Ben Belton, a research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and lead author of a recent study published in Science , called the trend “a revolution in terms of how quickly it's happening, but also the implications that it has, in terms of agricultural productivity, greater efficiency in agrochemical use, and the labour savings it affords farmers”.

How are drones used in farming?

Agricultural drones fall into two main categories:

Sensor drones: These smaller drones are used for data collection, detecting early signs of poor crop health, pests, weeds, or diseases—often before human eyes can spot them.

Spreader drones: These larger drones are used to apply pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Increasing payload capacity has also made them useful for spreading fertilisers and even seeds across fields.

Belton notes that spreader drones are currently having the most dramatic impact. “These are being used much more widely,” he says, “and are transforming farming practices on the ground.”

What does this revolution mean for farmers?

Many of the countries that have seen the rapid adoption of agricultural drones have experienced dramatic rural-to-urban migration. This has led to a labour shortage in farming communities. Often, farmers themselves are relatively elderly and struggle with physical work like spraying fertiliser and sowing seeds.

   Belton says that in many of these countries, farming is already largely mechanized with tractors, power tillers and combine harvesters, but drones are taking this a step further, “I think of them in a way as being like flying tractors, so a tractor is the one machine, but there are many, many different implements that you can add onto a tractor to perform different functions”.

  Belton also points out that drones reduce the direct exposure of farmers to pesticides, something that many of the interviewees for his study cited as a key factor in their adoption of drones.

How the Global South got ahead

In the early days of drone technology , the key developments were being made in the Global North. Companies commercialised drones for hobbyists to be used for photography and other leisure uses. Then Chinese company DJI became a leader in this field. It was DJI that then led the way in developing drones for agriculture, first smaller ‘sensors’ and then the bigger ‘spreaders’.

China ’s well-established toy industry meant that it had a head start in mass production. Belton says, “There are also spillovers from other industries. So, for instance, the electric vehicle industry in China”. Batteries and LIDAR systems used for helping self-driving used in the EV industry could be used in drones.

There are now close to a million agricultural drones in use in China today. Other early adopters were Japan and Korea. From there, the technology spread rapidly to places like Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and later Latin America . Now, drone technology is being implemented rapidly across North America.

What should we expect to see in the next 5-10 years?

Belton says that the drone revolution is far from over. In the next 5 to 10 years, he says, we are likely to see the integration of sensing and spraying capabilities into single drone units.

“You'll be able to go out and do the analytics and apply the inputs in a more targeted way. And so, you know, if that starts to happen, then there's really potential for a whole other order of benefits in terms of the increased precision and efficiency.”

As agricultural drones continue to evolve, the Global South is positioned to lead the next wave of global farming innovation.

A scientist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Happyness Mpanda, emphasised the importance of proactive measures to contain the disease.

"The only effective control measure is to encourage affected farmers to uproot and destroy all infected banana plants and allow a fallow period before replanting with disease-free banana seedlings," she explained .

To develop a long-term solution, researchers are screening 72 banana varieties from their parental breeding program for BBTV resistance.

"Those found to be resistant will advance to the banana product development phase," Mpanda said.

Initially confined to Kigoma, BBTV has now spread to other regions, causing severe losses for banana farmers.

"While breeding resistant varieties takes time, it is the most sustainable solution. Meanwhile, farmers must uproot and destroy infected banana plants to curb the spread of the disease," Mpanda noted.

BBTV is not just a Tanzanian problem; it has been reported in several African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia.

However, these artisans say the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has hurt their business.

“We have just 40 percent of the work we had before the war,” artisan Muzaffar Ahmad told the AFP.

Artisans begin taking orders months before Christmas to ensure timely delivery. The demand for these decorations has grown steadily over decades, bringing significant income to the region.

 Fatiko describes donkey milk as a “miracle.” According to her, “It heals children , helps treat respiratory diseases and allergies, and strengthens the immune system.”

Donkey milk which is rare and expensive, costs about €60 per litre, with cheese prices exceeding €1,500 per kilo.

The family has had to buy extra milk from local farmers to meet demand and plans to expand their herd.

The milk is also used to make cosmetics, which are growing in popularity.

Isayaku Musa, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer believes that the startup’s innovative solutions hold great potential. “With drones, you can reduce the traditional method of farming, whereby you use tractors and other things, where you emit carbon dioxide and other unwanted air pollutants into the environment… You can minimise that. That is part of the mitigation aspect of climate change,” Musa explained in an interview with Global South World.

Despite their vision, Vora Robotics has struggled to thrive due to a lack of financial support. After initially raising 3 million Naira (approximately $1,920) with five co-founders, the startup has faced difficulties in securing grants or additional funding.

According to Musa, this lack of investment hampers their ability to fully realise the potential of their climate-smart agricultural technology.

The absence of government support contrasts sharply with promises made during Nigeria’s 2023 elections. President Bola Tinubu’s manifesto vowed to support innovation and entrepreneurship by transforming Nigeria into a nation of creators rather than consumers.

The commitment to fostering economic growth through manufacturing and invention raised hopes among startups like Vora Robotics. However, since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu’s administration has been met with widespread criticism over economic challenges, inflation, and unsatisfactory policies.

Frustration culminated in the #EndBadGovernance protests that swept across the country from August 1 to August 10, 2024. These protests, driven by economic hardship and dissatisfaction, had severe consequences for businesses.

For Vora Robotics, the unrest led to a complete halt in operations. “We have not even resumed to the office because of a fear of the unknown,” Musa said at the time of the interview.

Operating out of Kaduna in northern Nigeria, the team has been particularly affected by the protests, which turned violent in many areas. “The protests have gone to the level whereby you can be injured… They can even kill you, if I'm not mistaken, because a lot of people lost their lives because of this protest,” Musa disclosed.

The company continue to face significant obstacles, from financial constraints to security challenges. Yet, Musa remains hopeful that with the right support and investment, their drones could revolutionise agriculture in Nigeria.

Watch the full interview:

As a final-year aerospace engineering student at the Airforce Institute of Technology in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, Shamsuddeen is determined to go beyond creating drones for the sake of it. His vision is to develop technology that addresses real-world problems within his community. "Looking at the food insecurity we are facing in Nigeria as well as in Africa, we needed to ensure that we bring solutions in that sector," he said.

Where passion meets practicality

Recognising the critical role agriculture plays in Nigeria’s economy, Shamsuddeen focused on creating drones that could help farmers enhance productivity while also reducing health risks. In Nigeria, where 26.5 million people were projected to face acute hunger during the June-August 2024 lean season, agricultural solutions have become more urgent. The World Food Programme reported that the food insecurity crisis in Nigeria is exacerbated by factors like conflict, inflation, and the impact of climate change.

Shamsuddeen saw an opportunity to automate farming processes, particularly the manual spraying of crops, which often exposes farmers to harmful chemicals. "If you look at the way they do their local way of spraying in the farm, it leads them to inhale some chemicals… Even though they are masked up, they still inhale it," he explained. The goal of Vora Robotics is to create drones that can safely and efficiently perform such tasks, reducing health risks and increasing agricultural efficiency.

The birth of Vora Robotics

Operating primarily in Kaduna and Abuja, Vora Robotics was co-founded a year ago by Shamsuddeen and four others. Shamsuddeen serves as the Chief Technical Officer, overseeing the company’s technological development.

Isayaku Musa, the Chief Operating Officer, shared insights on the company’s early challenges and growth trajectory. With a seed fund of 3 million Naira (approximately $1,920), Vora Robotics has been developing its products while employing a team of 10 workers.

"We want to perfect our product before entering the market," Musa said, emphasising that the company is still in its research and development phase.

However, logistical challenges, especially the need to import materials not readily available in Nigeria, have proven to be obstacles. "More than 60% of our requirements to develop this drone are locally sourced, but there are a lot of things we cannot get here, particularly in Kaduna State. We have to import it from somewhere far, sometimes even outside the country," Musa added.

Building a sustainable tech startup

Despite these hurdles, Vora Robotics remains committed to long-term growth and positive community impact. One of their key objectives is to create 1,000 jobs for Nigerians within the next five years. To achieve this, Musa called on the Nigerian government to support startups like Vora Robotics that are working to drive change and address critical challenges in the nation.

Watch the full interview:

Kimani’s patented early crop pest and disease detection device leverages machine learning-enabled cameras to help farmers identify agricultural pests and diseases early. This early detection capability has reduced crop loss by up to 30% while boosting yields by as much as 40%.

Kimani, inspired by her parents who were smallholder farmers, developed this device to combat the significant income loss due to pests and diseases, an issue she witnessed firsthand during her childhood.

“My parents would lose up to 40% of their crops each farming season, which affected our standard of living. We are empowering smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, to increase their income. We aim to scale to one million farmers in the next five years,” Kimani said .

Her device employs advanced computer vision algorithms and machine learning to detect and identify crop pests, pathogens, or diseases and notify farmers via SMS.

Kenya’s estimated five million smallholder farmers lose an average of 33% of their crops to pests and diseases annually. Kimani's device, offered at a monthly lease of $3, presents a cost-effective alternative to hiring drones or agricultural inspectors. It provides real-time alerts within five seconds of detecting an infestation and offers tailored intervention suggestions.

The annual Africa Prize, established by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, supports innovators developing sustainable and scalable engineering solutions to local challenges in Africa.

This year's competition has expanded the Africa Prize alumni community to nearly 150 entrepreneurs from 23 countries. Collectively, these innovators have created over 28,000 jobs and benefitted more than 10 million people across the continent through their products and services.

Winning a cash award of £50,000, Kimani is the third woman to secure this prestigious accolade in the prize's decade-long history. Following in the footsteps of fellow Kenyan Norah Magero, who won in 2022 for her innovation VacciBox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports temperature-sensitive medicines such as vaccines, for use in field vaccinations and in off-grid hospitals and Ghanaian tech entrepreneur Charlette N'Guessan who won in 2020 for her innovation BACE API, which uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to verify identities remotely. 

A pilot program to attempt a four-day workweek in the Dominican Republic will begin in February. Some employees of private and public companies will transition from a 44-hour workweek to a 36-hour workweek, from Monday to Thursday. According to the government, salaries will remain the same. This is the first time the Caribbean country has taken such a measure. Among the participating companies are the Latin American telecommunications firm Claro and the state-owned National Health Insurance, as reported by Voz de América .

Bilateral cooperation with China

On Tuesday, January 16, the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, met with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Tang Renjian, to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as reported by El Nuevo Diario . Tang Renjian also met with the Dominican Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing agricultural and technical cooperation, as well as providing support to other areas. This includes the introduction of new technologies for rice cultivation and aquaculture in the Caribbean country.

France interested in the construction of a new metro line

On Tuesday, January 16, the Presidency of the Dominican Republic announced, through a press release, “France's interest in contributing to infrastructure and urban mobility projects” in the country, as reported by Listín Diario . According to the statement, France expressed its interest in participating in the construction of a third metro line in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital, through a letter sent to the President of the Dominican Republic in December. President Emmanuel Macron also announced that a government official would visit the Caribbean country in early 2024 to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The statement reads, “Macron celebrates the trust placed by the Dominican Republic’s government in French companies for the development of important projects such as metro lines in Santo Domingo".

Abortion arrest

The National Police have arrested a woman accused of aborting at five months of pregnancy in the municipality of Gaspar Hernández, located in the province of Espaillat, as reported by El Nuevo Diario . The Dominican Republic is one of the Latin American countries that maintain a prohibition on abortion without exceptions.

Political advertising in a military facility

The Central Electoral Board (JCE), the entity responsible for organising the electoral process, condemned the events that occurred on Sunday, December 14, when vehicles advertising a political party were captured entering a military facility in Azua, as reported by Al Momento . In a statement, the JCE stated that the armed forces are "non-partisan" according to the constitution and reminded of the law that prohibits military, police, and electoral officials from advertising political candidates or parties.

14-year-old programmer and member of the robotics team Tanatswa Taremba said that the rationale behind the creation of the automated combine harvester was to solve the back pain problems that combine harvester drivers experience.

“Right now, since robotics is there, we are replacing the driver because drivers often suffer from back aches due to incorrect driving posture… Now, with an automated combine harvester, it will be easy since it can work overnight,” he said.

The students also created prototypes for two other innovative projects including a robot that can clear landmines and a lawnmower that requires little human interaction.

Darryl Mubvuma, the 15-year-old behind the robotic landmine detector said that he was motivated to build the machine after deaths caused by landmines in his neighbourhood.

“I just thought that many people are dying from demining processes, and building a robot for that would be very efficient. It has a claw, it is going to have a sensor and is designed to detect landmines,” he said.

The team is presently working on creating a robot that can make biodegradable plastic that can decompose in less than five years, according to The Herald.

“Our first strategy is to activate all Ugandan farmers to join...Our second strategy is to activate all East African Community (EAC) farmers to join the online e-commerce fromyfarm App commodities trading exchange so that they can maximise their farm output and profitability," CEO of fromyfarm App Stephen Odonga is quoted by local media the New Vision .

The mobile application allows small and large-scale farmers to receive bids from buyers in an open market where the farmer selects the best bid from a list of the top five bids for each farm produce.

"The App will provide farmers exposure to new buyers and suppliers, both domestic and international. It will improve the farmer's competitiveness and buyers' competitiveness if they want to maintain their market share of farm produce purchases," Odonga adds.

African countries in recent years have introduced similar technology to aid farmers in selling farm produce to buyers.

In 2021, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) collaborated with Zambian firms to introduce the Virtual Farmers Market mobile app to assist local farmers in selling produce at competitive prices to buyers.

Serbia has donated 20 tonnes of seeds to São Tomé and Príncipe towards the increase of its local corn production for both citizens and animal feed production, local news outlet Tela Non reported. “Currently the seeds we have are around two to three tons per hectare and receiving a seed that will give us around 14 tons is logical that we will see our production increase,” Abel Bom Jesus, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries was quoted.

Digitalization of Justice System

The President of São Tomé’s Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), Henrique Araújo, has called for joint efforts with Portuguese-speaking territories to advance the implementation of technologies for the progress of justice. Speaking on the sidelines of the 11 th Forum of the Presidents of the Supreme Courts of Justice of Portuguese-speaking Countries and Territories, he noted that the move will help balance the disparities among countries that are not advanced in digitalization, Jornal Transperencia reports.

Agricultural advancements

The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in São Tomé and Príncipe, Eric Overvest, and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Abel Bom Jesus, inaugurated a drainage and irrigation system for the agricultural fields of Camavo, Cantagalo District. This was done on November 24 under the Joint United Nations Project, “Promoting Local Food Value Chains and Equitable Employment Opportunities Through a Sustainable Agri-Food Industry in São Tomé and Príncipe.” The project will benefit more than 60 farmers from the Camavo Farmers Association, local news outlet Journal Tropical reports.

Covid-19 resurfaces

Rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in São Tomé in recent weeks have necessitated a directive from the country’s Health Ministry for all citizens to wear masks. This directive is mandatory and should be adhered to inside institutions, closed spaces, and crowded places. The alert, according to Jornal Transparencia applies mainly to persons who have had contact with symptomatic people, the population with risk factors and professionals who work in closed places with poor ventilation. 

Migration

The president of the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe has expressed concern about recent migration figures in many African countries including São Tomé and Príncipe, Tela Non reports. According to Carlos Vila Nova, around a quarter of the country’s population left the country to seek greener pastures.

Mkulima GPT combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to detect diseased crops and provide agricultural advice based on findings.

To assist its users who are mainly small-scale farmers, the app is designed with features that focus on local languages to make it more accessible.

The AI project is intended to increase production and productivity for farmers in Rwanda.

Although it is currently at its testing stage ahead of its launch in December 2023, Mkulima GPT is generating interest and feedback through a website and Whatsapp phone number created by Theofrida.

"So in this aspect, you look at so many farmers being left behind when it comes to technology, one of the technologies we are using is CHATGPT and I know most farmers don’t really know about it or they are probably not interested but we can make great use of these artificial intelligence technologies," she said in an interview with Africanews.

"What sets 'Mkulima GPT' apart is its commitment to local languages and its vision to expand services to more African languages. To facilitate accessibility, 'Mkulima GPT' has already established an online presence through a dedicated website and a WhatsApp phone number where farmers can ask queries that cover a wide range of topics, including farm preparation, maize disease management, and post-harvest procedures,” she added.

Theofrida’s background in agriculture was her motivation to develop the project which she hopes will help breach the digital divide among farmers and is looking at the possibility of including other local languages including Kinyarwanda in the technology.

"We are expecting to have multiple numbers of farmers to use this technology and we are looking at the possibility of including Kinyarwanda into CHATGPT as well. When we were developing the application we got to interact with farmers and one of the crop diseases was [head] smut.

"[Head] smut keeps [spreading] because the practices are poor, but the application keeps on reminding of the good practices and not the practices that bring back the disease,” Theofrida said.