The Agricultural Development Corporation has introduced the use of security drones due to the alarming theft of seed maize on the farms in Trans Nzoia county near the Kenya-Uganda border.
ADC managing director Mohammed Bulle says the theft affects seed production and they will use surveillance drones to monitor operations on the farms.
Bulle said in the recent month there had been increased theft of maize and orange seeds at the ADC farms located in the Endebess subcounty near the border adding that the use of digitised technology will help in detection for quick response.
"We have lost a lot to thieves who smuggle the commodity outside the country," Bulle said.
He was speaking at Sabwani ADC farm during a familiarisation tour by the ADC board of directors led by Dr Joseph Rotumoi.
Rotumoi said ADC has plans to erect security installations on all its farms to check on rising insecurity.
The corporation has reached out to the national government to help in the installation of security technologies on farms across the country to safeguard ADC’s operations and ensure it delivers on its mandate.
"Insecurity on farms is our major concern and because we lack resources, we have approached the national government to help us procure and erect security installations on all our farms across the country. This will aid effective production," Dr Rotumoi said.
He said they were already in discussion with the national government over the matter.
“Our mandate is mainly seed production and if we don't safeguard the same then we will put our food production security at risk," Dr Ratumoi said.
Dr Rotumoi said plans are also at an advanced stage to digitise the corporation's operations to help enhance its operations and stop wastage.
“Once we adopt the use of technology we will enhance our operations to be more effective and minimise wastage," Dr Rotumoi said.
The ADC directors said they were focusing on the transformation of the company to achieve its core mandate of ensuring food security in the country.
The board asked the local security committee headed by county commissioner Gideon Oyagi to support in the provision of security surveillance at the border and stamp out the theft of seed maize.
"The security of the seed maize is a national concern and we have reached out to the county security committee to help us intensify border patrols to stop the smuggling of the raw seed maize out of the country by individuals," he said.
ADC has now increased to 12,000 acres the amount of land put under seed production from last season's 10,000 acres. The corporation expects to produce 4.8 million kilos from the current crop.
ADC is the major seed maize grower for Kenya Seed Company KSC, the state's seed processor.
Bulle said the corporation has scaled up diversification to enhance food production in the country.