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GuySuCo commences drone technology evaluation to enhance field productivity
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) has commenced the evaluation of the use of drone technology, an e-smart agricultural initiative, as part of its strategy to modernise the operations of the Sugar Industry. This move, GuySuCo noted in a release, is aimed at advancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its operations in wake of the numerous challenges as a result of the rapid labour force attrition, climate and demographical changes the industry is experiencing currently.
GuySuCo introduced e-smart agricultural initiative
In a recent public discourse, Mr. Sasenarine Singh, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, revealed that the Corporation is steering towards the use of e-smart agriculture as a mechanism to retain and attract young people to the industry. “…half of a percent of the workforce in the fields are not coming back, which means that in 10 years’ time about five percent of the workforce in the fields is going to disappear which is of concern and we are moving to address urgently.”
At GuySuCo’s operating estates in Regions Three, Five, and Six, there is a continuous decline of available manpower for critical field operations, especially in the area of chemical weed control where there is a shortfall manpower requirement by 70 percent. This affects significantly the control of noxious weeds, which impact negatively sugar cane yield. The other objective for technological advancement is to attract younger individuals who are technological savvy.
Apart from the labour deficit, GuySuCo’s CEO, Singh, noted that the ongoing demographical changes in communities surrounding GuySuCo’s Estates have expanded the ‘no fly’ zones resulting in the Corporation’s inability to conduct effective aerial reconnaissance and maintenance of its cultivations using the traditional Crop Duster aircraft. It is anticipated that on completion of the current evaluation of the drone application method there can be a review of the ‘no fly’ zones by the Pesticide and Toxic Chemical Control Board (PTCCB) giving GuySuCo an improved capability to address weed infestation together with the ability to maximise the use of ripeners.
Added to this, the increasing challenges of climate change inhibit GuySuCo’s ability to monitor and evaluate its field operations especially in areas where access is limited as a result of the high cost for the use of aircraft reconnaissance. This was demonstrated during the recent unprecedented floods in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) which resulted in the Corporation’s largest cultivation and sugar producing estate – Albion/Port Mourant being inundated for over 65 days. During this period, the Corporation was limited in its ability to traverse the cultivation to ascertain the magnitude of the damages incurred and take timely action to mitigate the impact where possible. Adapting the use of drone technology would enable personnel to reduce the laborious physical assessments and provide frequent and high-resolution data of crops and field conditions, which are vital for the transformation of the Sugar Industry.
Taking into account the challenges, the CEO added “Generation X wants to do drones and high-tech utilisation of technology in agriculture and I want to say that funding for this project was approved by the National Assembly through the support and intervention of the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture, GuySuCo is now working along with the experts from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to further develop the use of drones. As mentioned earlier, it is anticipated that on formalising the use of drones, the area over which chemicals can be applied aerially will be increased from the current average of 50 percent, but of course, this has to be done with the approval of PTCCB.”
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