25 minute read
Agriculture Providing a Livelihood Buffer During COVID-19
COVID-19 has not been as widespread in Africa as in many other countries, but it has felt the economic impact of the pandemic on a wide scale. For example, many of Africa’s trading partners experienced lockdowns that prevented international trade.
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Africans have also faced job loss and rising costs for food as demand outweighs supply across the continent. In response to these overwhelming challenges, many individuals have turned to agriculture to provide a livelihood buffer during COVID-19.
Challenges for African Farmers
The African continent contains 60% of the world’s arable land, but reliance on supportive weather patterns and political challenges means much of the land’s potential remains untapped. For example, the recent locust problem in East Africa meant some farmers lost everything.
International trade in the African agriculture industry typically exports about $35 billion per year. However, around 65% of Africans are subsistence farmers. Many of these families live below the poverty line and are hit especially hard by natural or socioeconomic changes, such as droughts or political conflict.
Before the pandemic, around 650-670 million people in Africa were already facing food insecurity. According to an analysis by McKinsey and Co., about 400-460 million Africans are facing a loss of income. As many as 150 million Africans could lose their jobs due to the pandemic.
Many Africans are turning to agriculture to support themselves and their families in response to these challenges. COVID-19 is drastically changing the African agricultural landscape, affecting trade within the continent and influencing millions of people to find innovative ways to make ends meet.
Changing Agricultural Trends
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of African households that rely on farming for their livelihood has increased across the continent. According to a study by the World Bank, 76% of Nigerian households were raising crops or livestock before the pandemic. However, this number has increased to 84% over the last two years.
Participation in agriculture is measured by comparing the number of Africans entering the industry with those exiting. According to the same survey, more urban than rural households have started farming during the pandemic, demonstrating the growing need for city dwellers to find additional resources for their livelihood.
Crop and livestock farming can be expensive, and reports show that rural areas are increasingly turning to crops as the most affordable option. However, city dwellers are understandably choosing livestock as a better fit for their resources.
Even before the pandemic started to interfere with trade and farmers’ access to agricultural
resources, many Africans were concerned about how the changing climate impacted the future of raising crops on their land. The solutions Africans are finding during the pandemic may equip them for continued agricultural success in the future.
The Future of African Agriculture
Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted millions of African lives, it has also brought clarity to the future of the continent’s agriculture. For one thing, it has demonstrated the essential role farming will play in the future economic growth of African nations. Investments in farmers will benefit everyone on the continent.
The pandemic has also emphasized the current weaknesses in Africa’s agricultural sector. Until the pandemic, dependence on foreign farm machinery and fertilizer wasn’t a huge problem. Now, reduced supply, rising costs and trade restrictions are hurting farmers in many African nations, slowing production and reducing their resources for the coming season.
Since the economic crash of 2008, African governments have been coordinating with farmers in an attempt to ease the financial burden of farming and invest in the future of agriculture for their nations. Although these programs have helped farmers survive times of crisis, government inputs are not ultimately reaping long-term benefits equal to the expense they’ve invested.
Instead of scaling input efforts up, a focus on agroecology is needed to support farmers and develop sustainable practices that will lead to healthy yields for years to come. Governments can best help the increasing number of African farmers by promoting natural fertilizers, spreading local knowledge through digital devices and building strong farming communities.
Resilience in Response to Challenge
COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging for high-poverty and middle-class populations across the African continent. Reduced resources, job loss and trade restrictions have wreaked havoc on the economic health of the continent, impacting millions of families.
An increasingly large number of Africans are turning to agriculture as a livelihood buffer in response to the pandemic and rising food insecurity. During these times of crisis, smallscale farmers are demonstrating resilience and courage by feeding their families while also investing in the economic future of their nations.
Jane is an agriculture and environmental journalist and the founder and editorin-chief of Environment.co, where she covers sustainability and eco-friendly living.
Botswana High Court grants hemp farmer permission to start production
By Lawrence Paganga
The Gaborone High Court in Botswana has granted Daniel de Beer, the director of Fresh Standard, permission to grow hemp for medicinal and industrial purposes. The Gaborone High Court judge, Justice Chris Gabanagae ruled last Friday that the revocation of exemption letter de Beer was granted in October 2018 was illegal.
The farmer then engaged in a legal battle with the government arguing he had invested millions of pula into the project based on an exemption granted by former agriculture minister, Patrick Ralotsia. After being granted permission by the minister, de Beer was shocked after the police raided his farm and uproot his plants saying they were cannabis.
However, the judge said the agriculture permanent secretary (PS) had no right to revoke the exemption letter, adding that only the minister could take such action. “The PS does not have the power or authority to withdraw the exemption,” Gananagae ruled.
”The letter of March 29, 2019 purporting to withdraw the exemption could not and is not a valid withdrawal of the exemption.”
Justice Gabanagae said the permanent secretary did not have the authority to withdraw the exemption letter, and he also did not engaged de Beer prior to issuing the letter.
The farmer was also never accorded a hearing, and, therefore, withdrawal of exemption letter was “improper and unlawful”.
“The right to a fair hearing cannot be avoided or dispensed with because it is felt that the person otherwise entitled to it would have little or nothing to urge in his favour or that it would not affect the decision anyway,” the judge said.
“The evidence shows clearly and indisputably that the minister granted the exemption to the farmer in respect of the cultivation and processing of hemp and its products along the entire value chain,” he said.
In October 2018, de Beer received an exemption to grow, process and produce products from cannabis sativa and hemp dominant strands for medical and industrial purposes in Botswana.
Following the granting of the exemption, he spent millions of pula in establishing the business, but his farm was on or about May 7, 2019 raided by officers of the Narcotics Squad of the Botswana Police Service.
De Beer told the court, the raid forced him to make an urgent enquiry as his company was operating lawfully. He added the decision was unreasonable and made without affording him any form of hearing despite the serious effect the decision had on his business.
For centuries, industrial hemp (plant species Cannabis sativa) has been a source of fibre and oilseed used worldwide to produce a variety of industrial and consumer products.
More than 30 nations grow industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity, which is sold on the world market. In the United States, however, production is strictly controlled under existing drug enforcement laws. Currently there is no large-scale commercial production in the United States, and the U.S. market depends on imports.
InteliGro takes the guesswork out of crop solutions
Success in agriculture increasingly depends on informed and accurate decision making. From which crop and cultivar to plant in a specific field, to the correct plant nutrition and crop protection measures to apply at the right time. Growers simply cannot afford sub-optimal decisions.
Agricultural research bodies in South Africa have lost much of their capacity in recent years. As a result, practical research from a neutral point of view has sadly suffered. Exceptions are institutions such as the Western Cape Department of Agriculture that continues to deliver good work on cereals and canola. There are also other institutes that still deliver high quality research work and we are very grateful for this!
“We have a grave shortage of independent, credible data on which of the many crop protection and plant nutrition options deliver the best results in a specific set of circumstances,” says Dirk van Eeden, technical marketing specialist at InteliGro.
InteliGro has access to a wide variety of highquality products from multinational and selected generic companies alike. Drawing on this product arsenal, the most appropriate technical solutions are assembled for clients. “The challenge, however, is to validate the decisions taken around a specific solution with relevant data,” says van Eeden.
Against this backdrop, InteliGro launched the Intelekt Solutions project four years ago to generate its own credible scientific data with which help improve clients’ decision making. InteliGro studies conducted under the Intelekt Solutions banner supplement the research done by universities and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). The company furthermore ensures that growers get access to the information by hosting demonstration and information days.
“We see ourselves as a leader in die development and transfer of valuable, accurate information,” explains van Eeden. “Our existence is rooted in the objective to recommend to growers the best technical solutions out of all the available products and, in doing so, to add value on the farm – where it all starts.”
The Intelekt Solutions value chain
Every year, InteliGro identifies specific questions to answer, eg, how do certain seed treatments and plant nutrition options influence yield, or what is the effect of biological products that are applied in the furrow at planting. InteliGro’s technical specialists, such as van Eeden, design the trial protocols and assist with selecting the trial plots. Thereafter, however, the process is handed over to independent, external researchers to plant the trials, apply products, do evaluations, analyse data and draw statistics.
“The information must enjoy the highest possible level of credibility,” says van Eeden. “Everybody who works with it in future, must be able to trust the data.”
These trails have been conducted on wheat in the Swartland for the past four years, and for three years on barley in the Southern Cape and on soybeans and maize in the summer row crops production areas in the northern regions of South Africa. More recently, the research was extended to wheat and canola in the Southern Cape.
“On wheat and barley, we have mainly been looking at fungicides to determine how different programmes react on different cultivars in different areas,” explains van Eeden. On maize the focus is the impact of bio-stimulants on return on investment, while the control of the harmful fungal disease Sclerotinia head rot is being studied on sunflowers..
Research into soil-borne diseases, specifically Fusarium ear rot, is a new dimension that was added in the Southern Cape this year. Dr Sandra Lampbrechts of the ARC, who is a soil-borne diseases specialist, has already agreed to be involved in the trial evaluations.
Another first this year, were trails aimed at optimising application efficacy. In cooperation with ProCrop, InteliGro did a study to determine the role that water volume, spray speed and different nozzles play in the effective application of products on cereals.
“Preparations are currently underway to expand the Intelekt Solutions programme to other crop segments,” says van Eeden. “The objective is to build a meaningful database that will enable our clients and us to make better and more informed decisions. InteliGro will also use the information to technically optimise our strategies and recommendations.” He stresses that the research is a longterm approach, given that new products are continuously being developed and that nature is dynamic and organisms endlessly adaptable. Protecting existing chemical products against the development of resistance, which is one of agriculture’s greatest challenges, is specifically addressed in the Intelekt Solutions research.
“InteliGro is here to give growers the best possible support to be sustainable in all sense of the word,” says van Eeden. “Data is indispensable for informed and effective decision making. There is never just one answer to all questions. Intelekt Solutions enables us to tailor make solutions with data that supports our recommendations.”
Judging by comments from growers such as Jean van Niekerk who farms near Caledon, the Intelekt Solutions approach hits the mark: “Too many variables come into play when one wants to test, for example, fungicides in large-scale fields,” he says. “With the Intelekt Solutions trials we get to see everything in one place. It makes choosing a fungal-control programme much easier, and certainly adds value to my wheat, barley and canola production.”
Boeta Wessels from Bredasdorp subscribes to seeing is believing. “The trials and the demonstration and information days help the grower to choose the right control strategies, and confirm the importance of, for instance, fungal control.”
Jacques Bester from Riebeeck area in the Swartland appreciates how thoroughly fungicides are tested under different conditions. “The Intelekt Solutions platform provides me with the necessary information to make the right cultivar decisions.”
Marnus Kotze from Moorreesburg area in the Swartland gives thanks to the pioneering work done annually by Inteligro Intelekt Solutions. “It sets a new standard in the industry by helping farmers to be at the forefront of best farming practices. In today’s challenging market the research reports, provided by InteliGro Intelekt Solutions, are important for every farm in the country.”
Muddy agricultural surfaces and land? Here are the perfect BKT tires
Traction, grip, resistance and safety are just some of the many challenges that arise when driving on muddy and wet terrain.BKT has developed ranges of tires that “bite” the mud.
BKT’s philosophy is always the same, there is a perfect tire for every situation. Also, for muddy terrain.
This is why the tires which face the challenge of mud have been specifically designed for that end. Their design is in fact aimed at overcoming various challenges regarding traction on “sagging” soil, where the grip is not uniform, where the tire must self-clean quickly. It must also be resistant to tears and offer maximum safety and control when driving.
The tread design of these tires is more aggressive, for greater grip and to drive through mud, thanks to higher and better spaced blocks. These allow the tire to dig deep, facilitating grip, while the wider spacing helps with self-cleaning, an extremely important feature when working on muddy surfaces and terrain.
There are various agricultural machines – from tractors to sprinkler systems, passing through telehandlers – which have to work on slippery soil and for them BKT has developed specific ranges.
Starting from AGRIMAX ELOS, designed for tractors operating on wet and boggy terrain. This tire has been designed to ensure excellent traction even in the most complex working conditions, such as rice fields, as well as excellent self-cleaning thanks to the extra-deep tread. The sides of this tire are also equipped with sidewall protectors for maximum safety and protection against any impact or damage. It is available in eight different sizes.
Also pivot sprinkler systems often work in mud and for them BKT has developed AGRIMAX RI 818. In addition to working at low pressures to reduce soil compaction and preserve crops, this tire ensures excellent traction which is essential when operating in fields in wet and humid conditions, typically related to this application.
The tread pattern also offers exceptional selfcleaning capabilities and greater stability on hillside applications thanks to its directional design. It is available in two sizes: 280/85 R 24 and 320/85 R 38. The latter has a deeper block, if compared with the traditional diagonal irrigation tires, for better grip.
Same characteristics also for the TR 117, a bias tire which is specific for irrigation applications with a central pivot, available in four sizes: 11.2 – 24, 13.6 – 24, 14.9 – 24 and 11.2 – 38. The TR 177 also features a special tread pattern which increases grip and allows for excellent selfcleaning.
The two other machines which often face wet and humid terrain are multifunctional telehandlers and spider excavators which are used to clean and maintain agricultural trenches which are prone to yield.
For these two applications BKT proposes CON STAR, which guarantees great performance under any conditions thanks to the firm grip, due to the large lugs which increase the contact area with the ground below. The cut-and-chip resistant compound also guarantees resistance and durability, while the diagonal design avoids lateral slippage, even when fully loaded - a fundamental element for these applications. CON STAR has a load index of 168 in the 440/80 - 24 size, which means that it can handle loads of up to 5,600 kg without losing stability. This tire is available in 11 different sizes.
It is not only tractors that do the “dirty” work, but there are many different machines that must do their best even on the most difficult terrains, such as mud.
BKT tires are designed to meet all the needs of agricultural businesses and are created on the basis of direct feedback from farmers, to help them overcome their everyday challenges. This is BKT’s philosophy.
The Bobcat T7X is the world’s first all-electric compact track loader. This machine is fully battery-powered, ultra-powerful and emissions-free.
Doosan Bobcat unveiled its new, all-electric Bobcat T7X compact track loader at CES® 2022, the world’s most influential technology event, held this month in Las Vegas in the USA. The T7X is the first machine of its kind to be fully electric, offering the full benefits of eliminating hydraulic systems, components, emissions and vibrations – all while providing a cleaner, quieter machine.
The Bobcat T7X was honoured with two 2022 CES Innovation Awards in the categories of Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation and Smart Cities. The CES Innovation Awards programme recognizes recipients in a multitude of technology product categories and distinguishes the highest rated in each. The Bobcat T7X was developed for the North American market initially, but internal testing and the gathering of customer feedback is planned for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region to identify its commercial potential.
At the Forefront of Innovation
Scott Park, President and CEO of Doosan Bobcat, said: “Doosan Bobcat is at the forefront of innovation, and we are proud to debut the allelectric technology of the T7X to help customers maximize both sustainability and productivity. Our focus remains on providing solutions and products that empower people to accomplish more and build a better world.” The Bobcat T7X is the world’s first all-electric compact track loader. This machine is fully battery-powered, built to be more productive from the ground up with electric actuation and propulsion, quieter with high-performance torque and more powerful than any diesel-fuelled track loader that has ever come before it – all while eliminating any carbon emissions.
“This machine is a technological feat for Bobcat and for the entire industry,” said Joel Honeyman, Vice President of Global Innovation at Doosan Bobcat. “We challenged the status quo to deliver a connected, all-electric machine designed for power and performance that previously was not possible. We are excited to share this advancement with the world and proud of the hard work that has gone into making this a reality.”
Providing an EMEA Perspective
Commenting on future plans for EMEA, Vijay Nerva, Head of Innovation at Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “The T7X has been developed for the North American market for now but it addresses a global need and challenge. We plan to undergo internal testing and gather customer feedback in various countries in the EMEA region this year to better understand customer needs in this market before taking commercial decisions.”
The Advanced Technology and Design of the T7X Compact Track Loader
In the T7X, the traditional hydraulic work group has been completely replaced with an electrical drive system consisting of electric cylinders and electric drive motors, which means virtually no fluids. The new, all-electric Bobcat T7X uses just under one litre of eco-friendly coolant compared to around 216 litres of fluid in its diesel/hydraulic equivalent model.
The all-electric platform enables instantaneous power and peak torque available at every operating speed. The operator no longer must wait for the standard hydraulic system to build up power. The T7X operates with zero emissions and reduced noise and vibration generated by the machine. It works quietly and efficiently in noise sensitive areas and indoors, which significantly lowers sound levels and improves the working environment. It can also significantly lower daily operating costs, when considering the reduction in annual maintenance costs and elimination of diesel, engine oil, diesel exhaust fluid and hydraulic parts.
At the heart of the T7X is a powerful 62 kW lithiumion battery from technology partner, Green Machine Equipment, Inc. While applications vary, each charge can support common daily work operations and the use of intelligent work modes for up to four hours of continuous operation time and a full day of operation during intermittent use. The intelligence of the power management system is programmed to sense when loads are increasing, automatically backing off power when not needed to preserve the total energy use and extend the machine’s runtime.
Sunbelt Rentals Announces Commitment to Bobcat Electric Equipment
The T7X will initially be available only in the North American market but the company intends to expand this to other regions in the future. During the company’s CES Media Days news conference, Doosan Bobcat NA (North America) announced a strategic partnership with South Carolina-based Sunbelt Rentals, a leading rental equipment company in North America with more than 1025 locations, with a strong presence in Europe in the UK, Germany and France. Through this partnership, Sunbelt Rentals committed to a significant investment in a large fleet of Bobcat T7X all-electric compact track loaders and electric compact excavators in North America, which will be co-branded and made available in 2022 and beyond. Sunbelt Rentals will be the first national equipment rental company to adopt Bobcat’s battery-electric technology and make it available to customers, supporting the environmental, social and governance (ESG) focus for both companies.
We are looking for strategic partners in Africa
Storytelling event spotlights achievements in African agricultural research
The researchers shared their farmer testimonials and photos from the field
Arecent engaging storytelling event by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), saw four accomplished African researchers working on agriculture and food security share their personal journeys in agricultural research, and discuss how they are working to transform farming on the continent. The virtually-held event garnered an impressive turnout, attended by 123 participants from across Africa, Asia and Europe. Dorothy Mukhebi, AWARD’s Acting Director, explained that the event sought to spotlight research on African food systems and celebrate some of the outstanding researchers hailing from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi and Senegal. Since 2008, AWARD has invested in building a pool of capable, confident, and influential African scientists to lead critical advances and innovations in the agricultural research and development sector.
AWARD’s motivation is to accelerate the careers of Africa’s researchers and their capabilities, in order to lead the agricultural research and development agenda in the continent. AWARD’s unique career development programs foster mentoring partnerships, build science skills, enhance leadership capacity, and catalyze networks and research collaborations. To date, 641 Fellows from 25 countries have participated in various Fellowships offered by the organization.
Putting farmers at the center
Describing what stimulated their interest in science and agricultural transformation, the four AWARD researchers outlined how from a very young age, the desire to make a difference was sparked. “My background inspired me to become an agricultural scientist to find solutions to improve rural family living conditions, especially for smallholder producers like my parents,” shared Dr Éveline Compaoré, an innovation systems expert and 2018 AWARD Fellow from Burkina Faso.
As one of 10 children, Éveline has a deep respect and admiration for her mother, who worked hard
to support her family, but struggled with low yields and income. “There was no justice for what she was doing as a rural woman farmer; she couldn’t afford to buy what she needed,” Éveline continued.
Inspired to help other farmers – particularly women – overcome the kind of challenges her own family faced, Éveline now spends much of her time working alongside local communities. In doing so, she learns about their day-to-day farming practices, and works alongside them to help them enhance their activities and incomes. “When you use an inclusive approach in your research, the community is involved in the process. Now our project is working to involve everyone and give all voices a chance to be heard!” she enthused.
Miriam Karwitha, a plant pathologist from Kenya, also comes from a farming family and is passionate about collaborating with and engaging farmers to develop their own solutions. “Rural women farmers – and men – are very knowledgeable. By working with them, we learn from them, and they are very open to ideas, they embrace change,” she stated.
Improving farmer access to certified, uncontaminated, disease-free seeds for enhanced crop yields, and highlighting the importance of achieving this, significantly influenced Miriam’s own career path. Growing up on her family’s coffee farm, she saw her parents struggle with common diseases such as coffee rust – and a desire to support other farmers in finding disease control solutions motivated her to study science, with a focus on crop diseases, at university. Today, explained Miriam, part of her work includes supporting smallholders in forming community seed organisations, which enables them to identify which local farmers are producing certified seed. In turn, this allows them to buy affordable, ‘safe’ seeds at a lower price than from agro-dealers. “When farmers use these technologies, we see the change in their incomes, the change in their yields and we feel very happy because we have touched the lives of these farmers,” she shared.
In Kenya’s Laikipia County, where Miriam has been training bean farmers to adopt climatesmart varieties and good agronomic practices, she noted that the farmers have recorded a fivefold (and higher) increase in production.
Making ground with soil science
“Whilst studying for my master’s degree, I realized that soil plays an important role in feeding people,” emphasizes Austin Phiri, a soil scientist and 2019 One Planate Laureate Candidate from Malawi. Working with sorghum farmers who struggle with frequent droughts and high temperatures, Austin provides training in techniques such as intercropping and fertilizer and manure application to enhance crop production.
Austin shares an anecdote from one particular farmer and his wife: “Mr Muari previously got six bags of sorghum grain per acre, but is now able to get 12 bags. His wife has also been able to improve her family’s nutrition by harvesting the green bean crop that would otherwise go unused. Any surplus is sold at the market to earn additional income to pay for household needs.”
Further highlighting the importance of soil to food security was Fatou Ndoye, a microbiologist from Senegal. Reflecting on the problem that first drew her to agriculture, she explained: “In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 70% of the rural population is active in agriculture. And yet, it does not feed the population… What happened to our agriculture? It is now known that growing one single crop, with excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, has completely destroyed our soils, which have become very poor.”
Aiming to discover a solution to this issue, Fatou’s work focuses on improving the productivity of key crops in Senegal, including groundnuts, cotton and fonio, by using sustainable and safe inputs. “By reducing chemical fertilizers and replacing them with organic fertilizers, the yields of these crops were equal or better. This exciting outcome provided an opportunity to train and sensitize rural farmers on these production techniques and improve their living conditions,” she enthused.
Fatou also promotes the production of neglected and underused plant species (such as pigeon pea, which is nutritious and can enhance soil fertility) to a group of rural women farmers to support the food security of their families and local community. In doing so, she has been awed by their courage, determination and willingness to try something different. “These brave women learned how to cultivate this plant in the nursery and then in the field, and were made aware of the prospects for its development.”
A hopeful future for agricultural production on the continent
Noting some of her achievements, Fatou smiled: “I have studied plants that have value to contribute to food and income security in Senegal, and develop agriculture in the country. I am very proud of this!” Éveline ended the event with a poignant message for young women researchers in the audience. “A shout out to young women wanting to get into higher education – I did it despite my background. We can do it and we are the ones who must make the change – others cannot do it for us.” She asserted that, whilst balancing family demands with a competitive career in science is hard, it is not impossible – as she has proven!
Miriam Karwitha, a plant pathologist from Kenya
Austin Phiri, a soil scientist from Malawi
Dr Éveline Compaoré, an innovation systems expert and 2018 AWARD Fellow from Burkina Faso.
