DRONES SUPPORT FARMING

In the Free State, the province that serves as South Africa’s bread basket, drones are rapidly transforming the way farmers operate, boosting efficiency, productivity and resource management.

Rectron has made a large donation to the University of the Free State’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and this investment seeks to enhance the university’s ability to unlock smart farming solutions through drone training, licencing and compliance. The DJI Agras T40 drone offers high quality, precision aerial capabilities to start making a positive impact on the Free State’s agricultural sector, recognised as vital to South African food security.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development estimates that agriculture accounts for 90% of land use in the Free State, which produces 43.7 of the country’s maize, 18% of grain sorghum, 40% of groundnuts, 56% of sunflowers, 28% of dry beans and 46% of soybeans. This means it is critical for the province’s long-term sustainability and growth to be secured through greater efficiencies, soil health preservation and a better response to disease, pests and unstable climate conditions.

The CSIR sees the use of commercial drones and smart farming techniques as keys to the effective management of farming operations and as such, the drone market is expected to grow considerably, driven by sectors like agriculture. Drones with advanced sensors and imaging technology can be deployed over vast areas of land and data collected to generate reports on soil health, topography etc, informing more targeted interventions.

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