GuySuCo to use drone technology for fertiliser distribution, crop monitoring

…industry will “turn around” with innovation – CEO

The Guyana Sugar Corporation is embarking on a technological transformation of the industry with the use of drone technology to distribute agro-chemicals and monitor crops.

On Friday, GuyDrones handed over this technology to GuySuCo, valued at about $500,000. The sugar company current uses manual labour and planes to distribute fertiliser but the drones will be used to address gaps in these operations.
According to Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh, “What it will do for us is in an era where there’s a great competition for labour across this country, as Guyana develops from its current status to super status, in a few years, there’s going to be more intense competition for labour. And currently, GuySuCo uses two methods of applying its fertilisers and agrochemicals. The airplanes can only fly in what we call fly zones away from the housing areas; and manually using human beings walking acre by acre, close to the housing areas and applying those agrochemicals and fertiliser.”
It was clarified that no jobs will be lost with this new arrangement. Some 50 per cent of this work will be done using the drone and the other portion will be executed with human labour. Singh identified that the drones will be an asset in combating weather challenges as well as setting the pace for new technological advancements.
“We have put ourselves out to the public as wanting to be one of the transformation agencies in agriculture in Guyana. For us to transform this sugar sector, we have to think, act and operate like global leaders in agriculture. And one of their great advantage that they’ve developed over the years with climate change is the utilisation of technology to combat in the periods of extreme weather conditions. These drones are assets and drones have now been recognised as an asset to agriculture,” Singh underscored.
The CEO realised that in treading this path, there is a need for training and private sector support.
“Our primary outflow of cash is the payment of our 7877 workers and that is our primary responsibility. But on top of that, we have to recapitalise the factories across the country and we’re rebuilding a brand-new facility at Rose Hall…But most importantly, we have to rehabilitate the fields.”
When this Administration took office, some 30 per cent of the fields were overgrown and not in use. The CEO said the company has to “reengineer and get busy” to get those fields back into sugarcane production, while maintaining their normal agronomical cycle.
“We know that this industry is a turnaround industry. It will turn around so we just want to make that very clear. It can only turn around with technology, new ideas, and progressive thinkers and attitude of mind of making things happen when the challenge is real,” the CEO positioned.
Vice President of GuyDrones, Ershad Mahamad added that along with efficiency, stakeholders are able to save 30 per cent of chemicals during the process. The company is also aiming to supply water drones that will eliminate the use of human labour to conduct checks when there are issues. (G8)