How IoT sensors are helping a farm, vineyard and winery in Albania cut costs and improve efficiency.
It sits just outside Tirana, the Mediterranean capital of Albania, spanning two acres.
Uka is one of around 350,000 farms in Albania, the majority of which are less than two hectares in size.
The family-run business serves local and home- grown delicacies in its open-air restaurant, and produces its own wine.
A Vodafone pilot project has seen energy efficient sensors placed across Uka Farm to collect data and share information with its farmers.
All these sensors are connected to a Vodafone mobile network, which enables them to work autonomously and share information in real-time.
Information is collated automatically into a simple web/mobile app, providing farmers with insights and advice on actions they should consider taking around irrigation, fertilisation and more.
via a solar-powered, connected weather station, measuring and predicting changes in humidity and temperature levels.
prediction accuracy, this information helps farmers plan irrigation schedules and cater for environmental changes. For Uka, it has contributed to approximately
With
reduction in water usage.
Soil moisture and temperature sensors provide Uka with data on soil quality level-by-level and across specific geographical areas of the farm.
reduction in chemical usage and 15% improvement in efficiency.
For Uka, this has contributed to a
This enables farmers to better analyse where and when they should be watering or placing fertiliser, helping improve yields, the development of plant roots and the reduction of wastage.
Weather station sensors provide detailed information on changing conditions, which – depending on the types of plants being cultivated on the farm – help predict the risk of disease before it spreads, enabling farmers to act quickly to save their crops and reduce the need to use pesticides.
Uka Farm is a success story of how IoT technology can improve business efficiency and lower costs. Our ambition is to expand this solution to other farms in Albania. "This will enable farmers to irrigate and fertilise only when they need to, helping improve production while reducing costs and wastage. "Albania has a great potential in embracing innovation and we are here to support with our expertise and technological advancements."
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Katia Stathaki, Vodafone Albania CEO
Rexhep Uka, Owner of Uka Farm:
“This technology has been very helpful for us, improving the accuracy of our work on the farm and enabling us to optimise the amount of time we spend intervening.”
Farmers in Albania are also able to apply for a government grant which covers up to 70% of the cost to implement IoT and digital solutions on their farms.
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