Smart Agriculture
Remote monitoring and automation are being used in agriculture around the world to increase efficiency and outputs. Kumva sees multiple use cases for this technology in East Africa, and has recently deployed a system at an agricultural innovation test centre in Kigali to monitor conditions and automate irrigation across 3 environments.
AUTOMATING IRRIGATION
Countries like Rwanda have increasingly volatile rain seasons that cannot be depended upon for farming. Irrigation is the foremost solution for this problem, and remote monitoring systems could automate irrigation to optimise yields.
POST HARVEST MONITORING
Often substantial losses are realised during the post-harvest period due to disease; sensors placed in silos can warn stakeholders of impending spoilage and prevent losses.
PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL
Remote monitoring for disease and pest detection can help curb rampant spread of pathogens and harm throughout similar species of crop. Information collected from this can also aid a country level advisory and response plan to defend food security.
LIVESTOCK TRACKING
Farmers can receive early warnings on reproductive cycles, disease and optimal milking times. Knowing the location of livestock can aid time sensitive interventions like escaped livestock or livestock on heat.
