Sri Lanka accelerates agri-tech innovation utilising drones

Sri Lanka is transforming the agriculture industry through the use of tech innovations like high-resolution imagery, ground heat mapping and more detailed data gathering making use of drones.

Drones in agriculture have become a powerful tool for monitoring crops and livestock by delivering more expansive and higher-resolution imagery and enabling land imaging, surveying topography and boundaries, soil and irrigation monitoring spraying needs and collecting soil and water samples.

With aim of revolutionizing agriculture the Bank of Ceylon has stepped in to provide financial support for the first 100 agriculture drone pilot project in Sri Lanka   

Agricultural drones allow farmers to monitor crop and livestock conditions from the air to keep watch for potential problems and help optimise field management.

With risks from supply chain disruptions, weather, crop disease and other threats, farmers, ranchers and other small business owners in agriculture industries are increasingly turning to technology like agricultural drones for help, a senior official of the agriculture ministry said.

Sri Lanka recently witnessed a groundbreaking moment in its agricultural sector as the first 100 agriculture drones took flight at Sooriyawewa KDU Southern Campus ground, marking a significant leap forward in modernising the country's farming practices.

The financial initiative, spearheaded by the Bank of Ceylon, provided a loan facility for the importation of 250 drones aiming to revolutionise Sri Lanka's agriculture by supporting to introduce cutting-edge technology to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Depending on the type of information or task required of them, various sensors, camera lenses, hooks, sprayers and even small buckets to collect samples can be attached to drones, he explained.

Data gathered by the drone streams back to a tablet or computer, providing useful information and photos about land, crops and livestock, he added. (Bandula)