The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Fisheries (GESBA) is conducting tests with high-capacity drones to assess their use in transporting Madeira Bananas. This initiative aims to introduce new solutions for one of the main challenges faced by producers in the Region: getting produce out of hard-to-reach areas.
The trials, overseen by regional secretary Nuno Maciel, took place in Caldeira, Câmara de Lobos. The equipment being tested can carry loads up to 100 kilograms. The goal is to evaluate the viability of this technology to reduce physical effort, make operations faster, safer, and more efficient, and preserve banana quality by minimizing handling.
The Regional Government believes drone use could also help keep agricultural plots active that risk abandonment, thus preserving the Madeiran agricultural landscape. This technology may be supported by the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC). If successful, Madeira could become one of Europe's first regions to use large-capacity drones for banana transport. The cargo drones will be demonstrated at the Madeira Agricultural Fair.
