BGI Gets Creative to Protect Winery

May 15 , 2021


BGI Ethiopia has adopted an innovative method to keep birds from eating the fruits at its Castel Winery vineyard in the Ziway area. The company has brought in remote-control drone technology and four trained falcons to keep the pests away from its crops. Traditional methods like using smoke, noise from whips, and slingshots, proved ineffective as the birds were still able to consume a portion of the grapes harvested at the winery, which is why the company turned to technology. The drones brought in are currently being operated by French professionals, but they are training their Ethiopian counterparts, who are hoped to replace them shortly. Castel Winery Ethiopia was first established in 2007 and currently offers a dozen varieties of wine on the market.


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