Del Monte Turns to Drones and Drip Irrigation as Climate Pressure Hits Farming

Del Monte Kenya is expanding the use of technology, including drones and drip irrigation, as it adapts pineapple farming to climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

The company’s climate adaptation strategy focuses on improving water efficiency, monitoring farms more closely and protecting harvests from prolonged dry spells and extreme rainfall.

Agriculture remains central to Kenya’s economy, but farmers across the country are under growing pressure from shifting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, pests and water scarcity. Large-scale farming investments in precision agriculture could offer lessons for smaller producers if affordable models and support systems are made available.

The wider challenge is ensuring that climate-smart farming does not remain limited to major commercial producers. Smallholder farmers, who produce a large share of Kenya’s food, need easier access to irrigation, weather information, quality seed and agricultural extension services.