ArmInfo. The Precision Agriculture Center with a drone training laboratory was opened today at the National Agrarian University of Armenia
The laboratory was set up and furnished within the framework of the European Union-funded Green Agriculture Initiative (EU-GAIA) project, which is co-funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation as well as with the financial assistance of the Pharm Credit Armenia company.
According to ANAU Rector Vardan Urutyan, the opening of such an innovation center is an important achievement not only in terms of education, but also the development of the digital agenda of agriculture. Noting the lack of agrotechnical personnel in Armenia, Urutyan noted that the presence of such laboratories will train the specialists necessary for the development of innovative, digital and precision agriculture. "We have a huge potential in agriculture, which can only be realized with new knowledge and through the use of innovative technologies, which will ensure the breakthrough development of the agricultural sector," he stressed.
The rector noted that last year the "Precision Agriculture" master's program was launched at ANAU, which will be available for undergraduate students next year. For her part, the EU Ambassador to Armenia, Ms. Andrea Wiktorin, noted that in terms of challenges related to food security, the development of agriculture is becoming increasingly important. She stressed that there is a need to increase the interest of young people in agricultural specialties. "We must help them understand that agriculture is an innovative area, a high-tech area that can be profitable," she stressed. Noting the high potential of Armenia's agriculture, the EU Ambassador stressed that the country is moving in the right direction, implementing reforms in education and other areas. "By supporting the implementation of such initiatives, we want Armenia's agriculture to meet all world requirements in the future," the diplomat said. The innovation center created at the Agrarian University will cooperate with laboratories in the branches of the university in Gyumri and Vanadzor, which carry out land analysis. Technological equipment and functional accuracy of agricultural drones, presented in the laboratory of the Agrarian University, will allow crop spraying in areas ranging from 10 to 17 hectares. In addition, smaller drones were presented in the laboratory for pinpoint detection of infected crops. It is important that the drones were developed by the Armenian DJI company. According to Emma Petrosyan, responsible for public relations of the Austrian Development Agency, the total amount of funding for the initiative amounted to 11.7 million euros, of which 9.7 million euros were allocated from the EU, and 2 million euros from the Austrian Development Cooperation.
