aiming to reduce operational burden, improve work efficiency, and enhance the sustainability of regional agriculture.
Background of the Initiative
In the agricultural sector, issues such as low agricultural profitability, a shortage of successors, and an increase in abandoned cultivated land are becoming serious. Particularly in large-scale rice farming, there is a demand for a system that can stably manage large areas with limited personnel, making the establishment of a new production model that achieves both labor saving and high precision an urgent task.
Against this backdrop, our company is engaged in a linked demonstration of drone seeding and top dressing, combining the operational capabilities cultivated in large-scale agriculture with knowledge of agricultural DX. Furthermore, through collaboration with local drone service companies, we will implement a smart agriculture model rooted in the region, contributing to the resolution of regional issues.
"Agricultural Drone" Trial Operation in 2025 (Reiwa 7) (partial view)
Overview of the Demonstration
Compared to conventional rice transplanting methods, labor is expected to be reduced by approximately 70% (1/3 compared to conventional methods). In addition, in 2026 (Reiwa 8), approximately 50 hectares of fields lacking farmers and successors will be regenerated, and "farming will be resumed."
By establishing a system that can manage vast areas with a small number of people, both labor saving and productivity improvement in the agricultural field will be simultaneously realized.
▼Public Release Date
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
*1 Please note that the event will be canceled in case of rain or strong winds.
*2 Postponement dates are scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 or Thursday, May 21.
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
[For those wishing to inspect, observe, or cover the event, please gather at the following location at 9:45 AM]
Location: Namie Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture, Tateno BASE (Chi-no Co., Ltd. farm)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/spsVXhYDjCHZtHxN7
On the day of the event, information will be announced on SNS around 9:00 AM.
https://www.instagram.com/chi_no.rice
https://www.facebook.com/agri.chino
Expected Effects of the Demonstration
Through this initiative, the following effects are expected:
- Significant reduction in operational labor
Labor is expected to be reduced by approximately 70% compared to conventional rice transplanting methods.
- Integrated optimization from seeding to top dressing
Collaboration between drones enhances operational precision and timing.
- Addressing regional issues
Contributes to improving profitability, addressing the shortage of successors, and promoting the utilization of abandoned cultivated land.
[Drones Used]
- Kubota Agricultural Drone T25
https://agriculture.kubota.co.jp/product/drone/kubota-lineup/T25K.html
A new flagship model that expands the scope of activity
- Kubota Agricultural Drone T10
https://agriculture.kubota.co.jp/product/drone/kubota-lineup/01.html?group=1&parent=MjY1NDk%3D
Smart agriculture: compact body, immense power
- DJI AGRAS T70P
https://ag.dji.com/jp/t70p
Efficiency Expert
Comment from Yoshiaki Nakayachi, Representative Director of Chi-no Co., Ltd.
Agricultural Land Holding Corporation Chi-no Co., Ltd. Representative Director: Yoshiaki Nakayachi
In the agricultural sector, securing profitability and addressing labor shortages are major challenges.
This demonstration is not merely about labor saving; it is an initiative to evolve regional agriculture into a sustainable form. By collaborating with local companies and integrating and optimizing the process from seeding to top dressing, we aim to create a model that reduces the burden on the field while connecting regional agriculture to the next generation.
Future Developments
Our company will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to labor saving and productivity improvement in the field, centering on agricultural drones and the utilization of DX data. Based on the knowledge gained from this demonstration, we will expand to other fields.
In this initiative, drones will collaborate to simultaneously perform:
- Seeding
- Fertilizer spraying
- Herbicide spraying
with three drones.
You can witness "no-planting rice farming," which differs from conventional rice transplanting.
The company (Headquarters: Namie Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture; Representative Director: Yoshiaki Nakayachi) will begin a "linked demonstration of drone seeding and top dressing" utilizing agricultural drones in collaboration with "Shiga Environmental Maintenance Co., Ltd.," a local drone service company (Headquarters: 200 Takatsudo, Oaza Kamioka, Tomioka Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture; Representative Director: Yoichi Shiga).
This initiative will be conducted with three agricultural drones.
First, Unit 1 will scatter "rice seeds," followed by Unit 2 for "fertilizer spraying."
Furthermore, Unit 3 will follow for "herbicide spraying."
Through this, the process from seeding to top dressing will be optimized as a continuous flow, aiming to reduce operational burden, improve work efficiency, and enhance the sustainability of regional agriculture.
Background of the Initiative
In the agricultural sector, issues such as low agricultural profitability, a shortage of successors, and an increase in abandoned cultivated land are becoming serious. Particularly in large-scale rice farming, there is a demand for a system that can stably manage large areas with limited personnel, making the establishment of a new production model that achieves both labor saving and high precision an urgent task.
Against this backdrop, our company is engaged in a linked demonstration of drone seeding and top dressing, combining the operational capabilities cultivated in large-scale agriculture with knowledge of agricultural DX. Furthermore, through collaboration with local drone service companies, we will implement a smart agriculture model rooted in the region, contributing to the resolution of regional issues.
"Agricultural Drone" Trial Operation in 2025 (Reiwa 7) (partial view)
Overview of the Demonstration
Compared to conventional rice transplanting methods, labor is expected to be reduced by approximately 70% (1/3 compared to conventional methods). In addition, in 2026 (Reiwa 8), approximately 50 hectares of fields lacking farmers and successors will be regenerated, and "farming will be resumed."
By establishing a system that can manage vast areas with a small number of people, both labor saving and productivity improvement in the agricultural field will be simultaneously realized.
▼Public Release Date
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
*1 Please note that the event will be canceled in case of rain or strong winds.
*2 Postponement dates are scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 or Thursday, May 21.
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
[For those wishing to inspect, observe, or cover the event, please gather at the following location at 9:45 AM]
Location: Namie Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture, Tateno BASE (Chi-no Co., Ltd. farm)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/spsVXhYDjCHZtHxN7
On the day of the event, information will be announced on SNS around 9:00 AM.
https://www.instagram.com/chi_no.rice
https://www.facebook.com/agri.chino
Expected Effects of the Demonstration
Through this initiative, the following effects are expected:
- Significant reduction in operational labor
Labor is expected to be reduced by approximately 70% compared to conventional rice transplanting methods.
- Integrated optimization from seeding to top dressing
Collaboration between drones enhances operational precision and timing.
- Addressing regional issues
Contributes to improving profitability, addressing the shortage of successors, and promoting the utilization of abandoned cultivated land.
[Drones Used]
- Kubota Agricultural Drone T25
https://agriculture.kubota.co.jp/product/drone/kubota-lineup/T25K.html
A new flagship model that expands the scope of activity
- Kubota Agricultural Drone T10
https://agriculture.kubota.co.jp/product/drone/kubota-lineup/01.html?group=1&parent=MjY1NDk%3D
Smart agriculture: compact body, immense power
- DJI AGRAS T70P
https://ag.dji.com/jp/t70p
Efficiency Expert
Comment from Yoshiaki Nakayachi, Representative Director of Chi-no Co., Ltd.
Agricultural Land Holding Corporation Chi-no Co., Ltd. Representative Director: Yoshiaki Nakayachi
In the agricultural sector, securing profitability and addressing labor shortages are major challenges.
This demonstration is not merely about labor saving; it is an initiative to evolve regional agriculture into a sustainable form. By collaborating with local companies and integrating and optimizing the process from seeding to top dressing, we aim to create a model that reduces the burden on the field while connecting regional agriculture to the next generation.
Future Developments
Our company will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to labor saving and productivity improvement in the field, centering on agricultural drones and the utilization of DX data. Based on the knowledge gained from this demonstration, we will expand to other fields.