Drones a game changer on SA’s farms
South African farmers are starting to use drones to improve their resource management.
Picture: DJI-Agras from Pixabay
Clarence Ford speaks with Kopano Tholo, Drone expert at ITOO Special Risks.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Drones are becoming increasingly common in South Africa as a tool for precision farming.
This involves considering several factors to determine exactly what the farm needs to produce the maximum outcome.
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The drones can be used to effectively spread pesticides, map fields, predict yields, and monitor livestock.
Tholo says it can also be used to keep better records in order to improve yields year on year.
“The drones are equipped with cameras and sensors, and this can help them monitor the crop in real time.”
- Kopano Tholo, Drone expert at ITOO Special Risks
A downside of this method is that drones are quite expensive, some costing upwards of R200,000.
Additionally, they need to be well insured against potential damage they can do if they crash.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.