Agriculture Officers to Undergo Drone Training for Increased Crop Production
Fourteen officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and National Food Security are to undergo drone training for increased crop production. The training programme will be led by Dr. Almario Casimir, coordinator of Disaster Risk Management Project at the Ministry of Agriculture. The DJ1M1 agricultural industrial drone is to be used for the training.
The training coordinator said eight officials from Forestry, Physical Planning, and Land and Surveys had undergone the training, and that the next set of trainees from Ministry of Blue and Green Economy will benefit greatly from the programme.
According to Casimir, the training is to boost crop production, monitor pest activity and crop diseases, as well as analyze intake of nutrients by crops. The ultimate objective is to increase crop productivity and defeat plant diseases and pests through the use of innovative technology. He added that project leaders are currently looking into how best to apply the use of the drone for daily farming activities.
Casimir also noted that with the drone technology, farmers and ministry officials will be better apprised on the precise application of crop fertilizers – dosage and frequency, as well as the measurement of the nutritional status of planted crops. He made it known that the drone technology is not only to the advantage of farmers, but it is also for the benefits of fishermen who could use it to track fish habits for a better catch.
The drone training was earlier planned for July 11th, but it was put off because outdoor weather condition was not permitting any physical demonstrations.
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