Kenya Airways’ drone technology subsidiary, Fahari Aviation, seems to be making up for lost time.
Launched just a year ago, the drone services company has been all over the country, working with several partners to advance unmanned aviation. It is into urban air mobility, has supported the use of drone technology in wildlife conservation; and recently, it opened a drone cage in Nairobi.
Now, Fahari Aviation is getting its hands dirty – for a good cause.
The company has just announced that it has has signed a service agreement with agriculture concern Kipkebe Limited to offer precision agricultural services.
An estate that specialises in tea farming, Kipkebe is a subsidiary of Sasini PLC, which is involved in the growing and processing of tea, coffee, avocado, macadamia nuts, dairy operations and value addition of the related products for local retail and export markets, including tea warehousing facilities in the port town of Mombasa.
In the agreement, Fahari Aviation will use agricultural drones on the farm for operations that include fertiliser application and chemical spraying on the tea farm.
Kipkebe farm will be used to benchmark the effectiveness of drone use with a possibility to expand the services offered to other Sasini estates.
“Agriculture forms the backbone of our economy, and drones have revolutionised agriculture by offering farmers major cost savings, and enhanced efficiency within the region,” said Hawkins Musili, General Manager at Fahari Aviation.
“We are proud to announce this agreement as Fahari Aviation seeks to reach new heights for more precise applications within the agricultural sector.”
Fahari Aviation will deploy high-capacity drones to cover over 3,000 acres of tea plantation in less than two weeks, saving an overall 50 percent on cost and time efficiency in fertiliser spraying and spreading. According to the company, agricultural drones also offer better accountability of product supply as well as improved accessibility of tough terrains.
Silas Njibwakale, Managing Director at Kipkebe Limited said; “We are indeed very excited to partner with Fahari Aviation, who is a pioneer of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology in the country, in the application of fertilizer 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 its 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.”
Fahari Aviation wants to lead the future aviation technologies and is part of the Kenya Airways’ strategy of contributing to the sustainable development of Africa by championing new dimensions the use of unmanned aircraft.