UAS imagery and data analytics provider AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. has signed a specialty crop producer, packager, and supplier in North America to its new sustainability platform and UAS leasing program for next year’s crop season.

Under the agreement, AgEagle will provide the customer with access to UAS equipped with sensors for the growing season, along with access to data connected services for farms covering thousands of acres across the United States.

​In-depth data analytics at the field level will also be provided, thanks to AgEagle also establishing a network of soil moisture monitoring devices with rain gauges and solar sensors.

All of this will result in a sustainability dashboard and scorecard that analyzes data to measure soil health, water utilization efficiency, and pest and disease control, allowing this specialty crop producer to demonstrate its sustainability efforts to its customers and supply chain partners.

“We're honored to officially launch our new sustainability platform and drone leasing program concurrent with the signing of a major customer,” says Barrett Mooney, CEO of AgEagle.

“This launch marks an important milestone for the company as it positions AgEagle as more than just a manufacturer of UAVs, but a full-service provider for the sustainable ag market with opportunities to drive recurring revenue streams.”

These new services create a unique value proposition for farmers and agribusinesses, AgEagle says, being that they will no longer be required to spend a great amount of money up-front to begin collecting aerial imagery or sustainability analytics.

Additionally, the platform takes the onus off of the customer when it comes UAS maintenance, support requirements and, in some cases, the need for a pilot, as AgEagle can provide a trained UAS pilot to manage the entire image collection process.

AgEagle says that with this platform at its disposal, the customer will be able to focus on its core business, the farm.

“Our goal with these new service offerings is to provide farmers and agribusinesses in the row crop and specialty markets with simple tools and services that enable them to make essential in-season decisions to enhance crop yield, while simultaneously evaluating those decisions for their sustainability initiatives,” Mooney says.