Kenya Airways-owned Fahari Aviation has signed a service agreement with Kipkebe Ltd, a subsidiary of listed agricultural firm Sasini, to offer precision agricultural services.
According to the deal Fahari Aviation will use drone technology on Kipkebe farm to offer agricultural services such as fertiliser application and chemical spraying on the tea farm. The farm will be used to benchmark the effectiveness of drone use with the possibility of expanding the services offering to other Sasini estates.
Drone technology in agriculture
Hawkins Musili, General Manager at Fahari Aviation said the high-capacity drones will cover over 3,000 acres of tea plantation in less than two weeks, which the firm says will save an overall 50% on cost and time efficiency in fertiliser spraying and spreading.
“Drone technology in agriculture also offers better accountability of product supply as well as improved accessibility of tough terrains. Drones have revolutionized agriculture by offering farmers major cost savings and enhancing efficiency within the region,” said Hawkins Musili.
“Fahari Aviation is a pioneer of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology in the country, in the application of fertiliser on our tea fields using drones. As a leading agricultural enterprise, Kipkebe is uniquely positioned to lead our industry towards the future of sustainable farming due to a rich heritage, commitment to innovation, learning and continuous improvement. This technology will definitely reduce the time span for fertiliser application on the tea fields ensuring that application coincides with good weather conditions, and enhance crop yields while reducing attendant costs, as well as adverse impacts on humans and the environment,” Kipkebe Ltd Managing Director Silas Njibwakale.
