Dr Chris Kpodar, Chief Technical Advisor, Centre for Greater Impact Africa, (CGIA) has called on governments in developing nations to infuse Artificial Intelligence to transform agriculture for food sustenance, “the era of rainfall dependency agriculture is fast gone.”
“Through the means of Artificial Intelligence solutions to the unstable weather conditions affecting productivity in Ghana and other developing nations' agricultural sector has been resolved.
“The next stage is for the governments of these developing nations to step out and embrace the technology,” Dr Kpodar who served as Consultant for Africa and the Middle East advising governments and companies on investment, stated at a forum organized by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office.
The forum which was on the topic: “Artificial Intelligence and sustainable development,” was attended by Reverend Dr. Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, an economist; and CGIA Executive Director Mr. Mohammed Malik; CGIA Technical Advisor, and an Indian Investor; Mr. Percy Opata, CGIA Corporate Secretary; Mr. Samuel Akoetey, CGIA Head of Business Development; and Mr Frank Ofoe Zotorvi, CGIA Head of Legal Affairs.
Dr Kpodar who is a global Artificial Intelligence Specialist said the infusion of AI in agriculture would not only help farmers automate their farming activities but would also shift from unpredictability to precise cultivation for higher crop yield and better quality while using fewer resources.
He explained that “through the AI mechanism a helicopter could be deployed to spread the ‘clouds' with the necessary ingredients to generate rainfall at a particular location, the quantity needed, and it has a way of minimizing it.”
Dr Kpodar who worked with most French major multinationals mentioned that the application of AI would also help yield healthier crops, monitor soil, and improve a wide range of agriculture-related tasks.
He said the traditional methods which were used by farmers were not sufficient to produce to satisfy the needs of Ghanaians because “predictability of weather forecast doesn't mean that you can meet it always.”
“Greenhouses have been used in the past as technology to produce all year round, in Europe, some part of Africa but using AI is not expensive when the tools are bought in bulk,” he added.
Dr Kpodar who is also the Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Investments Ghana Limited said climatic factors such as rainfall, temperature among others played a key role in the agriculture life cycle as it affects the food security of a country both negatively and positively.
