Recently, the Ghanaian government has partnered with AgriDrone Africa, a local agricultural technology enterprise, to promote drone agricultural technology across the country, aiming to enhance the efficiency of crop monitoring, precise fertilization, and pest and disease control. This project is part of Ghana's "Planting for Food and Jobs 2.0" initiative, which aims to utilize digital means to increase agricultural productivity.
Key achievements:
1. Field monitoring and data analysis
o Drone equipment is equipped with multispectral sensors, enabling real-time monitoring of crop health, identifying areas of water shortage, nutrient deficiency, or pest and disease infestation, and helping farmers precisely adjust irrigation and fertilization strategies.
o Feedback from corn and rice growers in pilot areas (such as the Ashanti Region and Eastern Region) indicates that drone technology has reduced pesticide usage by 30% and increased yields by approximately 20%.
2. Government subsidies and training programs
o The Ghanaian Ministry of Agriculture provides subsidies for drone services to smallholder farmers and collaborates with agricultural cooperatives to train 500 young operators, promoting the popularization of technology.
o The goal is to cover 100,000 hectares of farmland by 2025, benefiting over 50,000 farmers.
3. Addressing climate change challenges
o Drone technology can quickly assess the impact of drought or flood disasters, assisting the government in formulating emergency response plans and reducing food losses.
Industry outlook: Ghana plans to integrate drone technology into its national agricultural digitalization strategy. In the future, it may expand to crop insurance assessment and intelligent irrigation systems, further consolidating its leadership position in West African food security.
Background supplement: Ghana is the leading agricultural innovation testing ground in Africa. Previously, drones have been successfully applied in cocoa cultivation (such as the pest and disease control project of COCOBOD). This promotion marks another step forward in its agricultural modernization process.
