GESBA tests the use of drones for transporting Bananas

The Regional Secretariat of Agriculture and Fisheries is conducting tests with high-capacity drones to evaluate their use in the transport of bananas, in an initiative that took place at the Caldeira site, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, and which aims to introduce new solutions for the distribution of the production in hard reachable areas, this being one of the main challenges faced by the Region’s producers.

The equipment under testing has the capacity to carry loads of up to 100 kg aiming to assess the feasibility of using this technology for transporting bananas from agricultural farms, reducing the physical effort required from producers and making the operation faster, safer, and more efficient. If the results are positive, Madeira could become one of the first regions in Europe to use high-capacity drones for bananas.

The Regional Government also considers that the use of drones could help preserve the quality of the Madeira Banana by reducing handling during transport and lowering the risk of damage to the fruit until it reaches processing centers. According to the Regional Secretary Nuno Maciel, this technology could be supported through the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC), both in the context of investments in agricultural and forestry holdings, whenever its acquisition is considered technically appropriate.

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