RAMBLE, Hanover — The development and capacity building of the Knockalva Polytechnic College here in Hanover is expected to be boosted with the promised provision of well-needed technology by a member of the institution’s International Alumni Association member.

Past student and associate professor at Prairie View A&M University in the US, Dr Milton B Daley has promised to donate six drones and four projectors.

“Precision agriculture is foremost, especially in this time and age and I think it’s important for us to be able to do that. Because of that, we do not want to have our students at a disadvantage. To help build capacity here, I will definitely donate six drones to the engineering department, because this place has done so much for me. The least I can do is to give back in this profound way,” stated Daley.

As he made the announcement during the recent Knockalva Polytechnic College Alumni Founders Day Reunion 2024, he explained how drone technology can assist the agricultural institution.

“If you want to survey a piece of land, no one goes out anymore with a dumpy level and manpower. You put your drone up in the sky and you make that survey. You have the area of the land within minutes, and you sit in your office just the same way,” argued Daley.

“You can count your head of cattle on your pasture land using a drone. You can do so with many things just by using drone technology. This will enable us to do that,” he added.

He assured, when asked by the Jamaica Observer, that drones can be easily maintained.

“The students will be trained because all this training is right there at your fingertips. It will be on YouTube. It’s user-friendly and they’re very easy to maintain. The batteries are easily rechargeable so all of these will be added to the package,” stated Daley.

The principal of the 84-year-old institution Natalie Wallace-Thompson spoke about what the support means for Knockalva College.

“We are truly grateful. [It] is well needed, quite timely and I am sure that the students, most importantly, the students will benefit immensely from this injection,” said the school leader who is herself a past student.

The institution was upgraded from an agricultural school into a Polytechnic College six years ago.

Board Chairman Anthony Lawrence attended Knockalva 54 years ago. He is sad to see the lack of progress made since then.

“Agriculture — and science in general — has moved far ahead in the 21st century where we need a lot more applied science, we need more technology, and it’s woefully lacking here,” conceded Lawrence.

“I’m in the engineering department, for example, and I’m yet to see anything computerised. For us to train young people, and put them in the world of work for them to be relevant, they have to be literate in some form of technology, and it’s something that we really would like to see more of,” he added.