Bentley calls farmers 'greatest people in the world,' touts drone technology as future of ag

Gov. Robert Bentley addresses more than 1,200 farmers at the opening session of the Alabama Farmers Federation's 93rd annual meeting Dec. 7 at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. (Photo: Contributed) — Gov. Robert Bentley addresses more than 1,200 farmers at the opening session of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 93rd annual meeting Dec. 7 at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. (Photo: Contributed)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley addressed a crowd of over 1,200 farmers at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 93rd annual meeting in Montgomery over the weekend. In his speech, the governor took the opportunity to thank leaders from the state’s largest industry and to tout the technological innovations that are changing the way farmers do business.

“Farmers are the greatest people in the world,” Bentley said. “You have to live by faith every day. But most importantly, you love the people you serve, and you feed us all. … All that farmers do, you help our state, and I want to thank the Farmers Federation for supporting me to make this state better.”

Bentley specifically mentioned the potential impact of the Alabama Drone Task Force. He created the panel in late August to review the necessary requirements to further Alabama’s potential use of drones in the areas of agriculture, conservation and law enforcement.

“When I appointed the drone task force, I didn’t think there would be much attention paid to it,” Bentley said during his speech. “But it’s amazing how much attention has been given to the task force. We want to take advantage of the new ways of using drones, in agriculture and conservation. We want agriculture to be a part of that.”

The Governor has asked task force members to accomplish the following:

Study the requirements for drone operations in Alabama, and the process for FAA approval;
Apply for necessary FAA waivers for drone use in Alabama airspace;
Meet with stakeholders to discuss plans for drone use;
Recommend a statewide plan for drone use in Alabama

The implications for Alabama agriculture are huge.

“Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have the potential to help farmers better manage crops and livestock,” said Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell. “We appreciate the governor’s proactive efforts to explore how we can best use this technology while protecting private property rights.”

Creation of the task force followed a June announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effectively grounding drones for commercial use. The task force is chaired by Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan and includes Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Director Gunter Guy, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier and Montgomery Airport Authority Board Member Jimmy Reynolds.

Agricultural researchers have worked with Alabama farmers to demonstrate how drones can be paired with video cameras and sophisticated mapping software to provide producers better information about irrigation, soil conditions, plant health, animal care and pest management.

“The thing about a UAV is that it gives you a whole new perspective when we talk about agriculture,” said John Fulton, former Alabama Farmers Federation professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at Auburn University. “There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity to collect data or images, check cows or go out after a rain to see where water is standing.”