The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently conducted a 12-week training programme in the usage of drone technology in its ongoing efforts to transform Dominica’s agricultural systems.
The training was completed by Extension Staff of the Division of Agriculture (DOA) over a course of three months.
At the Drone Handing Over Ceremony which was held at the Division of Agriculture’s Conference Room, FAO Sub Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean Region, Dr. Renata Clarke stated in her remarks, that as the world is living in a digital age, trainings such as these are needed because there are expectations of what these digital capacities can do to revolutionize agriculture and transform food and agricultural systems.
She said training in various related areas was conducted between the months of April and July.
“Between April and July of this year, the FAO team engaged in training a group of ministry staff on drone flying techniques for carrying out monitoring, agricultural surveys, and on the analysis and use of data collected by the drones,” Clark noted.
Due to the travel restrictions because of COVID, the Sub Regional Coordinator said much of the training had to be done by distance with well-planned lectures, demonstrations, and assignments.
“The last phase of the training was face-to-face with practical applications of these technologies. We do a lot of training as it’s always a partnership because we bring expertise and trainees have to bring interest and a desire to learn.”
Clarke said that the partnership worked “excellently” and will transform Dominica’s agriculture.
She further stated that over the past decade, the accessibility and ease of the use of these geospatial tools like drones and free satellite data, have increased significantly.
“We know that the use of drones together with other complimentary tools such as smart farm sensors like digital and internet connecting rainfall temperature and soil moisture sensors can transform the way we understand the risks and other challenges to effectively and efficiently manage agriculture and enable ministry officials and producers to come up with more timely and better decisions,” she added.
Dr. Clarke went on to say that it was also recognized that these tools can attract young people into agriculture but noted however, that these tools and gadgets are not enough.
“We have to make sure that we come up with systems that make agriculture profitable and sustainable,” Clarke stated.
She said FAO is ready to further support the institutionalization of these technologies and take their use to the next level.
“We have new projects that will rely on your skills in the use of drone technology and while you are able to bring direct benefit to the planning you are also cementing your knowledge and becoming better experts,“ the FAO official remarked.
The FAO is excited to see how these innovations can serve as models for other countries in the region in keeping with Dominica’s goal to be a global center for agricultural resilience.
So you mean the Ministry of Agriculture nd Forestry are only now seeing the need to invest in a drone? Dominica you are going NOWHERE fast. After the chebe saw finish and the party done is back to the same old same old. Nonsense alone all you doing in that country.
If the police and fire officers had drones they could or would have maybe found the little girl that was kidnapped. Then again, i can see police officers using government property to spy on their woman when they are supposed to be at work.
There are so many damn programs, and yet still there is no change in the trajectory of the economy. People are still flying out of the country like there is a plague worse than COVID in Dominica. Jesus, make one of the programs work for the better of the economy and the people!
This training there, that new program here….. this and dat, and still people (both Labour and UWP) are still struggling. Heck this is frustrating!
I have expressed the very same sentiments. Review DNO’s articles for the present month and count the overwhelming number of articles about government proposed initiatives.
Despite this multiplicity of programs the economy of Dominica remains comatose. These programs are much ado about nothing.
I can think of many things that would transform Dominica’s agriculture. However, I confess, I never thought that drones would be the very thing that would make us “a global center for agricultural resilience”.
I believe that the old Grace Tong building in Layou should have been converted into a school for agriculture and bio-marine studies.
The poice search team need to train to use the drone as well
It went from Skerrit wanting to ban drones & detaining/arresting people that use them, to now using drones for agriculture. Only in Dominica
Drones are ok as long as they don’t fly over his palace at Morne Daniel. Dominica will always have one law for him and one for everyone else. But the dumb-inicans don’t care, as long as they get an envelope occasionally.
To me no matter what’s reported from any of the useless ministries of Skerrit I simply treat it as irrelevant, propaganda and gossip. Agriculture in Dominica is a disgrace as it’s been changed to a-greed-culture. So let’s move on DNO and please report real news that really matter. For example, while I was at the Skerrit/China hospital the other day, two female police officers that looked like sisters were taken to the hospital with wounds and since then it’s alleged that one was transferred to Possie. DNO can you investigate the matter and tell us if they were in a car accident, hurt while on duty trying to stop a civilian fight or if there was any type of rioting taking place inside the force and if so for what reason? That’s important because the correct answer might help us understand the new culture of Skerrit a-greedy-culture .