If it may still be commonplace to see large expanses of farming operations in countries like Guyana still relying on what, these days, is regarded as limited technology, investors in the sector have begun to grasp a better understanding of the role that drone technology can play in bolstering their agricultural pursuits.
So upbeat is the prognosis for the growth of drone applications in farming that the Investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts that in five years, the drone industry could be worth US$100 billion, given the promise they hold in commercial, hobby and government functions. It is in agriculture, however, that the investment bankers see the most potent growth opportunity for drones, their research pointing to an agricultural drone market of around $US5.9 billion in the next five years. These projections are linked largely to what, even now, is an insatiable global demand for precision farming tools with which to drive the growth of the sector.
Advancing technology is already enabling farmers to operate their own drones over thousands of acres of land and have the benefit of a video monitoring facility. Drone technology experts say that soon, farmers can expect to view infrared and visible radiation to calculate crop productivity, enabling the harvesting of more food of a higher quality.
