Consider using drones to spray farms, rice farmers urged

A drone spraying crops at the Agri-tech demo farm in Mutithi, Kirinyaga county/ALICE WAITHERA

Farmers from Kirinyaga County have been urged to consider using drones to spray their farms to reduce exposure to farm chemicals.

Mazao Afya, an agro-inputs company, told farmers that drone services have the potential to raise their earnings by reducing the amount of chemicals used and cutting down on labour costs.

Director Peter Karanja said that many smallholder farmers have been undertaking agriculture on a subsistence level, which keeps them in poverty as they are unable to generate enough proceeds to sustain themselves.

 But he noted that the use of technology has proven to ease agricultural activities and enable farmers to farm profitably.

 Speaking in Mwea at Agri-tech farm in Mutithi, Karanja said technology makes it possible for farmers to use exact inputs on their farms, which reduces wastages.

 He said a drone can spray an acre of land in 15 minutes, saving valuable time for farmers that they can engage in other income generating activities.

 “Before you use a drone, you start by marking the areas where you want to spray and it clearly follows the markings,” Karanja said.

 He said many farmers have been haphazardly handling farm chemicals and exposing themselves to diseases unknowingly.

 Last week, residents raised concerns over the high prevalence of diseases that they attributed to farm chemicals.

 Many handle the chemicals without protective equipment and complained over respiratory, skin and digestive disorders, with cancer ravaging many households.

 “With a drone, a farmer will not come into any contact with the chemicals. Drones provide efficient and safe ways of spraying farms so they can continue farming for a long time,” Karanja said.

 He encouraged farmers to embrace the use of agri-tech that he said boosts their resilience to climate change while easing the intensive labour associated with farming.

 Agri-tech Grand Expo, an annual agricultural technology exhibition in Kirinyaga County, is set to undertake an exercise from October 3 to October 5 at the farm to encourage youths to engage in agri-business to boost food security.

 The Expo’s chairperson Mwai Muriithi said the event will showcase technology that can make farming less grueling and more profitable while minimising the cost of production.

 “Technology enables precision farming that reduces wastage because a farmer uses data to determine how much inputs to apply in farms. Like in drip irrigation, water wastage and human resource is minimised which boosts profits,” he said.

 Seed Co Group director Wellington Wasike said weed control and labour costs have been soaring for many farmers, eating into their profits.

 He urged Kirinyaga farmers to form groups through which they will access the drone services, saying his firm will also embrace the technology in its demonstration and seeds production farms.

 “Most rice farmers here are facing sky-rocketing labour costs. Such technology reduces the costs and makes the work easier,” he said.

 Mary Wambui, a farmer, said they have only seen drones on social media and are excited for the opportunity to work with them in their farms.

 “We thought drones can only be used in large farms. As an aging farmer, I have been depending on local youths to spray my farm because I can no longer carry the sprayer on my back for long,” she said.

 Though common in large agricultural farms, drone use is scarce in small-holder farms with those accessing them using drones service providers.