E-supportlink has concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippine Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, and the representatives of three banana producers in the Davao City area to conduct a remote sensing technology demonstration project for banana plantations.
This project will combine aerial photography by drones with AI analysis technologies developed by E-supportlink to improve the growth management efficiency and the productivity of the banana plantations. The demonstration project will be conducted on small-scale plantations, with the aim of launching a joint project to deploy the technologies in communities where bananas are grown starting in April 2027.

■ Project Overview
Verification testing of improving productivity through the use of aerial drone images
[Period] April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027
[Location] Multiple sites in the area around Davao City (Mindanao) in the Republic of the Philippines

■ Future Plans
With the supervision of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and Department of Science and Technology, we will establish a system for using drones and other technologies to monitor the growth of small-scale banana plantations with the aim of carrying out a full-scale deployment of this system starting in April 2027.

■ Comment from Hiroyuki Fukatsu, Vice President and Managing Director of E-supportlink, Ltd.
Most of the bananas eaten in Japan were grown in the Philippines. In recent years, the Philippines’ banana production volume has become unstable due to problems such as disease and the impact of global warming. Our technologies are contributing to stable banana production, which also helps ensure food security. They have the potential to improve the lifestyles of producers in the Philippines. I am confident that by using Japan’s AI and information technologies, we can overcome the farming challenges being faced in the Philippines. I believe this joint project with the Philippine Department of Agriculture will contribute to the advancement of banana production and improve producers’ lives. I also hope that it will help build an even better relationship between Japan and the Philippines.

■ Comment from Macario Gonzaga, Regional Executive Director of Davao Region 11, Philippine Department of Agriculture
If the Philippines were able to deploy AI technologies for accurately analyzing aerial photographs of banana plantations, such as photographs taken by drones, we could perform quantitative measurements. We could see how many bananas were growing across entire plantations, and determine what measures needed to be taken to improve plantation productivity. I think these technologies could be useful not only for producers, but also for the government offices that manage production statistics.
Bananas are one of our nation’s most important products. I hope that this project will contribute to the productivity of our banana industry.

■ Our initiatives in the Philippines
In recent years, the percentage of bananas that Japan imports from the Philippines has been falling
as importing shifts to other countries. This is due to declines in productivity resulting from diseases and other factors, and due to supply instability caused by quality issues.
E-supportlink has many years of experience in providing support for Japan’s domestic banana supply chains. We see the stabilization of procurement and distribution in the Philippines, the main producer of bananas, as being an urgent task to address. That is why we are developing production technologies that use aerial drone images and AI.
This technology will make it possible to rapidly determine growth conditions for entire plantations, which will lower the burden involved in plantation management while also improving productivity.
Through this demonstration test for small-scale plantations, we aim to establish operating methods that are well-suited to the region and to coordinate with local governments and agencies to expand the deployment of these technologies.

[Inquiries]
E-supportlink, Ltd. (PR)
TEL: 03-6863-8523　
E-mail: pr@e-supportlink.co.jp　
Miki Tani