By Maphari Machaka
Farmers in attendance to Smart Farming session.
Like any other sector, agriculture has been growing and evolving for over so many years. The digital devices drive the industry to the new height with the wide-range use of mobiles, artificial intelligence, drones, satellite, Garmin Global Positioning System, Google Earth Pro, and related gadgets.
The change in weather conditions prompted the industry to adapt to the smart agriculture, by introducing these technological tools as part of the interventions to improve the operations and the productions, hence contribution towards food security.
Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) in collaboration with Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and University of Limpopo took the smart agriculture to the next level. They held an information session to further bring best practice as a mitigation strategy to adapt to those conditions. The information exchange session was held at Molepo Traditional Council, Capricorn District on 12 October 2023.
Modern technologies such as drone help reduce the labour intensity and production costs while optimizing activities around farming.
Various presentations were centered around those digital tools which they conceded that they do not only assist in increasing production, but in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Presenters indicated that those software’s and sensors assist producers to easily gather data and analyse it on different soil types and further monitor the weather, pests and diseases, livestock within the operations in the farm.
They urged farmers to familiarize themselves with the use of modern technologies that will not only reduce the labour intensity and production costs but help optimize activities around farming.
LDARD officials from left: Daizy Mukhari, William Mogano and Dorah Matabane.
LDARD agricultural advisor, William Mogano extended the presentation by covering the area of support programmes offered by the department, not limited to production inputs, mechanization, and capacity buildings. agriculture information session held at Molepo Traditional Council, Capricorn District on 12 October 2023.
Left: Tsanwani Murendeni (ARC) and Wilfred Tema.
Left: Magginah Makwela (LDARD) and Dr Sarah Roffe (ARC) during demonstration of rainfall measurements.
