African Farming November December 2012

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www.africanfarming.net November/December 2012

Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK ÂŁ9 - USA $15

Brazil

Brazil to help Africa boost its agriculture output

Broiler breeders

and their management

Tea

Groundbreaking tea research

Serving

AGRICULTURE for

32

YEARS Selection and breeding for fast growth rates in broilers

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CONTENTS

Contents

www.africanfarming.net November/December 2012

News and Events

4

Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK £9 - USA $15

A topical digest of news, views and events including Farmers’ Calendar.

Poultry

10

Brazil

Brazil to help Africa boost its agriculture output

Broiler breeders and their management.

Brazil

Broiler breeders

14

and their management

Tea

Groundbreaking tea research

A Brazilian programme prepares special project for Africa

Serving

Uruguay and Angola

AGRICULTURE

17

for

32

YEARS

Agromundo aims to relaunch basic production in Angola.

Climate Change

Selection and breeding for fast growth rates in broilers

Case IH Austoft sugar cane harvester and Puma tractor during harvesting demonstration in Réunion.

18

Rwanda’s efforts to adapt to climate change

Nigeria looks to agriculture for growth

20

A report on the recent New World Nigeria Investment conference.

Palm Oil

22

Ghana is working to accelerate palm oil cultivation.

Coffee

24

Emerging issues and technologies.

Tea

26

Groundbreaking tea research could reduce crop failure.

Powering Kenya’s tea factories with wind energy.

Analysis

Groundbreaking tea research could reduce crop failure.

28

Transforming African agriculture.

Fertigation

30

The natural pathway for fertiliser and plant feeding.

Combine Harvesters

32

There is a demand for high output models with the latest technology.

Diesel Generators

36

Delivering power to agriculture.

Managing Editor: Zsa Tebbit Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, Lizzie Carroll, David Clancy, Andrew Croft, Ranganath GS, Kasturi Gupta, Prashanth AP, Meenakshi Nambiar, Ian Roullier, Genaro Santos, Nicky Valsamakis, Julian Walker and Ben Watts Publisher: Nick Fordham Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey Magazine Sales Manager: Richard Rozelaar Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 email: richard.rozelaar@alaincharles.com Country China India Italy Nigeria Russia Singapore South Africa Qatar UAE USA

Representative Wang Ying Tanmay Mishra Camilla Capece Bola Olowo Sergei Salov Tan Kay Hui Annabel Marx Saida Daha Camilla Capece Michael Tomashefsky

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The diesel generator will have a major role to play in a land often beset by crop-destrying droughts where irrigation can save the crops and increase their yields.

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Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: The Manson Group, St Albans, UK US Mailing Agent: African Farming & Food Processing USPS. No. 015-224 is published six times a year for US$90 per year by Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, UK Periodicals Postage Paid at Rahway, NJ. Postmaster: send address corrections to: Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, c/o Mercury Airfreight International Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001.

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African Farming - November/December 2012

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NEWS

Farming Calendar

Lusaka hosts agribusiness congress ZAMBIA'S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR has the potential to feed 200mn people in the region through its abundant land and water resources, being the only country that is land-linked to eight southern African countries, which provides immense potential for accessing regional markets for agricultural commodities. This came to light at the AgriBusiness Congress Zambia held in Lusaka in early September. ‘’The Zambian economy has shown remarkable resilience to the global economic downturn, and the policies being put in place by the recentlyelected new government promises to add value to the agricultural industry and create investment. Zambia is well positioned to benefit from the investment into developing and expanding its existing commercial farming and agribusiness sector and leverage the inclusion of its emerging small-scale farming sector in commercial agribusiness value chains,’’ said Claire O’Connell, Programme Director for the AgriBusiness Congress.

The Congress afforded Zambia the opportunity to unlock the potential that lies in agricultural production, processing, marketing, extension services and research and development. This inaugural event which is envisaged to become an annual showpiece consisted of a conference attracting over 200 delegates coming from 11 countries. The greatest potential for increasing agricultural production in the southern African region, if not the whole region, lies in Zambia, according to the organisers, Spintelligent.

It examined critical issues surrounding regional trade; the role of the private sector, infrastructure development and access to finance. Themed ‘Growing Zambian economic development through Agribusiness’, the event was tailored to encourage unity, enhance co-operation and ensure Zambian agriculture is positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the growth of this sector both nationally and internationally.

Its various workshops were aimed at bringing more small farmers into the commercial farming net and provide business matchmaking opportunities between project developers, agri investors and traders in the region, in addition to exposing Zambian farmers to export markets.

Speaking at the event, Mohit Arora, Head of Agriculture Standard Bank, said African agriculture is expected to feature as one of the major driving forces in the continent’s economic resurgence. ‘’Africa has seen an increase in private equity companies that are investing aggressively in the agricultural sector with more than 45 private equity investors targeting the agricultural value chain.’’ ‘’Zambia as a host country stands to benefit from this opportunity to showcase the potential the country has in the agribusiness sector in the region, given its favourable climate, geographical location and land-linked nature as well as its social-economic and political stability. This interaction will culminate in forging public private partnerships and contracts among the participants and also stimulating production of various agro-products’’ observed Dr. Chungu Mwila, Acting CEO of ACTESA before the event.

December 2012 12-5

Sudan Poultry Expo www.expoteam.info

KHARTOUM

January 2013 6-8

International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition 2013

NAIROBI

www.pmfai.org 21

AGCO Africa Summit

BERLIN

www.agco-africa-summit.com 22-25 IPM Essen

ESSEN

www.ipm-messe.de 28-31 The 12th International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium ARUSHA

www.iita.org/IPVE

March 2013 13-15 2013 Argus FMB Africa Fertilizer Conference and Exhibition

DAKAR

www.argusmedia.com/fertilizer-africa 13-15 VIV Asia 2013

BANGKOK

www.vivasia.nl 19-20 3rd Commercial Farm Africa

ACCRA

www.cmtevents.com 20-22 Hortiflora Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA

www.hppexhibitions.com/floriculture/2013/ethiopia 26-28 AGRA Middle East

DUBAI

www.agramiddleeast.com 28-30 Ethiopia Poultry Expo

ADDIS ABABA

www.ethiopoultryexpo.com 28-30 Afri Green Expo

ADDIS ABABA

www.expopromoter.com

April 2013 4-7

IDMA

ISTANBUL

www.idma.com.tr 16-18 2nd Cool Logistics Africa Conference

CAPE TOWN

www.coollogisticsafrica.com

IPM ESSEN The world‘s leading trade fair for horticulture

day!

‘s trends to

row See tomor

Plants | Technoloy | Floristry | Garden features

22 – 25 January 4 African Farming - November/December 2012

www.ipm-essen.de

2013

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NEWS

IFDC launches USAID West Africa fertiliser programme THE INTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER Development Center (IFDC) launched the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa Fertilizer Program in Accra in November, 2012, under the theme: “Ensuring availability and use of affordable fertilisers in the sub-region.”

The keynote address was delivered by Honorable Kwesi Ahwoi, Ghana’s Minister of Agriculture.

The five-year (2012-2017) USAID programme, implemented by IFDC, will have an impact across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region; and support will centre around the US Government Feed the Future focus countries of Ghana, Liberia, Mali and Senegal. Feed the Future is a US Government initiative

aimed at reducing hunger, poverty and undernutrition in developing countries.

Millions of rural farmers in West Africa lack consistent access to affordable fertilisers for growing staple crops such as millet, sorghum and maize. The USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program will provide assistance for implementation of the recently adopted ECOWAS fertiliser regulations. This will lead to a more integrated trade zone and increase smallholder farmers’ access to fertiliser.

“Increased inter- and intra-regional African fertiliser trade could significantly lower the cost of fertilisers, but quality control and fertiliser trade regulations need to be harmonised across the subregion,” said Dr. Kofi Debrah, chief of party of the programme.

IPM Essen 2013 even more international IPM ESSEN WILL open its doors in January 2013. From the complete diversity of plants and flowers right up to the newest trends from technology, equipment and services - over 1,500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries will present themselves at the world's premier fair in the green sector. The top position of IPM Essen will once again be underpinned not only by the constantly growing international nature of the exhibitors and the visitors but also by an extensive range on offer as well as a first-class supporting programme. For 2013, the sectoral

meeting point at Messe Essen will expect around 60,000 trade visitors who will want to establish business contacts, to consolidate existing ones even further and to obtain information about innovations, market opportunities and future perspectives in the green sector.

The continuously high participation of foreign companies emphasises the significance of IPM Essen to the horticultural world.

The Green City in Hall 1A will be the meeting point for associations, institutions and

service providers in the green sector. Here, trade visitors will find topical sectoral subjects in a condensed form in one fair hall.

The Innovation Showcase has become firmly established in Hall 1A: Here, international plant breeders will introduce their innovations throughout the period of the fair.

The FDF FloristEvent Center in the Green City will be the stage for the newest trends and technologies from the world of floral design and the meeting point for florists from all over the world.

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6 African Farming - November/December 2012

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NEWS

Drip irrigation to combat Ghana’s dry conditions?

COCOA IS AN important crop to the Ghanaian economy, but changing weather patterns that threaten reliable yields are a worry.

Tony Fofie, chief executive officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, has suggested that drip irrigation is being considered as a recourse, to reduce dependence on rain.

“The rainfall patterns have actually changed; we risk losing cocoa in periods of drought. We are looking at sinking boreholes within very large farms where we can have drip irrigation for the plants,” he said.

Cocoa production for 2012/13 is forecast at 800,000 tonnes compared to the previous season's all-time high of more than a million tonnes. The drop is partly attributed to less favourable rain.

Most of Ghana's cocoa is produced by scattered smallholder farmers, rather than on the kind of large plantations on which irrigation might be consistently possible. It would neither be quick nor easy for drip irrigation to be a realistic resort for most farmers.

Zimbabwe to host Africa dairy farmers’ congress ZIMBABWE IS TO host the 9th African Dairy Conference and Exhibition scheduled for 2013.

The conference to be held for the first time in the country, mid-2013, will be attended by Dairy farmers in Kenya receiving technical advice Eastern and Southern Africa Dairy Association (ESADA) members.

Previous conferences have been held in Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.

Over 300 delegates from 40 countries and more than 40 exhibitors of technology and solution are expected at the event.

ESADA was formed in 2004 with the overall mission of increasing the trade in African dairy products.

ESADA chairperson Dr Kipkirui Arap Langa’at said the annual congress will enable local and international dairy stakeholders to share experiences.

He said the conference would also highlight opportunities for dairy sector investment in Africa with greater focus on host country.

“This will expose African dairy practitioners and suppliers to new technologies and ideas for enhanced competitiveness,” he said.

“It will also afford African dairy processors, service providers and industry suppliers a unique opportunity to showcase their products for benchmarking and trade,” he said.

Wallace Mawire

Uganda registers high growth in crop production UGANDA’S MINISTER OF Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Tress Buchanayandi says the country has recorded the highest growth in crop production in over a decade of 16.2 per cent in a wide range of crops mainly cotton, coffee, tea, cocoa, maize and rice.

The minister told participants at a recent annual joint agriculture sector review that the growth was due to favourable weather characterised by adequate rainfall and an increase in the number of people engaged in farming.

He said the annual growth in cash crops was 7.3 per cent in 2003/04 before dropping to between 5.5 per cent and 5 per cent in the following years. He noted that with regional market, food crops are increasingly turning into cash crops.

The Ministry of Agriculture figures show that fish exports for 2011 were estimated at 15,226 tons valued at US$82.85mn while regional fish trade is estimated to be 40,000 tons worth US$120mn.

Coffee, which used to be Uganda's major foreign exchange earner, figures show that its export performance surpassed the target of 2.58mn 60 kg bags to 3.035mn bags valued at US$444.225mn, while tea production rose from 51,000 mt in 2010 to 59,400 mt in 2011 with a corresponding increase in value from US$84mn to US$93mn.

Cotton production also increased to 254,036 bales in 2011/12 from 147,000 bales registered in 2010/11 representing about 73 per cent increase and the increased cotton production contributed over US$56mn.

Regarding cocoa, exports rose from 16,478 mt in 2010/11 earning the country US$52.7mn dollars while rice production currently stands at 230,000 mt of unmilled and 145,000 mt of milled rice.

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African Farming - November/December 2012 7

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NEWS

Osun increases cattle production with 10,000 capacity ranch THE GOVERNMENT OF Osun State in Nigeria has set up a 10,000 capacity cattle ranch to improve the state's self reliance in beef production and target high demand for cattle from Lagos.

The cattle ranch, which measures 78.4 ha, will attempt to enhance beef production through the Osun Beef Production programme.

According to state governor Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, the ranch will target the high demand for cattle in Lagos and other Yoruba states, at a time when animal rearing and production has become a vital economic programme for the government.

“As a government we must be able to produce the food we eat. To me, a government cannot be said to be good if it is incapable of feeding its own people,” Aregbesola explained.

“This is why we promised to focus on animal rearing and food production, which are paramount to our development.”

Lagos State currently consumes 6,000 cattle

daily out of which none is purchased from ranches in the southwest of the country.

"In Lagos alone, 6,000 cows are slaughtered daily and no state in South-West produces a single one. All these animals come from the North," Aregbesola added. "We intend to target just 10 per cent of the Lagos market. This will certainly boost the economy as well as agro-based industry of our state.”

The governor also revealed ranches larger in capacity would operate in the state of Osun towns Ede and Ejibo.

New Kenya cashew sector revival plans revealed KENYA'S ONCE-LUCRATIVE cashew sector has been struggling under various problems for years. Now there is a new plan to try to revive it.

The Nut Processors Association of Kenya hopes the current annual production of 10,000 will go up fourfold by 2015.

However, as other African cashew producing countries like Guinea Bissau and Mozambique have discovered, breathing new life into the sector is easier said than done.

Most of their nuts are exported raw by Indian traders who process them in their country and on-export the final product from there. Attempts to discourage or ban exports of raw nuts have often simply driven away buyers, leaving farmers without markets for their produce.

Singaporean firm buys Zambian coffee co OLAM INTERNATIONAL LTD of Singapore has acquired 100 per cent equity interest in Northern Coffee Corporation, Zambia’s largest coffee estate, at a cost of US$6.15mn, through a bidding process organised by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA).

Information obtained from the company indicate that a further US$40mn will be committed as capital expenditure to fully develop 2,000 ha of the Arabica coffee plantation over the next five years.

The estate is expected to yield about 4,500 mt of Arabica coffee beans by 2021 at steady-state.

The first 300 ha are expected to be planted in 2013. Northern Coffee Corporation was formed in March 2011 to take over the assets of Kasama Coffee Company, which had been in receivership since 2008.

Nawa Mutumweno

Small-scale farmers drive more uptake of irrigation THE INTERNATIONAL WATER Management Institute (IWMI) has found that in Africa and Asia, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of simple and inexpensive irrigation techniques by small scale farmers.

Population, climate change and many other pressures have made water much less available or accessible. Governments talk a lot about the problem, but rarely is there any action. For farmers for whom water is life and livelihood, it is imperative to find solutions.

Various new technologies in recent years have brought down the cost of simple, rural-appropriate water pumps, making them an increasingly attractive and viable option for small scale farmers.

Where central governments are very remote in terms of providing any assistance, these new developments give even cash-strapped farmers options survival options that were not available a few years ago.

8 African Farming - November/December 2012

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NEWS

Netherlands invests in Nigeria CASE IH DEMONSTRATED the advantages of mechanisation with its latest products for the sugar cane industry at Congrčs Sucrier 2012, the international sugar conference recently held in Saint-Gilles-le-Bains, Réunion.

Case IH, together with its local dealer Foucque Matériels, was one of the Congress’s main sponsors who actively participated in the five day event. The Congress brought together the main actors of the local sugar cane commodity chain, international professionals, representatives of agricultural manufacturers and academics from France, Africa, Brazil and other key regions to share knowledge and explore the sector’s current situation and future outlook.

Case IH featured prominently in the Congress’s field demonstrations, a key part of the official programme which also included panels and technical visits dedicated to growers, food processing companies involved in sugar cane production, and representatives of the sugarcane ethanol industry.

Congress delegates were able to see Case IH put a selection of its machines for the sugar cane industry through its paces to demonstrate the benefits of mechanisation. These included Puma 210 and Puma 140 tractors, which are among the preferred tractors of Réunion’s farmers, and three sugar cane harvesters, which highlighted the efficiency and environmental features of mechanised harvesting.

Daniel Lacaille, Managing Director of Foucque Matériels, was very pleased with the event.

“Agriculture is the main economic driver in the island and sugar cane cultivations account for about the 60 per cent of total agricultural land.

Sugar cane represents a source of food but also of sustainable energy for the local industry.

In addition, sugar cane cultivation provides excellent protection against erosion and growers in La Réunion use the by-products of sugar processing to feed the soil when planting.

The future of this industry is full of opportunity, and Case IH is well equipped to help this country make the most of them, with its long history in this sector,” he concluded.

Benefits of grain export bans debated in Tanzania TANZANIA IS ONE of many African countries where the availability of key grains like maize, all of them mostly rain-fed, can be very unpredictable from season to season, depending on the climate. When there is a shortage of these grains for one reason or another, the food security implications are so pressing that governments feel forced to intervene.

Governments that make a lot

of noise about the necessity of other countries opening up their markets more, suddenly have no qualms about instituting measures like price controls and export bans.

A meeting held in Tanzania to discuss the pros and cons of these periodic grain export bans had a number of speakers saying they not only don't achieve the intended result (securing local supply in a time of

shortage and keeping prices 'reasonable'), they cause a number of other problems as well, including inviting retaliation from trade partners. In any case, another speaker said, where rice dynamics favour farmers or traders exporting rather than selling on the local market, they will find a way to get the commodity to the more lucrative market, export ban or not.

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African Farming - November/December 2012 9

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POULTRY

To attain both genetic potential and consistent flock production, it is important that the producer or flock manager has a good management programme in place.

Broiler breeders and their management

B

ROILER, ALSO KNOWN as Cornish Cross, is a type of chicken raised specifically for meat production. Produced by fastgrowing breeds with low mortality, broilers can be reared successfully in standard housing conditions on readily available, custom-formulated broiler feed rations.

Cross breeds for parent stock (broiler breeders) Consumers expect the meat from broilers to be tender and of high quality. The whole broiler production process is designed for this requirement but the same inputs are at odds with those required for egg production by broiler breeders.

The three main steps and stages in the whole broiler production process are: ● Rearing and managing broiler breeders (i.e. the birds that produce eggs for hatching into broiler chicks) ● Fattening of broiler chicks ● Marketing and processing of finished broiler birds The broiler producer clearly requires birds that will achieve a high body weight, with good carcass quality, over the shortest possible period of time, using the minimum amount of regular feed. In addition, the producer also wants birds that possess the correct body conformation, which will feather rapidly and have a minimal mortality rate.

On the other hand, producers of broiler breeders (the producer of broiler parent stock) is essentially interested in all factors related to egg production and successful embryo development – onset, frequency and continuity of laying, number, size, weight, shape, and quality of eggs. This is because the producer is focused on producing as many chicks as possible for sale.

But parent birds would have been selected and bred for the fast growing characteristics they pass on to their offspring (i.e. the broiler chicks to be fattened into broilers).

Birds that accumulate weight quickly in the first few weeks after hatching are generally overweight when mature, and egg 10 African Farming - November/December 2012

Immature broiler breeds eat excessively to satisfy their inherent (custom-bred) fast growth rates. As a result they grow too fast and become grossly overweight. production is inversely proportional to body weight. Consequently, broiler breeder hens lay only around 140 eggs per year compared with the 250 typically produced by hens laying eggs for human consumption.

A compromise must be built into the breeding programme. Failing this, producers of broiler breeders are saddled with the double disadvantage of hens that lay less than 150 eggs per year and are difficult to manage because of rapid growth rate and heavy body weight at maturity.

Compromise is achieved by cross breeding. Simple programmes will typically use a ‘table quality’ strain as the male line (e.g. Cornish) and an egg producing strain

(e.g. New Hampshire) for the female line.

More complicated schemes yielding a better result would be ‘Cornish’ males and ‘New Hampshire’ females, crossed with the ‘White Plymouth Rock’ strain. Crossbred males and crossbred females from these respective crosses are then used as broiler parent stock to breed the broiler chicks.

High selection pressure for feed efficiency and feed conversion, growth and meat/carcass quality is applied in the male strain, but much less so in the female strain.

And the use of crossbred females ensures a high degree of hybrid vigour with maximum levels of egg production, egg viability and hatching success.

Broiler growth and management Selection and breeding for fast growth rates in broilers form the most important processes in the world poultry industry.

Male broilers achieve rapid gain from the start, and at 6 weeks of age can weigh in at 2kg (live-weight). Female birds will tend to grow at a slower rate but this has definite marketing advantages because overall consumer demand is for broiler carcasses of various weights. It is not the amount of

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POULTRY

Selection and breeding for fast growth rates in broilers form the most important processes in the world poultry industry.

food consumed but the efficiency of feed utilisation and food conversion into body tissue which underpins the growth rate.

Broiler producers tend to plump for white feathered strains because they result in a ‘cleaner-looking’ carcass after processing.

But there are instances where production management considerations outweigh this and coloured-feathered strains are preferred. Examples include broiler production in countries with high rainfall and the indigenous soil is red. In these situations, red/brown Rhode Island Reds may be the most sensible choice.

Feather cover must be good to maintain insulation and restrict heat loss from the body, as well as minimising incidence of skin blistering which ruins marketability of processed birds.

Many modern strains of broiler will produce yellow fat because they have been custom-bred for the American market. In markets where yellow fat is undesirable, producers should remove carotene and carotenoid pigments (coloured chemicals) from the ration.

Similarly, factors that determine carcass quality in one country may not suit another. For instance, consumers in some countries may consider the body conformation, texture and taste of carcasses high quality by ‘Western’ standards to offer an unattractive and insufficiently chewy eating experience. For supermarket sales in general, breast meat should be broad and deep. Many such problems are overcome by incorporating local strains into cross breeding programmes to produce appropriate broiler parent stock.

Broiler breeder management Broiler breeder production employs a system much like that used to rear laying bird chicks. Use the same vaccination programme plus administration of an avian encephalomyelitis vaccine in the drinking water when birds are 18 weeks old. Cull low-quality chicks (usually 3-5 per cent) at six weeks and use the same pattern of lighting offered to layer birds.

Immature broiler breeder birds eat excessively to satisfy their inherent (custom-bred) fast growth rates. As a result, they grow too fast and become grossly overweight. Compensatory feed restriction techniques, including reduction in daily ration, low protein, highfibre diet; miss a day feeding, restricting time access to feed and low lysine levels, are required to alleviate the problem.

On balance it is best to rear cockerels and hens separately at first because they have differing nutrient requirements. For instance, cockerels require higher inclusions of calcium and phosphorous.

The sexes can then be mixed at 12 to 14 weeks using a ratio of 810 hens to one cockerel. All pullets and cockerels should be rehoused in laying quarters at the same time when 21 weeks of age.

And with a lighting regime as for layers, broiler breeders should attain full egg production between 30 and 33 weeks of age.

Specific problems may arise in the tropics because the inherently heavier broiler breeders are more susceptible to heat stress than are birds from standard laying strains. For health considerations laying houses should be well away from houses where immature birds are being reared. Once vacated, houses used for rearing immature birds must be thoroughly cleaned and left for at least three weeks before introducing new chicks. h Dr Terry Mabbett

Feeding broiler breeders (parent stock) Producers of broiler parent stock (broiler breeders) have the sole aim of obtaining the maximum number of good-quality, fertile eggs and hatched broiler chicks. Parent stock will clearly possess the fast growing traits required by broiler birds, but these parent birds gain weight too quickly and hens suffer reduced egg production.

Clearly, there is an obvious conflict of interests to ensure proper growth and development with maximum egg production. This problem is overcome by carefully planned feed restriction using the following guidelines: ● Producers must ensure broiler breeder birds attain their mature weight at 24 weeks of age ● Give crushed millet or maize once per day during the rearing period and increase to three times a day during the laying period. Throw cereal on to the litter. Birds scramble for the grains, exercise and burn off fat ● Reduce feed by 5 g a day, for every 50 g a bird registers over the optimum weight ● If rearing males and females separately, provide males with 30g of extra feed per day. If reared together only increase the feed by 5 g a day for each male bird African Farming - November/December 2012 11

S03 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:13 Page 12

Serfontein Kuikens expands with Pas Reform DEKALB LAYER BREEDER producer Serfontein Kuikens will extend its collaboration with Pas Reform Hatchery Technologies this year, with the expansion of hatchery operations at Potchefstroom, to meet growing demand for the Dekalb Amber Link breed in South Africa.

A new contract was agreed during the South African Poultry Association’s Annual Show, held recently in Johannesburg.

Serfontein Kuikens’ hatchery expansion will occur in two phases.

The first, coming into operation by the end of November this year, includes three SmartSet™ 115 setters with one SmartSet™ 38 and six SmartHatch™ hatchers. In the second phase, two further SmartSet™ 115 setters will be added, bringing the hatchery’s total capacity to 8.8mn pullets

per annum.

The two companies have worked together successfully, says Mr Jan Serfontein Snr, for seven years.

“From our first project with Pas Reform, we saw evidence of a knowledgeable partner, that puts in the time and the effort to make sure any project they are involved in is a success.

“Pas Reform remains our hatchery partner of choice because we are always impressed by the quality and productivity of the equipment and of the service we receive.”

Namibia’s poultry industry prospects cloudy UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES TO cast a pall over Namibia’s fledgling poultry industry; has the government ended its protection of the infant industry too soon? Local independent importers of poultry products are holding their breath as they wait to see how precisely the protection measures will affect their business.

South African poultry companies that import poultry products into Namibia have come out strongly against the protection measures. Namibia joins Zimbabwe, which has completely banned poultry products from South Africa.

South African poultry companies that export poultry products within SADC are suggesting that SADC consider banning products from outside the region, instead of putting up restrictions within the regional trade block.

“This will support growth and sustainability within SADC,” said Jack Searle, managing director of Supreme Poultry. Supreme Poultry is a subsidiary of South Africa’s biggest poultry company Country Bird Holdings (CBH), which is on record that poultry imports from Latin America into the region impacted negatively on its sales volumes.

“Cheap and poor quality imports from outside the SADC region are placing local producers under severe pressure, compounded by abnormally high poultry feed prices. SADC should consider imposing a ban on imported chicken from outside the SADC region to balance trade and achieve food security for the region,” said Searle.

In its annual report, CBH reported that imports from Latin America “now account for roughly 17 per cent of all sales” during 2011 and “export volumes were lower in Namibia” and other markets in southern Africa partly as a result of that.

Namibia’s infant industry protection for poultry, according to Supreme Poultry, would impact the export of chicken to Namibia from South Africa and that is why it is important for SADC to impose a ban on poultry imports from countries outside the SADC region. That, said Searle, would prevent the region from becoming a dumping ground for poultry products from outside the region.

“Zimbabwe has closed its border to poultry products from South Africa due to avian influenza found in ostriches in the Western Cape in South Africa.

However, Zimbabwe imports hatching eggs from South Africa, which pose an even greater threat to Zimbabwe than processed poultry products,” said Searle.

12 African Farming - November/December 2012

S03 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:13 Page 13

S04 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Brazil_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:19 Page 14

BRAZIL

The climate and diverse soils of Brazil make the country a centre of propogation of agricultural technology and machinery for tropical climates, particularly in Africa where they have propitiated a growing exchange among these regions.

Brazilian programme prepares special project for Africa Transforming agriculture in Africa with the Brazilian model of arable farming.

T

HE RESULT OF a partnership between the ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers) and Apex-Brazil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), Brazil Machinery Solutions is a programme that brings together 160 Brazilian companies in the machinery and equipment industry and which is focused on the promotion and marketing of mechanical capital goods in several target countries.

Since 2010, the programme has carried out important projects in South Africa, Angola, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, United States, India and Russia, and also in Central America which have resulted in important partnerships. And so, in order to continue these successful projects, the Programme is preparing one especially for Africa.

The reason for this is that, according to studies in the area of market intelligence of machinery solutions in Brazil, the continent is among the top destinations for Brazilian exports of machinery and equipment, particularly highlighting agricultural machinery and implements as well as irrigation equipment. And in order to accomplish this partnership and offer solutions to the African industry more effectively, the Brazil Machinery Solutions Program is preparing actions such as participation in trade fairs, pre-fair events, relationship with the local press, among others.

Africa is among the top destinations for Brazilian exports of machinery and equipment.

The first step The first step consisted in finding and organising a very expressive quantitative database, using various sources. Then, 14 African Farming - November/December 2012

with information also provided by Apex-Brazil, it was possible to add quantitative information into eight groups of variables: foreign trade (volume), foreign trade (growth), competitive analysis, internal volume, market access, productivity and performance of SECOMs (Trade Promotion Sector, present the Brazilian Embassies worldwide).

From this, in June 2012, we reached a group of 24 African countries with a possibility of being among the group of priority countries of Africa Project. Later, we added information from a survey involving companies in the agricultural sector, and the result of such an exercise generated a group of 14 countries.

After a number of discussions, taking into account information brought by companies, such as, for instance, reports of experiences and information on the Programa Mais Alimentos [More Food Program] (a credit line offered to modernise the Brazilian family farming), the presence of Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), among others, it was concluded that out of the group of countries with great potential, Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya will receive special attention, focussing on the search for solutions to their respective markets. South Africa and Angola are already priority countries in the BMS Programme.

The next step was, at the end of October this year, a trip to these three countries - Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya - as well as South Africa, with the purpose of learning about important aspects for the realisation of Project Africa. These aspects included infrastructure, events organisers, embassies, institutions, media and public relations firms, among others.

Several meetings were held in order to present the Brazil Machinery Solutions Program to stakeholders. With the information collected, the programme now moves into the next phase, which is the analysis and planning of future actions to be undertaken over the next two years.

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BRAZIL

The interest of African countries in relation to Brazilian agricultural technology for the tropics grows every year.

Seven Brazilian companies dealing in soya, sugar cane, corn and cotton cultivation have expressed interests in investing in Africa.

Africa Portal To increase business possibilities and exchange of knowledge between Brazil and the African continent, Africa Portal was created.

Established by ABIMAQ in partnership with EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), the Africa Portal (www.portalafrica.com.br) is a tool developed exclusively for African farmers seeking products and solutions for their day-today farming. Focusing on all those linked to the agricultural sector, especially farmers and machinery manufacturers, agricultural equipment and implements, the portal gathers information including agricultural techniques tested and adapted

by Embrapa up to an extensive list of Brazilian agricultural

16 African Farming - November/December 2012

machines, implements and equipment, ready to be used on African soil. General socio-economic information on African countries is also available for consultation.

Pioneering and innovative, the portal presents the Brazilian technologies tested and adapted for soil preparation, planting, cultivation, irrigation, harvesting, storage and a large portfolio of agricultural machinery and equipment made in Brazil, presented according to the specific African country, the environmental, social and economic and cultural or exploitation intended.

Among the numerous technologies of EMBRAPA fit to be used by rural producers, in various African countries, are the coconut and cashew production and direct plantation systems. Knowledge about irrigation, harvest and storage could also be accessed at the portal. A broad catalogue of products, directed towards the African market, will be made available by the Brazilian industry of agricultural machines and implements. The machinery offered by manufacturers associated to CSMIA/ABIMAQ will provide support to EMBRAPA’s technologies.

Portal Africa will contain socioeconomic information regarding Brazil and African countries and will be connected in real time to the database of EMBRAPA and ABIMAQ. The content will give opportunity, to African producers, to get to know agricultural technologies and equipment directed towards tropical agriculture. h

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URUGUAY AND ANGOLA

Agromundo has been called, together with some other Uruguayan professionals, to evaluate the feasibility of relaunching basic productions that were formerly wide-spread in some Angolan regions – such as rice and meat – on a large scale. By Daniel Vincent Agronomist Agromundo.

Agromundo aims to relaunch basic production in Angola

W

ITH ITS EXTRAORDINARY potential for agriculture, fertile soils, abundant water resources, and appropriate climate, Angola is nowadays one of the most promising countries with regard to its possibilities to increase its production and satisfy not only its domestic demand but also to export to other countries.

In this context, it seems urgent that the different actors involved, both public and private, combine their efforts to ‘relaunch’ the production of basic agricultural products using advanced technologies available in other latitudes and taking advantage from successful experiences of other countries. This can help improve and accelerate the process towards more and better availability of food for the population, especially for those sectors that are most vulnerable or live in extreme poverty.

It will be an important responsibility and challenge for the government and local authorities to ensure that new technologies be spread throughout Angola and that new achievements benefit the whole society.

But what contribution could technicians from a small South American country like Uruguay make in front of that huge challenge?

It is necessary to point out that for years Uruguay has been a ‘model’

at the international level in rice and meat production; it is the sixth largest rice exporter worldwide and first largest in Latin America. Its production is today top in the world, with an average above 8,500 kg/ha, which shows an advanced technological management.

The quality of Uruguayan rice is also internationally renowned. The rice is raised in crop rotation with cattle breeding pastures, a system that has been internationally highlighted as an excellent tool for a more rational and sustainable use of the soil resource, maximising the efficiency of both productions.

Naturally, there are no formulas could be exactly transferred from one country to another without taking into account the particular differences of soil, climate, background, human resources, infrastructure, juridical framework, etc.

We are however convinced that there are many technological elements which have been developed in other countries and that – with the due adjustments – can be a great contribution to the rapid development of a modern and sustainable agriculture in Angola, which should in turn significantly improve its population’s quality of life. h

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Rwanda is one of the few African countries which has formulated a climate change policy

Rwanda’s efforts to adapt to climate change

T

HE RWANDAN GOVERNMENT has developed a strategy to become a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by mainstreaming climate change response into its development strategy and across key sectors. A primary focus of this is transforming the agricultural sector, encouraging smallscale farmers to change how and what types of crops they produce. This presents a significant challenge for smallscale farmers, who need to acquire new skills and capabilities.

Frodouald Kanyandekwe, a smallscale farmer from Nyaruguru, a mountainous district in Southern Rwanda, is convinced that his bad harvest following the recent drought was a result of climatic changes. This year's unusually long dry season from June to mid-September has had negative effects on the activity of many smallscale farmers, like Kanyandekwe, where low rainfall has resulted in poor yields across the country. "It has been very difficult for us to find water for irrigation during the long dry period," the 37-year-old father of four says. The majority of farmers in Nyaruguru say they now realise that seasonal changes are the result of climate change, about which they have been hearing on the radio. "I heard about climate change, but I didn't realise that it would affect me in such a manner," Kanyandekwe adds.

Rwanda is one of the few African countries which has formulated a climate change policy after officials realised how global warming was affecting local communities. The Green Growth and Climate Resilience strategy was officially launched by the Rwandan government at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change conference in Durban, South Africa, in late 2011. The Strategy states that with the highest population density in Africa, and still growing at 2.8 per cent per year, Rwanda is especially vulnerable to climate change as it is so reliant on rain-fed agriculture, both for rural livelihoods and also exports of tea and coffee.

Small-scale farmers' training In a country where more than 90 per cent of the population depends on agriculture, and in particular subsistence agriculture, authorities are planning to mobilise more resources and investments for the sector while focusing on training smallscale farmers on appropriate practices for erosion control and water management. As a way to mobilise communities to develop watershed management, plan in a participatory manner and protect land against erosion, the Rwandan authorities have adopted a new approach of constructing terraces, planting living barriers, teaching contour planting, shifting to crops suitable for erosion control on steeper slopes, and adopting integrated soil fertility management practices.

Rwanda has also already constructed 50 valley dams and water reservoirs on hillsides, with water conveyance structures 18 African Farming - November/December 2012

Coffee and banana intercropping systems in Rwanda - one climate-smart technique that can be applied in agriculture. Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT)

for irrigating 3,570 ha. However, some local communities complain that information and technical resources on how to adopt new practices are scarce and difficult to access, and that the efforts of government and its partners in this sector cannot fill the whole gap dedicated to helping them adapt to climate change.

Adaptation in context Muyeye Chambwera, a former researcher from the Londonbased International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), recently co-authored a study on the costs of adapting agriculture to climate change, focusing on Rwanda. He stated that adaptation to climate change means different things in different contexts. "In Rwanda's smallholder coffee sector, for instance, the focus is on building the capacity of institutions and researchers," he says.

Another goal stated in Rwanda's Green Growth and Climate Resilience strategy is to expand crop varieties, local markets and manufactured products and exports in support of the sustainable intensification and climate resilience of smallscale farming. It is said that this multi-faceted initiative will involve diversifying agricultural production and enhancing the agriculture value chain, which will bring multiple benefits as it reduces dependency on external inputs such as fertilisers, food imports and fuel.

The new strategy also puts emphasis on reducing vulnerability to climate change and building an agricultural market economy based on added value and import substitution.

But Chambwera has observed that climate-vulnerable countries, such as Rwanda, need to combine better information about the costs of damage and investments in adaptation at the farm level with improved climate data. "This would inform investment decisions across multi-year budgeting periods, would support early warning systems of climatic threats and help farmers and pastoralists to plan, to prevent losses and to shift to other activities if necessary," he remarked. h

S06 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Nigeria_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:07 Page 19

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NIGERIA

At the New World Nigeria investment conference, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, made clear their resolve to rebuild a vibrant agricultural sector. Stephen Williams reports

Nigeria looks to agriculture for growth Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina.

F

ARMING IS CENTRAL to Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 40 per cent of GDP and providing 60 per cent of employment. And agriculture is a major source of employment growth: between 2001 and 2007 alone, it accounted for 51 per cent of job creation in Nigeria. But since the 1960s, coinciding with the discovery of oil in the country, Nigeria has lost a dominant position in exports of key crops such as cocoa, groundnuts, ground nut oil and palm oil. In the 1960s, Nigeria had over 60 per cent of global palm oil exports, 30 per cent of global ground nut exports, 20-30 per cent of global ground nut oil exports, and 15 per cent of global cocoa exports. Yet by the 2000s, Nigeria’s global share of exports of each of these crops was five per cent or less.

Sadly, today, Nigeria is a net importer of agricultural produce, with the value of its food imports totalling US$4.2bn and rising. Large food products imports include wheat (US$1.1bn), fish (US$700mn), rice (US$500mn), and sugar (US$400mn). Nigeria has a total food import bill of US$4.2bn annually.

The irony is that Nigeria’s agriculture sector has enormous potential – with an opportunity to grow output by 160 per cent, from US$99bn today to US$256bn by 2030. This growth potential comes from increasing yields to 80-100 per cent of benchmark countries; increasing acreage by 14mn ha new agricultural land, approximately 38 per cent of Nigeria’s unused arable land of 36.9mn ha; and shifting 20 per cent of production to higher value crops.

Nigeria faces a large and growing global agricultural market – rising commodity prices, growing demand for food, and opportunities in bio-fuel all present significant challenges and opportunities for Nigeria. For example, global cereal demand will grow by between 31 per cent and 150 per cent by 2050, depending on the region, and global commodity prices are in their second major spike in three years.

20 African Farming - November/December 2012

Nigeria is a net importer of agricultural produce, and yet the sector has enormous potential.

Just how this can be addressed was the focus of two important presentations made to the three-day New World Nigeria investment conference, sponsored by Bank of Industry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee. Faultlessly organised by Brand Communications at London’s plush Dorchester Hotel, a high level delegation of Federal Government ministers and State governors examined practically every facet of Nigeria’s economy. It was notable that both the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, addressed the latest initiatives to kick-start agricultural development.

Minister Adesina declared that the Federal government had very clear targets. By 2015, he told delegates, the Agricultural Transformation Initiative plans to create 3.5mn jobs within agricultural value chains; ensure US$2bn of additional income is in the hands of Nigerian farmers; add US$2bn to the economy from rice self sufficiency; and see to it that US$380mn is injected into the economy from the partial substitution of cassava flour for wheat flour in bread, confectioneries etc.

Currently, Nigeria is the world’s biggest importer of US hard red and white winter wheat and, world wide, the biggest importer of rice.

But perhaps the most notable aspect of the minister’s presentation was that, of the proposed 20mn metric tons of Nigerian-grown food, the government is seeking to add to the domestic market including one million tons of sorghum and two million tons of rice, it envisages no less than 17mn metric tons of cassava can be grown throughout the country.

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NIGERIA

Focus on cassava This focus on cassava is fascinating and is already having a huge impact. While Nigeria is still a net food importer, it has developed a huge export market for this crop – and has added value by manufacturing cassava chips that it is exporting to China. Nigeria has already won a two-year, 1.1mn ton annual cassava chip export contract from China, earning more than US$136mn annually.

The cassava value chain is rapidly turning Nigeria into the world’s largest processor of cassava. It is anticipated that by 2015, the country will have over 50mn tons of processing capacity, producing annually 1.3mn tons of high quality cassava flour; 350,000 tons of starch, 250,000 tons of high fructose cassava syrup and 1.5bn litres of ethanol, matching the amount of ethanol Nigeria extracts from sugar cane.

“We must reduce our dependence on importation of wheat, sugar and corn starch … all of which can be partially or completely replaced by cassava substitutes,” Minister Adesina insisted.

Stimulating the agricultural sector and, unsurprisingly, attempting to woo FDI into the sector remains a key objective of the Federal Government. There is perceived to be an increasing tendency for the giant mutinational food companies to organise finance and agricultural expertise to African smallholder farmers in order to combat shortages and smooth out volatilities in the price of their inputs.

For its part, the government has introduced legislation that, among other measures, stipulates a zero per cent duty on agricultural machinery and equipment imports (such as the driers and mills that have already been imported for cassava processing); the removal of restrictions on areas of investment, and maximum equity ownership, by foreign investors; no currency exchange controls – and free transfer of capital, profits and dividends; and a constitutional guarantee against nationalisation and expropriation. Furthermore, there is a tax holiday for agricultural investments and infrastructure support, with a special focus on staple crop processing zones, for power, water and electricity.

As Minister Adesina observed: “[Achieving] a hunger-free Nigeria through an agricultural sector that drives income growth, accelerates achievement of food and nutritional security, generates employment and transforms Nigeria into a leading player in global food markets to grow wealth for millions of farmers.”

Importantly, the state is underpinning many of the agricultural reform and development initiatives and the Central Bank of Nigeria has taken the lead role here. Speaking at the New World Nigeria summit, the Bank’s governor Lamido Sanusi outlined the NIRSAL programme which he described as driven by five pillars - particularly the risk sharing and technical assistance pillars. Sanusi termed the NIRSAL programme’s goal is to Lamido Sanusi, Governor of “expand bank lending in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Stimulating the agricultural sector and, unsurprisingly, attempting to woo FDI into the sector remains a key objective of the Federal Government. agricultural value chains”. De-risk agriculture finance value chain NIRSAL has US$500m in assets to stimulate Nigeria’s financial institutions investing in agriculture.

There is a risk sharing facility of US$300mn that shares lending risks with commercial banks; an insurance facility of US$30mn that links insurance products to the loan provided by the banks to loan beneficiaries; a technical assistance facility of US$60m that will build the capacity of banks, micro-finance institutions to interact with the agricultural value chains and expand financial inclusion; an agricultural bank rating scheme valued at US$100mn that will rate banks according to their effectiveness of lending to agriculture; and what is termed a US$10mn ‘bank incentive mechanism’ that targets incentives that move commercial banks to a long term, strategic position and commitment to agricultural lending.

Already, the government’s stance on promoting indigenous crops has resulted in the launch of the Cassava Bread Development Fund in July to provide funding for both training and equipment for master bakers. Cassava bread, launched in November 2011, which contains 40 per cent cassava flour added to wheat, is already widely available throughout the country and retails for 60 per cent of the price of bread made with imported wheat. h

J

African Farming - November/December 2012 21

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PALM OIL

Ghana needs to explore an appropriate scientific method of acquiring large tracts of land solely meant for palm oil cultivation if it wants to become one of the major producers of such an important commercial crop in the world.

Emmanuel Yartey reports from Palm Oil Africa, recently held in Accra.

Ghana working to accelerate palm oil cultivation

O

IL PALM HAS become an integral source of food item in almost every home globally, not forgetting its usage in a multiplicity of ways in both major and small industries.

According to experts, oil palm has been used in cooking food in most parts of the world for hundreds of years now. Oil palm comes from the fruits of the palm oil, which contain 50 per cent oil meaning that one gets more oil out of one palm fruit than one would from many handfuls of olives, which naturally makes oil palm quite cheap as a product. Consequently, it has led to increased buying of palm oil to use in products all around the world, resulting in more palm oil plantations manifesting in places where jungle and forest would have once been homes to numerous different species.

Oil palm is found in absolutely everything from food and household products, to make-up and other cosmetics. Today, oil palm is also being widely considered as being an alternative to the natural fossil fuels that are rapidly running out, primarily being used as a form of biofuel in the transport industry.

It is thought that one in ten products found on supermarket shelves contain oil palm, but only a small percentage of the oil palm that is used to make these products actually comes from a sustainable source.

Oil palm is derived from the fruit of the palm oil. The palm fruit yields both oil palm and palm kernel oil. Oil palm is extracted from the pulp of the fruit and is an edible oil used in food. Palm kernel oil is extracted from the seed of the fruit and is used in the manufacture of cosmetics.

There are two main species of palm oil tree; Elaeis guineensis, native to West Africa, and Elaeis Oleifera, native to Central and South America. Both species grow in tropical regions including Ghana in Africa and Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia and Malaysia possess the largest palm oil plantations in the world.

Numerous challenges African countries which are endowed with the cultivation of palm oil have numerous challenges to grapple with, such as social and political instability, land availability and tenure, economic and fiscal policy, climatic risk, rainfall distribution, access to funding and commerce, environmental impact among others. Despite these challenges, Africa is a major continent for the cultivation of palm oil.

It is as a result of these challenges coupled with its great potential in the cultivation of the crop that “Palm Oil Africa” was organised in Accra, which brought together scientists, experts and actors in the industry from around the world to deliberate on how best members of producing countries could collaborate to ensure incremental yields. Some of the participating countries included Indonesia, Malaysia, Gabon, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

George A. Sarpong, a land expert, said that, “Although the 22 African Farming - November/December 2012

A Ghanaian woman harvesting palm oil fruit.

80 per cent of land is dedicated to the cultivation of palm oil by private small scale farmers. state established elaborate institutional and administrative machinery to govern land tenure and land administration, it has not been effective. The National Land Policy identifies problems and constraints that have bedeviled land administration such as: a weak land administration system; general indiscipline in the land market; indeterminate boundaries of stool/skin lands; compulsory acquisition by the government of lands without payment of compensation; inadequate land tenure security due to conflict of interest among and within land–owning groups and the state; land racketeering and the slow disposal of land cases by the courts.”

And so in Ghana, the state has not got its own large tracts of land dedicated to the cultivation of palm oil; but it prefers to partner private companies to execute such an activity on an outgrower system.

Majority farmed by private farmers In Ghana, 80 per cent of land is dedicated to the cultivation of palm oil by private small scale farmers but demand for vegetable oil is far more than the supply resulting in a yearly deficit of about 35,000 tonnes of oil palm. Government must indeed be proactive in fashioning out a workable mechanism whereby the land factor is tackled on a sustainable basis to allow for massive cultivation of the crop for higher productivity.

It was, however, heartwarming that in July 2011, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Food and Agriculture Minister announced that Ghana was ready to support two new palm oil outgrower schemes in 2013 under a Palm Oil Development Master Plan. The purpose of this

S07 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Feature 01_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:25 Page 23

PALM OIL

master plan is to enable Ghana to shore up the nation’s competitiveness as far as the world oil market is concerned for the next 15 years. Within the plan, there is the directive to develop 50,000 hectares for the crop of which 40,000 will be used on an outgrower scheme.

This is laudable on paper, but a practical approach to this proposal is what industry watchers will be waiting patiently to see whether such a big dream will crystalise next year as promised.

At the conference, Dr Amoncho Adiko, Director of Programmes and Research at National Centre of Agronomic Research in the Côte d'Ivoire told African Farming that in his country 160,000 ha of plantations are owned by private outgrower individuals, 36,500 rural outgrowers and 30 co-operatives provide services to outgrowers.

According to Dr Adiko, “About 215,000 ha of palm oil plantations are spread between private plantations (75 per cent), industrial plantations (23 per cent) and traditionally-operated plantations (two per cent). The number of people deriving most of their income from palm oil is estimated at two million, that is 10 per cent of the Ivorian population. In fact, the production, processing, and transportation of products from palm generate directly and indirectly 200,000 regular jobs.”

Mr Henri Harmon of Golden Veroleum (Liberia) Inc (GVL) says Liberia is cultivating 220,000 ha of palm oil in southeastern Liberia and that they still need massive investment in this sector since it provides jobs and reduces poverty.

Liberia has vast arable land and suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of palm oil. Consequently, the country has attracted major investors in the sector who are contributing in opening up job opportunities.

West Africa is known as Palm Oil Continent because of its natural climate for the cultivation of the crop resulting in the attraction of foreign investments in the palm oil sector. Between 2009 and 2011 alone, the industry made over US$5.9bn.

The main regions for investment opportunities for palm oil include Liberia, Gabon, Cameroon, DRC, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania and Mozambique.

However, participants discussed the issue of environmental impact as a result of the destruction of large areas of natural habitats to make way for enormous palm oil plantations. They resolved to come up with workable plans to ensure reclamation and maintenance of the natural vegetation as they continue to meet at conferences in the years ahead.

The country has attracted major investors in the sector who are contributing in opening up job opportunities.

The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was set up to encourage the growth and use of sustainable palm oil worldwide, meaning that palm oil can only gain a certification of sustainability if it has been produced in such a way where no undue harm has come to the environment or society as a whole.

According to experts, despite huge initiatives to get people growing palm oil sustainably, only one per cent of the sustainable palm oil produced is actually being bought by companies, mainly due to the fact that it is more expensive than palm oil that has been grown illegally, and this trend is a major challenge to genuine players in the industry as far as destruction of the natural vegetation is concerned.

The Côte d'Ivoire will host the next conference which they have christened, “African Palm Oil Congress” (APOC) in Abidjan in June 2013. h

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African Farming - November/December 2012 23

S08 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Coffee_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:28 Page 24

COFFEE

With the increased interest in reviving the Kenya coffee sector, which has been on the decline, players in the sector - farmers, co-operative societies, processors, millers and the government - are coming to terms with emerging issues affecting the crop. Mwangi Mumero reports.

A cherry used for pulping in Rwanda.

Emerging issues and technologies

C

HIEF AMONG THE emerging issues has been vital new technologies and adaptable coffee varieties that have been developed by research stations. Service providers are also rushing into the sector to cash in on the renewed interest on the crop once dubbed the “Black Gold”.

At a recent two-day Coffee Fair held at the Coffee Research Station (CRF) in Ruiru north of Nairobi, industry analysts felt that the sector is on the rise, and seeks policy directions, new technologies and better varieties that would reduce overhead costs.

“The cost of pulping coffee can be significantly reduced with low water used, especially in small co-operative societies. With newer technologies , it is now possible to use pulping machines that use no water at all”, noted Steven Wainaina, a sales executive with Msumbi Africa, a Nairobi-based firm that specialises in farm machines.

The company’s eco-pulper was a major attraction with those attending the Fair. Traditionally, the coffee pulping stage requires large volumes of water which increases cost.

“A pulping machine that does not use water will save us huge costs. Equally, the rising cost of water and machine maintenance will be reduced considerably – improving our farmers’ earnings”, observed David M’inoti, an official with a co-operative society in Meru County, one of the main coffee growing regions in the country.

According to Mr. Wainaina, a complete eco-pulper machine will cost US$8,000 (Ksh720,000) and will mostly be suitable for large scale farmers and co-operative societies.

But it was not just Kenyan companies selling coffee machines and other inputs.

Indian company Marshal-Fowler Group of Companies had an array of coffee machines seeking to get deals for their products.

A coffee pulper-drum type, developed for small scale farmers is able to decorticate the outer skin and segregate the skin and wet parchment. It is widely used across the world by coffee plantations.

24 African Farming - November/December 2012

With newer technologies, it is now possible to use pulping machines that use no water at all.

“There are manual and the motorised types. We have already obtained orders from farmers and co-operative societies seeking them. They are able to reduce operational costs for farmers”, said B. Bhattacharya, the technical general manager with the company.

According to Mr. Bhattacharya, prices for the pulpers range between US$330 (Ksh30,000) to US$555(Ksh50,000) for the drum type with the motorised one retailing at US$1,100 (Ksh100,000). The motorised pulper can pulp 400-500 kg per hour - a very good speed - according to some experts attending the Fair.

Other machines which the company brought from India included coffee hullers for dry cherries and dry parchment, digital moisture meters for green coffee, coffee roasting machinse and slatted conveyor-dryers for coffee.

“The coffee roasting machine is ideal for laboratory research, coffee shops and cafés that want to produce an aroma of freshly roasted coffee. The machine has stainless steel trim parts and a cooling fan for chaff separation”, noted Mr. Bhattacharya.

Specialists in knapsack sprayers, motorised sprayers and hockey stick boom sprayers, Hardi Ltd, were also displaying their latest wares.

“We offer farmer-friendly equipment for both the smallholder and large plantations. Affordable to the farmer and low on maintenance”, Mr. Simon Muli a sales rep from Hardi explained to farmers who thronged their stand.

A motorised hand-held 120 litre sprayer would cost the farmer US$3,200 (Ksh288,000) while a bigger 300 litre sprayer would retail at US$4,000(Ksh350,000). For a bigger tractor-drawn sprayer, the farmer would have to part with US$6,300 (Ksh570,000).

S08 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Coffee_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:28 Page 25

COFFEE

Revitalising the sector with credit facilities To revitalise the sector, credit facilities are now being made available to farmers, coffee societies and other players.

To support farmers, coffee estates and coffee co-operative societies, the government has set up the Coffee Development Fund to provide ‘sustainable, affordable credit and advances to coffee farmers’.

Among the facilities on offer to coffee players include extended advances, coffee rehabilitation loans, coffee processing loans, and coffee farm establishment loans – for new farmers, coffee machinery and equipment loan.

According to the Fund’s Charter to farmers, a minimum of 100 coffee trees and at least 3 kg cherries per tree per year are some of the conditions needed for small-scale farmers to access credit which can be processed within a month. The first phase of the loan is payable within 12 months.

For coffee estates, a minimum of 3,000 coffee trees and registration with the Coffee Board of Kenya among a raft of conditions are required to access the credit which should be repayable from 18 months.

Since its establishment in 2007, the Coffee Development Fund has disbursed over US$11mn to over 60,000 farmers in Kenya.

The Fund has launched an innovative M-Kahawa, an electronic service which enables farmers to access a wide range of financial services on their mobile phones such as loan application, loan balance enquiries, mini-statements as well as cherry payment advances through the Mpesa platform.

Mpesa is a mobile money transfer service owned by Safaricom Limited, East Africa’s biggest mobile service network.

But it is the world of research that is so important today, where new coffee varieties promise a better future for the Kenyan farmer who has to grapple with rising costs of pest and disease control.

Over the last few years, the Coffee Research Foundation at Ruiru has developed two varieties resistant to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and leaf rust, two main scourges in coffee growing.

The two varieties - Batian and Ruiru 11- are expected to lower the cost of production as the two diseases need huge investment in chemicals and equipment.

Over the last few years, the Coffee Research Foundation at Ruiru has developed two varieties resistant to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) and leaf rust, two main scourges in coffee growing.

unbiased results to farmers on the quality of their coffee before marketing”, notes the University’s Department of Food Science and Technology newsletter.

In recent years, coffee societies, such as Mathira Farmers Cooperative Society, that have consistently produced quality coffee, have earned huge returns to their members compared to other societies countrywide.

Quality has become the critical point of focus by coffee marketers. h

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Quality has become the critical point of focus by coffee marketers “There are considerable savings from the cost of fungicides and labour used to control CBD and Leaf Rust. Batian is a high yielding variety with good bean and cup quality. It is also suited for all agro-ecological zones”, intoned Dr Joseph Kimemia, CRF executive director.

The two varieties – grown at a narrower spacing of two metres by two metres – have a higher bushel population at 1,000 per acre. Traditional varieties – planted at a spacing of 2.7 metres by 2.7 metres- can only attain a population of 540 bushels per acre.

Beyond coffee research, another emerging issue is the development of the coffee cupping laboratory at Kimathi University College of Technology, based in the Nyeri, the heart of coffee growing Central Highlands zone.

Developed through collaboration with the African Wildlife Fund and Starbucks Ltd, a leading organisation in specialty coffee, the laboratory aims to promote production, processing, trade and consumption of high quality coffee. It also aims to raise profitability of coffee as a business at all levels.

“It also hopes to increase awareness about coffee quality through informed analysis of the tea cup. We wish to give

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African Farming - November/December 2012 25

S09 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Tea_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:33 Page 26

TEA

Pelly Malebe, a doctoral student at the University of Pretoria, has carried out research helping tea plants withstand drought.

Groundbreaking tea research could reduce crop failure THE STUDY INVOLVED analysing the drought-survival mechanisms of tea plants under stress, which resulted in the identification of a DNA marker for those plants more able to withstand drought.

The results suggested that an individual tea plant’s toleration of drought conditions can be ascertained without having to wait to see if and how it grows. They also indicated that drought-tolerant plants can adapt to excess moisture as well, meaning they can survive rainy weather.

“This can be used to identify suitable drought-tolerant cultivars to benefit the commercial tea industry,” Malebe commented.

Her research was supported by the Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE), aimed at building capacity for science research and teaching in African universities. The initiative, which is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a charitable foundation, works through a series of thematic networks, including the Southern African Biochemistry and Informatics for Natural Products Network (Sabina).

Sabina’s members include the Tea Research Foundation of Central Africa, the universities of Malawi, Namibia and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Witwatersrand and Pretoria universities.

Zeno Apostolides, a biochemistry professor and founder of the University of Pretoria’s Tea Research Laboratory, is a Sabina faculty advisor supervising three PhD students, including Malebe and fellow researcher Nicholas Mphangwe.

Mphangwe worked with Malebe on research which attempts to identify cultivars more adaptable to African growing conditions and more resistant to drought, insects, diseases and low temperatures.

“In Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia, the main work on tea is being carried out at research stations, so we tea breeders still go into the field and visually assess promising cultivars. I hope eventually to develop cultivars with good off-season growth, so as to extend the growing season,” Mphangwe said.

Camellia sinensis, the biological name for the plant that produces black and green tea, is grown in some 50 countries and is the world’s most widely-consumed beverage after water.

Tea production in southern Africa expanding rapidly Apostolides claimed that tea production in southern African is growing at approximately 20 per cent per year, so the region could challenge India for first place in tea production by about 2020.

“India produces 900,000 tons of tea per year, while Sri Lanka and 26 African Farming - November/December 2012

Drought-tolerant plants can adapt to excess moisture as well.

Kenya – which are always competing for second place – produce 300,000 tons each, and all the African countries combined produce about 400,000 tons, so, as a region, we are in second place,” he said.

The Tea Board of Kenya reported that Kenya’s tea exports last year overtook horticulture to become the country’s largest foreign exchange earner. Uganda, Malawi and South Africa are the continent’s other leaders in tea production.

Also included in Malebe’s work was attempting to find a feasible way of sending cultivars to research labs.

“Developing countries lack skills for the isolation of genetic material. What is needed is a simple leaf-drying method so that the tea leaves can be transported to laboratories where genetic material can be extracted and usable genomic DNA can be isolated and stored,” she said.

After testing various methods of drying tea plants – blanching, pressing, freeze drying and placing it in bags with silica gel – Malebe determined that using silica gel in sealable plastic bags gave the best results.

It is hoped that this outcome could pave the way to a simple methodology for obtaining and storing genetic material, which would also be applicable to other products and places.h

Workers on the Satemwa Tea Estate, in the Thyolo region of Malawi.

S09 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Tea_Layout 1 03/12/2012 10:42 Page 27

TEA

Powering Kenya’s tea factories with wind energy The price per unit of electricity generated by contemporary PIM DE RIDDER is the entrepreneur behind Izzy Projects, a business that develops and operates wind energy projects to power tea wind turbines is competitive in the context of today’s electricity factories in Kenya, and one of this year’s finalists for the BiD markets. In Kenya, tea factories are generally located in wind Network Fast5 Challenge, which aims to identify the most rich areas. This structural factor creates opportunities for a good sustainable companies in emerging markets and present them to wind energy project and combined with the willingness and openness from the involved tea estates, makes the tea factory ready-to-invest financiers on the international stage. market in Kenya a good start Having completed their for exploring self-generation activities in Canada the with wind turbines. question arose where the next The potential for wind opportunity to develop energy in Kenya is huge projects was. The combination (6GW). This in combination of an intrinsic need for with the Vision 2030 strategy electricity, abundant wind and a growing economy – resources and the ability to do hence a growing demand for business, was at stake. Among electricity – means the a couple of other markets in country could make use of Africa, Kenya is one of the untapped sources, like using countries where they identified wind to fuel their economic the combination of those three growth in a sustainable factors; this means strong manner. underlying fundamentals to Above all, according to de start the business. Wind A tea field in Kenya, which exports 35 per cent of the world's black tea.

Ridder, an absolute pro of resources in some places compete with the best in the world and – in the context of Vision doing business in Kenya is the willingness [for the market] to 2030 – there is a continuous rising demand for electricity. To adopt and implement projects like these. The communities are substantiate the economic growth ambition of Kenya, the country is welcoming the projects and actors involved are all taking a proinvesting hugely in the development of transmission networks. But active and positive attitude towards renewable energy projects in Kenya. above all it is a country which is open for business.

African Farming - November/December 2012 27

S10 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Feature 02 103737.6.1.1_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:12 Page 28

ANALYSIS

The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo F. Nwanze, joined world leaders at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Arusha, Tanzania, in September 2012, to explore ways to link farmers to markets to transform Africa’s agricultural sector.

Transforming African agriculture

“W

HEN SMALL FARMERS in developing countries double and triple their yields, it is only the first step on the road to food security and economic development,” said IFAD’s President, Kanayo F Nwanze.

“If we can ensure that food gets efficiently and safely from the farmer’s field to the market, and with extra money in the farmer’s pockets, it is only then we can start to see true economic growth and transformation for Africa.”

The forum, hosted by the Republic of Tanzania, brought together African heads of state and government ministers, the private sector, financial institutions,

28 African Farming - November/December 2012

farmers, civil society organisations and scientists to deliberate and develop concrete investment plans for scaling up agricultural development in Africa. As a keynote speaker, Nwanze joined former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who chaired the forum, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates, and Yara International President & CEO Jørgen Ole Haslestad. Nwanze shared his own experience in agriculture in Nigeria and during his tenure as Director-General of the Africa Rice Centre (WARDA).

“Investment in smallholder agriculture and rural development is the foundation for economic growth,” he said. “Having witnessed the capacity of African farmers

Oumar Diédhiou, 22, weeds a roselle (locally known as bissap) patch in his field near the village of Badiana. ©IFAD/Olivier Asselin

to adopt new technology and make it work to their profit, I know that smallholder agriculture needs to be seen as a business.”

S10 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Feature 02 103737.6.1.1_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:12 Page 29

ANALYSIS

A 28-member farming group in Machakos, Kenya farms a 1.6ha plot where they grow oranges, avocado, vegetables, maize.

Agriculture remains a critical sector for African economies. It accounts for about 30 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product and a high portion of export value. In most countries, agriculture accounts for more than 60 per cent of employment. But despite this, African smallholder farmers are faced with a host of stumbling blocks to increase their yields and get their goods to market

– such a lack of infrastructure or access to technologies – that are compounded by climate and food price shocks. In the Sahel, millions of people are facing hunger for the third time since 2005. Lack of rain, continued conflicts in the region and volatile food prices have made a bad situation worse.

“In order to create a transformation in African agriculture we need to put

smallholder farmers at the centre of sector exchanges by seamlessly connecting them to each other as well as local and regional markets,” Nwanze said. “They need access to market information, crop storage and transport. National and regional policies need to eliminate crossborder delays and regulatory stonewalls faced by small farmers to make it easy for them to get their produce from one country to the next.”

Nwanze said that the private sector, including buyers, can also improve the ability of smallholders to have access to local, regional or global markets through the right investments and through measures that incorporate rather than exclude smallholders.

“I am glad to see that the public and the private sector will sit around the same table at the AGRF – a step closer to helping smallholder farmers become commercially viable in African and beyond,” Nwanze added.

Africa has always been a major focus of IFAD’s work, and has traditionally received a large share of the Fund’s resources. In 2011, for example, subSaharan Africa accounted for about 43 per cent of IFAD funding. h

African Farming - November/December 2012 29

S11 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Fertigation_Layout 1 03/12/2012 15:22 Page 30

FERTIGATION

Fertigation is the delivery of plant nutrients to growing crops in irrigation water and not the unnatural and staged agronomic technique which at first it may seem. Terry Mabbett reports.

The natural pathway for fertiliser and plant feeding

S

OIL WATER DISSOLVING and conveying nutrients to the root zone and root hairs for fast and effective ion absorption, whether water is percolating through the soil profile as rainfall or rising up through the soil from ground water sources, is the way it happens in nature.

Fertiliser application and plant nutrient provision must match crop requirements in amount, placement and timing, for maximum growth and yield without the accompanying wastage and associated economic and environmental implications.

Fertigation via measured micro-irrigation systems, and especially rockwool fibre substrate and hydroponic systems, now standard for greenhouse production systems, is the way forward.

Fertigation is an integrated system Fertigation can be used with almost any system of irrigation including vertical and overhead irrigation, and centre pivot sprinkler systems. However, continual wash off of nutrients from leaves, with insufficient time to dry before the next ‘sprinkling’, has proved a distinct disadvantage when trying to integrate fertiliser application with such ‘macro-irrigation’ systems.

Fertigation is most easily and cost effectively applied via micro-irrigation systems whether deploying micro-drippers or emitters (including drip tape) or even micro-jets to increase the volume of soil wetted. Fertigation, now more narrowly defined, is the supply of plant nutrients through localised irrigation systems, traditionally used in greenhouses but increasingly for field-grown crops in Africa and the Middle East.

As an integrated system of irrigation and fertilisation, both the water and nutrient components must be optimum for fertigation to work as a whole. If water supply is too low in volume and rate according to crop requirements, then the amount, placement and timing of nutrient delivery will be inappropriate for plant nutrient needs and crop yielding capacity.

Similarly ‘over-watering’ will automatically deliver too much nutrient, too quickly 30 African Farming - November/December 2012

Fertigation is widely used for field-grown crops, like brassics shown here.

leading to wastage, problems with soil integrity and effects on crop quality.

Solubility and purity “Providing the correct amounts of soluble nutrient products are added to the irrigation water, via carefully prepared stock solutions, the only real problems could be insolubility of the formulation or the presence of impurities such as heavy metals,” says Alan Lowes of Omex Agrifluids a British manufacturer of liquid soluble nutrient products.

“We export soluble nutrient products in liquid form to countries and farming systems throughout the world, and for use on the widest range of crops,” says Alan’s colleague Peter Prentis. “We are increasingly asked to verify and even certify the solubility and purity of our products by specialist fruit, flower and vegetable growers using fertigation,” says Peter, “and especially by those in countries like Kenya supplying sophisticated international markets with fresh fruit and vegetables.

There is a vast array of ‘soluble’ nutrient products on the market with some more soluble than others. “We use technical grade materials ensuring 100 per cent solubility in water and free from unwanted salts such as chloride or sodium,” says Alan Lowes, “to give an all-round high degree of crop and

environmental safety as well as ensuring top vegetable, fruit and flower quality.”

Product solubility is crucial to the continued working of such low rate delivery systems comprising narrow bore delivery pipes and tubing and accompanying fine drippers, emitters and micro-jets which are easily blocked if the product is not 100 per cent soluble.

Potential heavy metal contamination is no ‘light-weight’ consideration says Peter Prentis. Growers alongside exporting and importing authorities are increasingly ‘wired in’ to this as a potential problem, he says.

“Our customers in Africa will now invariably enquire about heavy metal impurities, and to the extent of demanding ‘certification’ which we can provide.” This is especially so for African nations like Zambia and Kenya, now plugged in to the lucrative market for ‘high flying’ fresh fruit and vegetables flown in fresh to London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam on a daily basis for pre-packing and supermarket shelves.

How soluble fertilisers are used in fertigation The most common way of deploying soluble fertilisers via fertigation is by the preparation of stock solutions, made up by dissolving 1 kg (liquid or powder) in 10 litres (L) of water and subsequently diluted with water to create feed solutions (see Table 1).

S11 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Fertigation_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:15 Page 31

FERTIGATION Table 1. Percentage major and secondary nutrient and trace element composition for a selection of Omex soluble fertilisers (NPK) Product* 20-20-20 28-14-14 13-40-13 Nutrient Total N 20.0** 28.0 13.0 Ureic N 15.5 1.2 0.6 NH4-N 2.5 2.8 8.7 NO3-N 2.0 4.0 3.7 P2O5 20.0 14.0 40.0 K2O 20.0 14.0 13.0 MgO 0.02 0.02 0.02 SO3 7.4 0.03 2.19 B 0.0022 0.0022 0.0022 Cu 0.0016 0.0016 0.0016 Fe 0.007 0.077 0.077 Mn 0.0042 0.0042 0.0042 Mo 0.0014 0.0014 0.0014 Zn 0.0014 0.0014 0.0014 *NPK plus TE (trace elements) and added magnesium [MgO] where specified **Per cent

Alternatively the stock solution can be eliminated and the feed solutions made up directly by using bulk tanks and other systems. For example a feed solution equivalent to a one in 100 dilution of stock solution is made by dissolving one kg Omex Soluble fertiliser in 1000 litre water.

If fixed diluters are used, strength of the feed solution may be adjusted downwards to some degree by varying the strength of the stock solution. For example, if a one in 150 dilution of a standard stock solution is required, but the diluter is fixed at a one to 200 dilution, then a stock solution of 1.3 kg (rather than 1 kg) is dissolved in 10 litre.

Electrical conductivity readings are used to determine the strength of the required feed solution. Operators should determine the required conductivity level (see Table 2) and then add the conductivity of the irrigation water to this figure, and controlling the stock solution until the required calculated conductivity level is obtained.

“The option and ability to blend Omex Soluble Fertilisers offers a high degree of flexibility to provide an infinite range of NPK analyses” says Alan Lowes. For instance, 1 kg of NPK 20-20-20 and 1 kg NPK 28-1414 are dissolved in 20 litre water gives a stock solution with an analysis of NPK 24-

15-15-30

12-06-24 +6MgO

15.0 2.7 3.8 8.5 15.0 30.0 0.02 2.43 0.0022 0.0016 0.077 0.0042 0.0014 0.0014

12.0 3.3 3.1 5.6 6.0 24.0 6.0 21.2 0.0022 0.0016 0.077 0.0042 0.0014 0.0014

17-17. All Omex NPK products are complemented as standard with the full range of micronutrients and some, specifically stated, have secondary nutrient (magnesium and sulphur) additions. Trace elements are in chelated form for ready availability to plants over a long period of time.

General all-round flexibility of fertigation is extended and its accuracy heightened for contemporary application and delivery systems, which are computer controlled at the stock solution make up, feed solution dilution and delivery stages. A red dye is included for easy identification, with blue and green dyes also available.

Right amount, time and place Type, dilution rate, frequency and timing (in relation to growth and development of the specific crop) of the feed solution must be adjusted according to overall crop requirements, bearing in mind that individual crops have their own nutrient needs at specific stages in growth and development, eg, tuber initiation and bulking in root crops, bulb formation in onions and garlic and fruit set in soft fruit like strawberries and salad crop vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and capsicum pepper. Laboratory analysis of soil, water

Table 2. Nutrient concentration (ppm) and conductivity (μS/cm) of Omex soluble fertilisers at three dilutions of standard stock solution Product *** 20-20-20 28-14-14 13-40-13 15-15-30 12-04-24+6MgO Dilution rate 1:100**** N 200* 280 130 150 120 P2O5 200 140 400 150 40 K2O 200 140 130 300 240 Conductivity 820** 780 1200 1050 950 1:150 N 134 187 87 100 80 P2O5 134 94 268 100 27 K2O 134 94 87 200 161 Conductivity 610 580 880 770 700 1:200 N 100 140 65 75 60 P2O5 100 70 200 75 20 K2O 100 70 65 150 120 Conductivity 410 390 600 525 475 *concentration in ppm (parts per million) ** conductivity in μS/cm (microSiemens/centimetre) in deionised water. Add conductivity of irrigation water to these figures ***NPK plus TE (trace elements); added magnesium where specified **** dilution rate

and plant tissue, in addition to a knowledge and understanding of past crop fertilisation programmes, will assist in selection of the appropriate fertiliser.

Similarly the optimum frequency of feed application is down to specific crop requirements, although the general rule of ‘little and often’ always applies to fertigation as it does to foliar feeding in general. A weak feed given at every watering is generally preferable to a strong feed interspersed with pure water.

Most crops will require a feed in the range of 0.6 to 1.2 g/litre (0.06-0.12 per cent w/w – weight/weight) and the dilutions described for individual crops at specific stages of development below provide solution concentrations within this required range: ● Tomato – early growth stage – 20-20-20 at 1:200 dilution of standard stock solution ● Tomato – fruiting, main feed – 13-0045 or 10-08-40 or 12-04-24+6MgO at 1:100 dilution as alternate feeds ● Cucumber – early growth – 28-14-14 at 1:200 dilution – gradually move from high N to high K feeds ● Cucumber – fruiting – 15-15-30 or 16-0926+3MgO at 1:150 dilution – gradually move from high N to high K feeds ● Capsicum pepper – early growth – 2020-20 at 1:200 dilution ● Capsicum pepper – fruiting – 15-15-30 or 16-09-26+6MgO at 1:150 dilution, given at each irrigation Summary of the benefits By using entirely soluble and fast-dissolving formulations, fertigation offers the rapid and complete solution to crop nutrition.

And the ultimate elimination of soil effects and accompanying nutrient tie up and lockdown situations by using hydroponic systems with or without inert anchorage substrates like rockwool fibre. The farmer or grower has more or less complete control over nutrient delivery to achieve efficient and cost effective results with minimal labour requirements.

Fertigation is the ideal way to apply a crop’s nutrient complement ‘little and often’ instead of all at once, while making it easy for the operator to react rapidly to any nutritional deficiencies which may occur.

Fertigation avoids all the usual problems associated with over or under feeding including lower than potential crop yields, crop quality defects, nutrient tie-ups and lock-ups in particular soil fractions, environmental contamination and threats to crop safety from the osmotic effects of too higher concentrations of nutrients.

Fertigation using quality soluble products provides a rapid and complete solution to fertiliser application and plant feeding. h

African Farming - November/December 2012 31

S12 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Combines_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:45 Page 32

COMBINE HARVESTERS

Many of the new combine harvesters sold in African countries each year are small to medium capacity machines with tried and tested design features, but there is also a demand for high output models with the latest technology. Mike Williams reports.

Harvester progress The Beta combines from Massey Ferguson are available in two models.

T

HERE ARE GOOD reasons for the long-term popularity of familiar combine designs such as the Claas Dominator models and the TC5000 series from the New Holland factory. They have established a good reputation for reliability, they have enough capacity to suit mid-range acreages, they can handle a wide variety of crops and a less complex design helps to keep prices lower.

Much of the design improvement on combine harvesters is concentrated on the more expensive high capacity models, but the New Holland TC5000 series is an exception and updated designs are available for the 1913 harvest season. The new range consists of five models, all with conventional straw walker grain separation.

The new TC5040 and 5050 models both have four straw walkers and engine outputs start from 175hp, while the TC 5060, 5070 and 5080 models have five straw walkers and the biggest engine is 258hp.

New Holland developments also include their top CR8000 and CR9000 series models with rotary separation. High output combines need plenty of engine power and the CR series have maximum outputs between 449 and 571hp. The two CR8000 models have 43cm diameter rotors and this increases to 56cm for the three CR9000 combines.

CR series combines can now be fitted with rubber tracks as an alternative to wheels, an option that is now available from most of the leading harvester manufacturers. Tracked combines are increasingly popular in countries where crops may be harvested in wet conditions when the ground is soft and easily compacted. Soft ground conditions during the grain harvest are less of a problem in most African countries which means the tracks are likely to be of only limited interest.

Deutz Fahr specialises in small to medium capacity combine harvesters with a range that starts with the 54 series models equipped with either four or five straw walkers and suitable for 3.1 to 4.8m header widths. Design features include an electrically-operated adjustment for the threshing drum speed, which operates in the 600 to 1300 rpm range for most crops but can be supplied with a slower

32 African Farming - November/December 2012

Much of the design improvement on combine harvesters is concentrated on the more expensive high capacity models, but the New Holland TC5000 series is an exception. speed range for dealing with maize. Engine outputs are from 115 to 175hp and the grain tank capacity is up to 5,200 litres for the biggest 54 series combine.

Recent developments in the Deutz-Fahr range include the addition of a new 7.5m header option. There have also been updates to the 60 series which features six models with five or six straw walkers and with a threshing system based on a 600mm diameter drum with eight bars.

Massey Ferguson’s latest harvester developments feature their five Beta straw walker models. The list of design changes includes improved operator controls in a new driver’s cab, and the sieves are now controlled and adjusted electronically from the driver’s seat, making it easier to maintain correct settings in changing crop conditions.

The Beta combines from Massey Ferguson are available in two models with five and six straw walkers and with 276hp and 360hp engines. Grain tank capacity is 9,000 litres and the options include a PL version with the ParaLevel self-levelling system for working on side slopes up to 20 per cent.

Not a cheap investment Choosing a combine with a high output and the latest efficiency features is not a cheap investment, but, for those with a big harvesting work load, it can be a more cost-effective option than operating two small or medium capacity combines. Recent forecasts that grain prices are likely to remain high, at least in the short term, help to justify investment in efficient combines to provide adequate harvesting capacity.

S12 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Combines_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:45 Page 33

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S12 AF Nov-Dec 2012 Combines_Layout 1 03/12/2012 11:45 Page 34

COMBINE HARVESTERS

One of the biggest combines currently available is the new Lexion 780, the top model in the high output Lexion series from Claas. It is available for next year’s harvest powered by a 598hp Caterpillar engine; the grain tank holds up to 12,500 litres and the maximum work rate is said to be between 10 and 12 per cent higher than for the Lexion 770 which was the previous flagship model in the Claas range.

Further down the power range Claas also offers the recently introduced Avero series including the 240 model with four straw walkers and 5,600 litres grain tank capacity. The engine output is 198hp and the recommended header widths are from 3.71 to 6.07m.

Like most leading combine harvester manufacturers, Claas offers automatic steering control while the combine is harvesting.

Automatic steering control Like most leading combine harvester manufacturers, Claas offers automatic steering control while the combine is harvesting, and their GPS-based system is said to be accurate to within 2 cm. Automatic steering on a combine is designed to position the header so that it constantly cuts virtually a full-width swath.

Obviously an experienced driver can achieve the same result without the extra cost of automation, but experience has shown that the benefits of using the auto steer system are that it maintains peak levels of performance all day without using concentration, and the maximum cutting width is also maintained when a less experienced driver takes the controls.

Another example of automation helping the driver to achieve greater harvesting efficiency is using a control system with sensors that constantly monitor the amount of crop material passing through the combine and adjust the forward speed accordingly. The aim is to maintain the optimum throughput without overloading the threshing system, and most leading combine manufacturers offer this type of equipment. New Holland, which calls their version IntelliCruise, claims that during the first few hours of driving each day a skilled operator can match or even exceed the response times achieved by IntelliCruise, but after a few hours the automatic control system will achieve significantly better results than the driver.

Rotary separation making headway Although conventional straw walker separation systems remain easily the most popular choice for combine harvesters working in

34 African Farming - November/December 2012

Case IH’s Axial Flow models have been updated many times.

Africa, rotary separation has made some headway at the high capacity end of the market. Most of the leading manufacturers offer both types of combine, with the rotary separation usually available on big output harvesters.

The company that first introduced rotary separation on modern combines was International Harvester when they launched their first Axial Flow models. That was about 30 years ago and since then International Harvester has become part of Case IH and the Axial Flow combines have been updated many times.

The latest Axial Flow developments were announced this year when the previous 88 and 20 series models were replaced by the new 130 and 230 ranges. The top model for 2013 is the Axial Flow 9230 powered by a 571hp engine and equipped with a 12,330 litre grain tank. The grain tank has a 157 litres per second discharge speed using a special auger system that is designed to reduce the stress in the drive system when unloading begins. Header widths up to 10.7m are available for the biggest Axial Flow models and there are improvements to the straw spreading mechanism at the rear to cope with the increased throughput.

The two top models in John Deere’s S series combines with rotary separation are the S680 and S690, both aimed at the high output end of the harvester market. The engine for the S690 model is a 13.5 litre John Deere PowerTech unit with 631hp output, making it the most powerful combine available, the makers say. Grain tank capacities are 14,100 and 14,000 litres and the widest is header is 10.7m. Straw choppers, for those who do not need to bale the crop residues, include a new fine-cut version which makes the chopped material easier to incorporate into the soil and gives a 9.0m or 10.0m spread to match the combine’s harvesting width.

New John Deere developments for the 2013 harvest include improvements for the straw walker models in the S and T series. The latest specifications include an 11,000-litre grain tank, said to be the biggest available on any straw walker combine, and the separation area on the six straw walker models is also said to be the biggest available. h

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DIESEL GENERATORS

Despite relying heavily on imports and overseas aid supplies of food to cover some of the shortfall left by its own endemic agricultural activities, the latter still involve some 250 mn people across Africa and help to support about 70 per cent of the growing population of this great continent. Many endemic agricultural activities, such as the growing sector of horticulture, would not be possible without power. Tim Guest discusses the ever important role of diesel generators.

Delivering power to agriculture

W

HILE SUBSISTENCE FARMING of food crops and livestock might be a ‘classic’ view of Africa’s agriculture sector, crops grown for sale are playing an ever increasingly important part in the lives of many. Let’s take horticulture in the region as an example of one sector needing power to run lighting and heating. From vegetables, cut flowers and fruits, this sector has grown massively in recent years and today, in sub-Saharan Africa, exports of horticultural produce now exceed US$2,000mn per annum. From cotton, flowers and tobacco, more and more people are engaging in these areas and businesses are growing up throughout the region relying on having both domestic and international market access to which to sell their produce, in turn requiring more sophisticated financial services and supporting infrastructure – the latter including access to power supplies.

Both versatile and durable sources of power in emerging markets, diesel generators are now widely used in agricultural activities such as: lighting for indoor crop houses and market gardens; power for irrigation pumps; refrigeration for cottage industries, and to run rural processing plants. Millions of small diesel engines alone are required simple to meet the irrigation pumping needs of Africa.

Smaller generators still offer the most costeffective and affordable primary or back-up sources of power per kilowatt.

The cost factor But on a continent, where 70 per cent of the population are classed as poor, the capital and ongoing operational costs of using diesel generators for local power production needs can often be major obstacles to Africa’s ongoing progress. But although costs for diesel gensets can range from several hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands, smaller generators still offer the most cost-effective and affordable primary or back-up sources of power per kilowatt compared to the initial high capital outlays required to implement alternative energy sources such as wind or solar solutions.

On the operational cost side, compared to renewable systems, diesel comes out pretty much on par in terms of O&M, but the quality of the generator and how well it is maintained then impacts the ongoing cost of fuel, as poor maintenance can result in higher consumption and associated logistics costs delivering more fuel to what can be very remote locations. In remote and rural off-grid areas, although diesel still provides the mainstay solution for agricultural generator requirements in Africa ahead of renewable solutions, the logistics and fuel price – including manpower to deliver fuel and maintain the systems – will determine how viable their use is for the community or agricultural business using them. Of course, no amount of

36 African Farming - November/December 2012

The diesel generator will have a major role to play in a land often beset by crop-destroying droughts where irrigation will not only save the crops but will increase their yields by sometimes as much as 400 per cent.

proper maintenance can account for fluctuations in fuel prices, something which does provide an advantage to alternative systems, as no one has yet had the nerve to try and charge users of solar and wind for the raw materials needed to power their electricity-generating solutions (that’s not to say it hasn’t been considered)!

A key factor in the proper maintenance of diesels, and one which is often overlooked, is the proper maintenance of backup generators. Many a scenario has played out when a primary generator has failed and a back-up unit, covered by an old canvas is tried for the first time in months and months. It, too, fails to start. It highlights the need for all back-up generators to be run once per month at the very least, and this is especially important if they have a prime role to deliver stand-by power.

Regular running of back-up and stand-by solutions will ensure that processing plants, irrigation pumps and timber yards do not stand idle due to an avoidable power emergency. With horticulture in Africa now at the forefront of this global sector, rose and flower producers in Kenya, vegetable producers in Ghana and other perishable produce businesses shipping their goods to markets such as Europe, cannot afford such set-backs faced with global competition. And when generators typically require little more routine maintenance than oil, fuel, air and oil filters to ensure their long-life, it makes no sense for any agricultural business relying on them not to have a solid O&M regime in place. That said, in regions where fluctuations in climate see temperatures rising and falling on a regular basis, from hot and humid to cold and damp, equipping agricultural diesel gensets with a water-fuel separation filter is a sensible step to avoid ‘advanced ignition’, an accelerated fuel ignition due to water contamination of the fuel itself, which, in turn, can damage the engine leading to failure and shorter lifespan of the unit.

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DIESEL GENERATORS

A key factor in the proper maintenance of diesels, and one which is often overlooked, is the proper maintenance of backup generators.

Future potential For the foreseeable future, a vast swathe of Africa will remain off-grid and remote power requirements will continue to be met by diesel gensets. And although they have many drawbacks in terms of pollution, logistics and fuel price sensitivity, time has shown they can be relied on to deliver the needs of the agricultural and other sectors across the region. Indeed, whilst we have mentioned irrigation, irrigated agriculture in Africa still only accounts six per cent of the total cultivated land and is a sector still to be maximised, (this compares with 33 per cent in Asia where in India alone there are some four million diesel generators involved in irrigation of crops across the country). Without doubt, the diesel generator will have a major role to play in this growth in a land often beset by cropdestroying droughts where irrigation will not only save the crops but will increase their yields by sometimes as much as 400 per cent. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has said that developing and managing water resources for agriculture in Africa will be crucial over the next couple of decades to ensure that targets for food production and sustainable development on the African continent are met. To do so, it is clear the diesel generator will have a major role to play. h

A mobile footnote ACROSS AFRICA, FARMERS and agricultural businesses are relying more and more on mobile communications to track commodity prices, exchange rates or simply to decide when is the best time to get their produce or livestock to the local markets; mobile communications has become an truly indispensible tool for them. And indirectly, it is the use of diesel generators in this sector to power remote base stations – still the mainstay ahead of alternative sources – which ensures mobile services are available even in the remotest regions and which is having a positive impact on communities and SMEs involved in agriculture.

According to Business Monitor International talking with African Farming, the importance of diesel generators cannot be under stated: ‘Every single business in Nigeria, whether small, medium or very big, has, as part of its inventory for power supply, a generator. Every single business’. And while this and other country-specific points mentioned relate to Nigeria, a similar scenario exists in most Sub-Saharan African countries, although to a lesser extent in South Africa.’ Here are some interesting diesel generator/mobile industry facts from the Nigeria: • Nigeria currently has approximately 20,000 telecoms base stations, all of which have at least one stand-by generator; • Some base stations are not connected to grid electricity or are located in areas with poor electricity supply, thereby requiring at least two generators for full operation; • Nigeria will eventually require up 70,000 base stations for optimal mobile network coverage. Therefore, if the electricity situation is not improved more generators will be required; • It is estimated that telecoms operators will spend around US$252mn (NGN46bn) in fuelling generators in 2012.

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Massey Ferguson takes award for Tractor of the Year MASSEY FERGUSON HAS received two ‘Tractor of The Year 2013’ Finalist Awards on the opening day of the EIMA Show in Bologna, Italy for the MF 3660S in the ‘specialised’ category and for the MF 7626 Dyna-6 in the ‘open field’ class.

Richard Markwell, Vice President and Managing Director Massey Ferguson said: “Massey Ferguson is proud to receive these awards. We have worked hard to create an outstanding range of tractors for the specialist sector and are being rewarded by a growing market share.

“The MF 3600 Series strengthens our position in this important sector, and introduces some significant performance-enhancing features including new common rail engines, flexible transmissions and excellent cab comfort.”

The MF 7626, at 280hp (max) builds on the continuing success of the MF 7624, which took the Golden Tractor for the design award in 2012. “We are experiencing extremely high demand for these tractors, which are built in our factory in Beauvais, France,” adds Mr Markwell. “The MF 7626 takes the range’s power and performance to an even higher level. The most powerful model, it marries the highly efficient AGCO POWER engine with the excellent Dyna-6 transmission to form an exceptional drive train.

“Massey Ferguson takes the Tractor Of The Year competition very seriously,” said Campbell Scott, Massey Ferguson Brand Development Manager. “We are always honoured to be nominated by members of the Jury, which is made up of experts from leading magazines across Europe. These awards consolidate our position in the tractor ‘premier league’ and provide independent verification of the success that comes from our investment in new technology and products.”

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