FAO Director-General visited a digital project aimed at optimizing rice crops in Guyana through innovative technology

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, visited the Burma Rice Station in Guyana to learn about the implementation of the digital project aimed at supporting family farmers in monitoring and early detection of pests, diseases, and nutritional problems that may affect their rice crops.

This activity took place within the framework of the 38th FAO Regional Conference being held this week in Georgetown, Guyana, where agriculture ministers and senior officials from the 33 Member States of the region discuss challenges and priorities related to food and agriculture, aiming to promote regional coherence in global policy discussions.

During the visit, the Director-General interacted with the FAO technical team in Guyana, led by representative Gillian Smith, and with members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the institution that supports the implementation of the digital initiative. 

Together, the FAO and GRDB representatives explained how drone technology is used to collect data that is analyzed by the group of professionals who were trained to be in charge of this work. All this was accompanied by a drone flight demonstration to showcase the working modality.

It should be noted that this innovative initiative is part of the South-South Cooperation Project: Digital Transformation and Innovation in Agriculture, promoted by FAO and the People's Republic of China to support the rural digital transformation process in 12 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). 

Through efforts to bring connectivity and digital tools to rural sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO is advancing inclusive rural transformation and better agrifood systems that provide better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.