Grenada’s agricultural sector is taking a major step toward modernization, as the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry launches a pilot initiative to integrate drone technology into mainstream farming operations. The project is designed to revolutionize core agricultural practices, from crop health monitoring to field management, delivering a range of benefits that include more precise farming workflows, reduced operational costs, higher overall farm productivity, and long-term improvements in agricultural sustainability.
To support the new program, the Government of Grenada has recently completed the acquisition of nine new drones, representing an investment of more than EC$200,000. This purchase expands the ministry’s total fleet of managed Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAVs) to 12, providing enough equipment to roll out the pilot across multiple use cases and departments.
The current UAV pilot scheme builds on foundational work carried out in 2023 as part of a collaborative UAV program led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). That earlier initiative laid the groundwork for broader adoption of cutting-edge agritech, including big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence tools customized to meet the needs of agriculture and other key Grenadian industries. The ongoing pilot program aims to turn this preliminary framework into practical, on-the-ground use across the sector.
To ensure the program is operated by qualified personnel, 10 ministry officers are currently undergoing hands-on training provided by Aerial Vision, a local Grenadian drone and aerial services company. Upon successful completion of the training curriculum, all participating officers will earn official certification as UAV pilots. These certified professionals will then be deployed to support the pilot program across their respective departments, which include Lands and Surveys, Praedial Larceny, Land Use, Public Relations, and other specialized units.