By Khadidja Ba
The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has been spearheading the use of drones in the agricultural sector since 2021, revolutionizing crop management for farmers.
In an interview with the Sunday Stabroek, Badrie Persaud, General Manager and Dahasrat Narine, Regional Superintendent Region 3 and Project Coordinator of the GRDB explained how these drones are transforming agriculture by aiding in field monitoring and decision-making based on data. The initiative initially piloted in three regions – Region three, Region six, and Region two – with plans to train more farmers in drone usage.
Extensive training has been provided to the GRDB team, covering various aspects of drone operations and data analysis. Modules comprised Training on UAS Operations and Mapping Theory – Module 4, UAS Operations and Mapping Practical – Module 4.2, and UAS Geospatial Analysis and Participatory Mapping, Satellite Imagery for Crop monitoring and Introduction to Cartography and Flight planning for early season data capture in rice and basic data analysis using QGIS.
