Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct edition 2020

Turnkey poultry solutions for your business

poultryequipment.com

c-lines.com

cumberlandpoultry.com

d.rademeyer@c-lines.com C-Lines South Africa (Pty) Ltd. l 16 Pomona Road, Pomona l Kempton Park, Gauteng, 1619 l Tel. +27 82 609 3435

CONTENTS

Volume 8. Issue 5. Sept/October 2020

Editor’s Note

News Sweden commits funds to avert COVID-19 food crisis................02 Storage Project Set to Reduce Post-Harvest Loss in Tanzania...03 Namibian gov’t seeks US $2m to contain locust outbreak...........03 Kenya horticulture exporters fight to secure markets....................04 Kenya: Miraa Sacco receives US $1.12m amid protests.................05

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Executive Editor Nita Karume editor@farmersreviewafrica.com Writers Silimina Derick, Bertha M. Contributing Writers Nqobile Bhebhe Zimbabwe Oscar Nkala Botswana Bertha M South Africa Nita Karume Kenya East Africa Advertising Executives Ken Tobby, Paul Amimo, M. Cherono Project Manager Victor Ndlovu sales@farmersreviewafrica.com Graphic Design & Layout Faith Omudho Art Director Augustine Ombwa austin@arobia.co.ke Correspondents - Isabel Banda zambia@farmersreviewafrica.com Sales & Marketing Gladmore. N gladmoren@farmersreviewafrica.com Mandla M. mandlam@farmersreviewafrica.com Kholwani. D kholwanid@farmersreviewafrica.com Polite Mkhize politem@farmersreviewafrica.com leslien@farmersreviewafrica.com East African Liaison Arobia Creative Consultancy Tel: +254 772 187334, 790 153505 arobia@farmersreviewafrica.com eastafrica@farmersreviewafrica.com Published by : Mailing Times Media +27 11 044 8986 sales@farmersreviewafrica.com

USIU-Africa wins grant to document the impact of covid-19 on food systems in sub-saharan africa.................................................... 06

Cover Story Poultry farming in Africa................................................................................16

Feature Precision Agriculture technology................................................................08 Pure Hydroponics................................................................................................09 Transitioning from subsistence to a smallholder farming..............10 Rift Valley Fever.....................................................................................................12 SARB steadies, low rates spur confidence in agriculture...............13 Smart tech transformational change for smallholder farmers....14 Meyn focusses on becoming Africa’s number one partner in innovative poultry processing solutions..................................................17 Broiler & layer nutrition...................................................................................20 Broiler-feed withdrawal....................................................................................24 Saving labor and improving quality in all steps of the process....25 100% Moringa Juice looks to create more jobs..................................29

Poultry makes the continent go round

I

n most African countries, the first and second decades after independence saw a boom in the supply of poultry products at low prices to urban consumers. In the second decade, broiler production was introduced and with it came the requirement for processing and freezer storage facilities. At the beginning of the third decade, there was further vertical integration resulting in the establishment of frozen poultry meat shops. Presently, in the fourth decade, the few large scale poultry operations are invariably fully integrated feed grain/poultry farms and processors with their brand names. This is according to a report by FAO. Brings to mind the question whether the current development is sustainable. The onset of vertical integration in the place of grain elevators, boards/ surpluses from which poultry producers can purchase feed grains proved to be quite the saving grace.

Generally, intensive poultry production has virtually collapsed in Africa. It is too easy to blame structural adjustment programs (SAP). Besides, large scale poultry production had vastly different fortunes in the pre and post-SAP periods. The real problem appears to be the unsustainable nature of intensive poultry production systems developed in the post-independence period. This non-sustainability is due to technical, biological, institutional and socioeconomic problems.

This issue of Farmers Review focused its lens on poultry in Africa; from best farming practices to poultry processing. Be sure to catch the usual agriculture news as well, even as we hope for the world to open up.

Nita Karume

editor@farmersreviewafrica.com

Enjoy a revitalizing weekend away at Knorhoek.................................30 BMG launches New User-Friendly B2B Online Platform..............32 Compac overcomes covid-19 pandemic challenges.........................32 Education is key to improving the African agribusiness..................38

Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, but no warranty is made as to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expr essed are not necessarily shared by Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd

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NEWS

Sweden commits funds to IFAD to help avert COVID-19 food crisis

S

weden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has pledged funds to help avert a potential food crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable rural communities in the wake of COVID-19, the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced today.

SEK 50 million (approximately US$5.7 million) will be committed to IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility which was launched in April by IFAD’s Goodwill Ambassadors, Idris and Sabrina Elba.

The Facility is supporting small-scale farmers and rural producers to continue to grow and sell food despite COVID-19 restrictions in movement and trade, by providing timely access to agricultural inputs, information, markets and liquidity.

“We would like to thank Sweden for its commitment to achieving a world without poverty and hunger,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD. “The funds will assist rural producers, particularly women, to continue making food available on the

2 | September - October 2020

markets, ensuring that the COVID-19 pandemic does not escalate into a lingering food crisis.”

Sweden also committed SEK 40 million (approximately $4.6 million) to IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances. This will help maximize the impact of remittances and diaspora investment on rural development, accelerate the transformation of remittance markets through new technologies, and promote financial inclusion so that families receiving remittances use their funds productively.

Remittance flows, often a lifeline for rural families in the developing world, are projected to decline by about 20 percent this year due to migrant workers’ loss of employment worldwide, and reduced access to transfer operators caused by the COVID-19 restrictions.

About 80 percent of the world’s poorest and most food-insecure people live in rural areas. Around 135 million people were recently categorised as

facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition. It is estimated that this number could nearly double before the end of the year due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Movement restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus left many small-scale producers without access markets to sell produce or to buy seeds or fertilizer. Transport and border closures adversely affected rural areas and disrupted food systems.

The most vulnerable include daily labourers, small businesses and informal workers, mostly women and young people.

Sweden is a founding member of IFAD and is one of the 36 members of IFAD’s Executive Board.

It has committed more than $471 million to the Fund. With a specific focus on helping smallscale farmers adapt to climate change, Sweden has contributed substantially to building the resilience of more 30 million rural people.

NEWS

Storage Project Set to Reduce Post-Harvest Loss in Tanzania

incurred at different points of the value chain, where the supply chain is less mechanized, larger losses are incurred during drying, storage and processing.

There remains a critical gap pertaining to farmer’s access to modern post-harvest management technologies, a situation which calls for joint stakeholders’ efforts to attract investment in this important segment of agricultural chains.

TADB joined stakeholders to build the structures because its mission is to improve productivity, support and strengthen value chains and transform the agricultural sector.

Huge postharvest losses are a threat to food security, incomes and livelihoods of many households in sub-Saharan Africa. Annual value of postharvest losses for grains alone exceeds US$ 4Bn. In Tanzania domestic food production is barely sufficient to meet national food needs.

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eventeen crop storage schemes with a capacity of over 80,000 tonnes in ten different points countrywide are being built to reduce post-harvest losses estimated at US$1.8m. The Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) is representing the government in this public-private venture, according to a document released in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The document indicates that some five silos and 12 warehouses are currently being built. Out of the 80,000 tonnes, 34,000 tonnes of maize will be stored in the proposed structures. According to the document, expert estimates show that an astonishing 30-40% of cereals and an even higher percentage of perishable foodstuffs are recorded as post-harvest losses. The losses are

Many households experience protracted periods of food shortage. As a result, over US$ 200m is spent annually to import food. Managing postharvest losses could potentially offset this food deficit. Past interventions to reduce postharvest losses targeted improvement of handling and storage practices through transfer of single and standalone technologies, particularly for root crops and maize. Efforts were channeled to individual smallholder farmers. Success stories of this strategy, however, are not many. Since the food crisis that began in 2006, the global food situation has become a critical issue.

Namibian government seeks US $2m to contain locust outbreak

W

orld Animal Protection (WAP), an animal welfare organization, has launched a free online course for livestock farmers, animal health practitioners, veterinary officers, and paraveterinary workers. They will be taught how to protect their livestock during disasters.

The program dubbed PrepVet, which is a universal standardized training course, is ideal for equipping animal health practitioners, veterinary officers, paraveterinary workers and livestock farmers with skills on handling fast onset disasters including storms, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Dr. Judy Kimaru, WAP’s disaster manager for Africa, said the course seeks to enable risk management and reduction, including understanding the factors that lead to emergencies and being prepared for them, to minimize animal losses.

“Many people living in risk-prone areas rely on animals for their livelihoods and survival.

Therefore, protection of animals in disasters is a key focus of the strategies in this course...

Although many hazards are inevitable, the vulnerability of communities can be reduced,” said Dr Kimaru.

World Animal Protection, formerly The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is an international non-profit animal welfare organization that has been in operation for over 30 years. The charity describes its vision as: A world where animal welfare matters and animal cruelty has ended. The organization helps companies and farmers adopt farming methods without close confinement of animals, as these cause pain and distress. They also help create conditions where animals are more able to express their natural behaviors, and move freely, which reduces the need for painful practices like

tail docking (which is used to stop crowded pigs attacking each other in intensive farms).

The charity has regional hubs in: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, and offices in 14 countries. Its headquarters is in London.

September - October 2020 | 3

NEWS

exports. The following week international flights were grounded and for a week no produce was shipped out of the country.

Nairobi hosts the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) through which fresh produce flies out daily to the various destinations across the world. The ‘lockdown’ came as the industry was grappling with cancellation of orders at a critical season ( March-May) covering Mothers Day, International WomensWomens Day, UK Mother’s Day and the Easter holidays. Tonnes of flowers were already harvested ready for Mother’s Day, arguably the second most important sales day for flowers after Valentines. Exporters say this year lover’s day was the best in five years and they looked forward to a blossoming 2020.

Flying out for Kenya: National carrier Kenya Airways collapsed passenger seats to airlift Kenya horticulture produce to Europe as industry players joined forces to secure markets at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Images courtesy of Kenya Airways

Kenya horticulture exporters fight to secure markets during Covid-19

T

he horticulture industry in Kenya is optimistic of quick recovery as global space slowly opens after the Covid-19 disruption.

Export earnings hit KSh72 billion between January and May 2020, up from KSh65 billion for the same period last year, translating to an 11% increase. The good earnings are largely attributed to the country’s ability to ship out produce during the pandemic, serving a rising demand for food.

“Our export sector did Kenya proud”, says Trade Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina when speaking at the Kenya Export Strategy 2020 Webinar organized by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency, Wednesday. “We expected the worst but our earnings are up, an indication of Kenya’s potential to protect its markets by ensuring products reached the markets in a challenging environment.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency CEO Wilfred Marube says the sector brought out the best of the country’s resilience at beating the odds to keep the ‘produce of Kenya’ label in the global shelves, a sacrifice that has not only secured existing markets but also created new avenues for Kenya’s flowers, fruits, herbs and vegetables.

4 | September - October 2020

It was a tough call for exporters especially in the flower sector who had to balance between maintaining a market presence, destroying beautiful flowers, sending workers home, keeping plants breathing and protecting their farms from the virus. Market presence meant selling flowers, not to make money but to maintain a presence for Kenya, according to Trish Patel, head of marketing at PJ Dave, whose 80 per cent of orders were cancelled. “We continued shipping the little orders coming through to secure future markets for Kenya”, he said.

Oserian Development Company Administration Director Mary Kinyua says the farm exports fell from 1 million stems per day to about 350,000 throwing the company, like many others, into a financial strain. “The markets are opening up slowly and barring any other disruptions we should be back to full business by end of the year,” she said adding that it will however take longer to recover from the losses.

“March 15 is a day I will not forget in my life”, said Craig Oulton, General Manager, Floriculture, Kisima Farm based in Timau. The date is etched in the minds of many, being the day President Uhuru Kenyatta declared no entry no exit from Nairobi, the distribution center for fresh produce

Then Covid-19 hit. Flights were grounded as many markets shut but there were spot orders requiring to be supplied. Avocados especially were in high demand, and Kenya was the only country with the fruits in season.

To accord fresh produce clearance, farms and firms staff required access documents. ‘The coordination of the movement of produce from farms to the airport in a pandemic challenge remains a proud moment for Kenya”, says Dr Marube, whose sentiments are echoed by many in the industry. “We did it for Kenya”, adds Fresh Produce Consortium ( FPC) CEO OkisegereOjepat adding, “ I haven’t encountered a situation when all of us worked in a seamless coordination to ensure our produce got to the markets that have in turn rewarded the country.

We were in the shelves when nobody else was resulting in increased orders and attraction of new buyers”, he said.

The Kenya Flower Council, aware that restrictions would be affected had a week earlier alerted its members to take steps to ensure trucks got cleared at the roadblocks. “The KFC did a great job”, said Mr Oulton, reflecting the sentiments of many flower exporters who laud the council for obtaining the necessary documents with speed.

Mr Oulton adds, “I am very proud of the Kenya government and private sector associations for the cooperation between the various agencies to ensure our flowers reached the markets.

The Avocado Society of Kenya CEO Ernest Muthomi says his fairly new organization got a baptism of fire. Calls from his members came in fast and furious. How would they access the Capital City? Mr Muthomi contacted the Ministry of Interior which advised him to inform his members to obtain identification documents.

He quickly sent an email informing them to submit their vehicle registration numbers, names of staff, produce and every other detail required by

the police to allow movement. He contacted a designer and quickly made stickers.

reason, the national carrier should be treated as a strategic asset for the country”.

Muthomi says that night he didn’t sleep a wink.

Avocados needed to move. ‘’We were printing stickers overnight as I drove from one roadblock to another - Thika, Limuru, Matuu- in the dark to negotiate for clearance of vehicles impounded by security. We delivered more stickers through courier. ASOK was largely unknown but within 24 hours it shot into the limelight for securing avocado clearance. Mr Muthomi adds the effort earned Kenya avocados the highest foreign exchange for the period ever and has opened new markets and demand even in countries whereKenya doesn’t have phytosanitary protocols.

The market presence for Kenya was reinforced through the Kenya Private Sector Alliance led Caravan of Hope initiative that saw flowers flown through KQ to the UK for donation to hospitals, an effort that didn’t go unnoticed when President Uhuru Kenyatta recognized Elgon Kenya Managing Director Bimal Kantaria, who chaired the caravan, among Covid-19 heroes on Madaraka day. Said Mr Kantaria; UK is a big market for Kenya and we needed to support them in the hope when markets opened, they would continue buying flowers from Kenya.

Mr Ojepat adds the Kenya Airports Authority was roped in to update the organizations on availability of the scarce cargo space. Kenya Airways came in handy, offering its passenger planes to fly to Europe to deliver cargo despite not making profits. “Kenya Airways did it for the country, after understanding that after the pandemic we will need our markets. Market presence was more important than making money”, he added. For this sacrifice, OJ has made a call to exporters and government to support the national carrier to thrive. “Kenya airways came through for us, we should support the airline to get back into profitability”, he said.

Machuki who says, “I am grateful to the Kenya Government and Trade CS Betty Maina for listening to the industry and clearing logistical challenges to enable our products get to the markets.”

His sentiments are shared by Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya CEO Hoseah

In addition, he says, Kenya Airways came through by airlifting products to the markets and for this

Flying out for Kenya: National carrier Kenya Airways collapsed passenger seats to airlift Kenya horticulture produce to Europe as industry players joined forces to secure markets at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Images courtesy of Kenya Airways

East African Growers, exporters of fruits, vegetables and flowers say orders from the UK never stopped because of the logistical support all in the chain accorded the industry. The company says it was not making money but market presence was important, and they kept supplying to secure future orders.

Veteran Exporter Tiku Shah of Sunripe, he of the Chinese frozen avocados fame said, “The Government did a fantastic job, I am very impressed. Effective coordination between KAA and exporters’ lobbyists enabled planning of freights making it possible forKenya’s produce to be in the markets. “Everybody worked for Kenya produce to move out and this is very impressive”, Said Mr Shah.

Kenya: Miraa Sacco receives US $1.12m amid protests

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griculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has disbursed US $1.12m to Mwenge Miraa Sacco amid protests from a lobby group which has been opposed to the process. Each of the 25 wards in the miraa growing zones will access US $46000 in loans.

According to media reports, the money will also be spent on establishing offices and covering administrative and personnel costs.

The CS said Mwenge Miraa Sacco will lend the money to its members at an interest rate of three per cent since it is meant to cushion farmers and traders from adverse effects of the loss of markets.

Meanwhile, Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) said it will be citing Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga

for contempt of court over failure to heed to an order that all stakeholders be involved before the money is disbursed. The CS urged more residents to join Mwenge Sacco so as to benefit from the cheap loans given under the miraa revolving fund.

Since early this year, Nyamita has been engaged in a tussle with the CS over his directive to have the US $1.6m miraa fund channelled through Mwenge Sacco, leading to a court battle. Nyamita Chairman Kimathi Munjuri is demanding that the money be disbursed to various qualifying saccos operating in the miraa growing areas.

In July, the Commodities Fund told the court that it was in the process of developing a framework for disbursement of the money. Two weeks ago, Nyamita protested a move by the Commodities Fund to cancel a sensitisation forum where stakeholders were to be engaged on the

development of a framework and guidelines for disbursement of the money.

On the ongoing miraa trade ban in Somalia, Mr Munya called for patience from traders and told off a section of Meru leaders led

by Senator Mithika Linturi who gave a 14day ultimatum for mass action. Mr Munya said the government is keen on reforming all agriculture sectors to ensure the farmer earns more.

September - October 2020 | 5

NEWS

USIU-Africa wins grant to document the impact of covid-19 on food systems in sub-saharan africa Of the 16 organizations targeted by IDRC for funding, 10 were selected for their capacity and leadership to generate locally relevant evidence.

Other organizations selected alongside USIUAfrica include the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the University of Malawi, Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project in Zimbabwe, Economic and Social Research Foundation in Tanzania, The SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science in South Africa, National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda, the Centre for Population and Environment Development in Nigeria, the Cooperation Society for International Development in Canada and the Consortium for Economic and Social Research in Senegal.

Z

agro Asia Limited has recently conducted testing of its key disinfectant, Ultraxide™, against African Swine Fever (ASF). Zagro believes that at this point in time, only a sound biosecurity measure is feasible against ASF, with no vaccine nor other medical treatment currently available. ASF has been causing a large number of infections in pigs across Europe, China and Southeast Asia with devastating effect to the farms and to the Economy.

6 | September - October 2020

The United States International University-Africa has been selected as one of the ten recipients of an International Development Research Center (IDRC) COVID-19 rapid response initiative grant to document the pandemic’s impact on food systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The research will be studying gender-sensitive implications of COVID-19 on youth Agripreneurship resilience targeting over 500 entrepreneurs across the country.

The project will be collecting short-term data on the impact of the pandemic (and control measures) on local food systems, specifically, on the most vulnerable populations, document planned and spontaneous responses in real-time and the rewiring of food systems as they happen, and inform recovery policies for a more efficient and equitable policy and action that minimizes or alleviates the impacts of COVID-19 on nutrition and food security.

FOR AFRICAN AGRICULTURE THAT IS

NATURALLY FERTILE !

In the future, agricultural production should be intensified sustainably and with respect for the environment.

Who are FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux ?

Proven by the results of official experiments, the performances of FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux solutions provide an answer in the African context.

SUMMARY : Eco-friendly fertilisation has several advantages :

A

ll the continents, and especially Africa, should take on a challenge for the future :

To feed more and more populations under increasingly difficult soil and climatic conditions.

Despite significant progress, productivity in the African continent is still below the other regions in the world and remains a primary concern. At present, one person in four on the continent still suffers from chronic malnutrition.

The situation will get worse over the next decades, considering that demographic growth in Africa, forecast at 1.3 billion additional inhabitants by 2050, will further increase the challenge to the African food system.

This is compounded by intensifying climatic changes which will put crops and animal rearing in peril and heighten food safety issues.

Without adaptation strategies, the production of corn, which is a basic food in Africa, could fall by 40% between now and 2050. Although the extension of cultivated land has considerably increased agricultural production in the past, it has been to the detriment of the environment.

> An increase in yield Located in the middle of Europe, the geographic position of their production sites gives FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux direct access to natural raw materials for the agro-industry and microbiology.

Through their patented know-how in soil life biostimulation technologies, FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux enable farmers to take the initiative towards a naturally fertile agriculture by following four principles : Enriching soil fertility Significantly reducing the carbon effect in comparison to standard fertilisers Increasing the effectiveness of inputs Decreasing the environmental impact

What are the solutions ?

The solutions for eco-friendly fertilisation provided by FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux stabilise the soil by including nutrients and nourishing the microorganisms that are naturally present.

Through a symbiotic relationship with plants, these microorganisms shape plant health in two ways : By helping to fight off diseases or pests By reinforcing the resistance to biotic and abiotic stress

> Sustainable strengthening of soil and plant health > Perpetuation of the biological, physical and chemical fertility of the soil FCA Fertilisants and Fertilux are dedicated to the preservation of relations with farmers and devotedly carry out tests each year directly on "pilot" farms in order to continuously evaluate the pertinence of their solutions and optimise their recommendations and fertilisation programmes.

We invite you to follow the results of these tests and partnerships in the next issues of Farmers Review of Africa...

To contact us : Mr. SĂŠbastien DAVID sebastien.david@group-shfc.com +33.6.51.17.54.62 Mr. Christophe MONNOT christophe.monnot@fertilux.lu +33.6.74.23.68.27

FEATURE

Precision Agriculture technology

T

echnological advancements allow both small and large-scale agricultural businesses to implement precision agriculture. The origins of this trend can be traced back to the 90s. Back then, GPS-satellite adoption allowed farmers to gather datum and steer equipment automatically. Now, more technologies allow farmers to gather more precise data for precision agriculture. Precision agriculture reduces crop waste along with the negative impact on the environment. It also allows farmers to get as much yield as possible out of each site. Hence the reason why researchers consider precision agriculture an efficient way to solve food crises all over the world.

Improved decision-making efficiency Use of sensors in field monitoring means longterm access to real-time data for farmers. This way, a site manager will be able to distinguish patterns and predict changes, potential risks, and yields, both through harvest and the growing season.

Advantages of Precision Farming in Agriculture Farmers are gradually coming to recognize the advantages brought by precision farming using IoT. Agriculture business owners see incorporating technology into crop and cattle management as a way to improve the quality of decision-making, the return on investment (ROI), as well as the overall site security.

Better crop protection The excessive use of chemicals is one of the causes of high crop and soil pressure. To protect the site from crop-damaging insects, farmers tend to go overboard with their nitrogen usage. Apart from reducing the environmental sustainability of the site, using chemicals is expensive. With precision agriculture, a farmer will be able to administer chemicals only when needed and protect crops more efficiently.

More metrics for agriculture monitoring Thanks to digital tools, a grower will be able to continuously monitor a wide range of metrics — including rainfall levels, the number and the nature of nutrients that crops need to grow to a peak level, soil samples, fertilizer inputs, and so on. A deeper insight into the state of crops helps farmers make informed decisions across all fields.

8 | September - October 2020

Access to farm records Using technology for farm management increases data accessibility. With precision agriculture, the team members are no longer bound to the office space. Thanks to cloud-based technologies, all the necessary data is free for access any time from any device.

Irrigation management As the world is experiencing drinking water shortages, careful distribution at farming sites is imperative. By adopting centralized commandand-control tools, farming teams can tell precisely when to irrigate a given field. As a result, crops are preserved in a better state and the management framework is socially responsible.

Using Progressive Technologies in Precision Agriculture The meaning of precision agriculture by default implies the heavy use of technologies, and most advancements used here are closely connected with the Internet of Things. Below are the technologies that are effective for precision farming using IoT: Sensors. They can detect a range of biomolecular, chemical, optical, thermal, electrical, radiation, and biological metrics to get a 360-degree view on the health of crops. By mounting health monitoring sensors on animals, farmers can track the state of livestock in real-time. Precision farming software. Controller tools are widely used in precision agriculture technology. IoT improves software maintenance (e.g. automatic equipment updates) and introduces new solutions for farm management (managing a safe-driving tractor remotely via a controller). The capacity of modern precision agriculture and IoT allows controlling dozens of equipment units simultaneously.

Location monitoring tools. Satellites are widely used to estimate the amount of water in the soil, crop biomass, and many other metrics. The data collected by connected GPS satellites or a location monitoring solution is then used by crop insurance companies, governments, scientists, policymakers, and commodity bodies.

Thanks to these technologies, farmers can expect enhanced precision in data gathering and analysis, monitor the status of crops, and get a big-picture view of farm sites.

FEATURE

Pure Hydroponics

P

ure Hydroponics is a New Zealand based hydroponics company that specialises in re-circulating NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) systems.

The NFT system is an excellent hydroponic system for growing leaf crops such as lettuces and culinary herbs.

A thin film of nutrient solution flows along the base of a flat bottom PVC gully. The roots of the plant sit in this thin film of nutrient solution and gain complete nutrition from the passing flow. The solution then gravity feeds back to a below ground tank where it is re-oxygenated and re-dosed with fresh nutrients and pumped back to the crop again.

It is a very efficient system in terms of low water and nutrient usage and optimisation of space.

The quality of the crops grown in an NFT system are exceptional.

A suitable environment can be provided for the crop by way of a greenhouse with roof and sidewall

ventilation, shade screens and misting systems for cooling.

Pure Hydroponic sis offering a Design and Shopping List Service to serious African growers who are interested in taking up commercial hydroponics.

The Design and Shopping List Service allows the grower to source most of the system equipment themselves using local suppliers.

Installation drawings are then provided to allow the grower to install the systems themselves with our online guidance. Any specialised equipment which a grower may not be able to source locally can be supplied by Pure Hydroponics as a low volume courier or sea freight shipment.

Once the system is operational Pure Hydroponcis can provide online consultancy and support services.

Please contact us for a questionnaire so we can learn more about your requirements.

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September - October 2020 | 9

FEATURE

Transitioning from subsistence to a smallholder farming business By .Levi Letsoko

G

rowing up in an agricultural setting along with years of service accumulated in a corporate finance environment are two of the biggest contributors that influenced Tshepo Kgopa’s transition from a subsistence to a smallholder farming business, according to the P and T Agricultural Projects (trading as TK and Family Livestock) founder.

After building a career in the accounting profession at an insurance powerhouse as a project accountant, Kgopa garnered enough courage and expertise to take a gamble and choose between where he felt he belonged (finance world) and his calling, which is farming.

“Agriculture is my culture. I grew up in a village where farming was a way of life. My grandparents had cattle and worked the field. I can proudly say that agriculture paid for my education.”

Working the land Through the lessons he absorbed from his grandparents, who had no alternative but to work the land to provide for the entire family, Kgopa started developing his own method of running the family farm. He hopes to one day turn it into a comprehensive commercial business with a stronger footing in the food-supply value chain.

“I vowed to myself that I was not going to be a subsistence farmer like my grandparents. I am currently a smallholder farmer, my goal is to be a commercial farmer, and I’m well on my way to fulfilling that dream,” says Kgopa.

Breaking the barriers Despite the drive, the ambition and the strategy to revolutionise farming and the agricultural supply value chain as a whole, black emerging farmers are still faced with the challenge of access to sufficient land. While most farmers manage to partially overcome this challenge, they also hampered by the lack of funding.

“You may have the land but not the capital which is also very important for you to set up infrastructure,” he says.

Kgopa believes one way of addressing the land issue is through constant collaboration

10 | September - October 2020

and interaction with the various stakeholders (village representatives and local chiefs), who can be instrumental in removing the barriers of participation for aspirant and active farmers.

“We should not rely too much on the government.

Yes, the government should ensure that the agricultural land is equally redistributed to all who work the land, black or white. The government is indeed trying to assist black emerging farmers, but it (transformation) needs to happen at an accelerated pace.”

From a subsistent to a smallholder farmer Located in Bochum, Limpopo, P and T Agricultural Projects (TK and Family Livestock) has done tremendously well under the leadership of Kgopa.

He has managed to build the business to employ five permanent staff, while indirectly creating work opportunities for more people. Kgopa’s key focus is producing affordable and great quality produce that his customers can rely on.

Within the 5 years of operation, he has managed to position himself as the runner up at the Young

Aspirant Farmer awards in his region while pursuing other milestones including the shift from subsistence farming to a smallholder farming business and being one of the most recognised commercial farmers.

Navigating COVID-19 COVID-19 has impacted a whole range of commercial sectors including agriculture, from the hands working the land to the key players who are in charge of the food supply value chain.

The lockdown limited sales in local food stores and this meant that the farmers had to find alternative ways of getting their harvests into the market.

“We started selling our produce directly to the public by driving from village to village with our bakkie. And this has proven that we don’t have to exclusively supply the supermarkets to make it,” enthuses Kgopa.

“We have witnessed the benefits of supplying the consumer directly, thanks to the pandemic. And this way of doing business is usually undermined in our sector,” he concludes.

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September - October 2020 | 11

FEATURE

Rift Valley Fever R

ift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonotic disease, which mainly affects livestock but also has the capacity to infect humans.

Humans are susceptible to RVF virus infection via transmission from animals, but no human-tohuman transmission has been reported.

Prominent across sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the disease first emerged in Kenya in 1930 and was detected outside of Africa for the first time in 2000, raising concerns of future outbreaks across Asia and Europe. It can cause severe disease in livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep, and the virus can also infect some wild animals including buffalo, and other ruminants.

Signs and symptoms Signs of the disease in livestock include fever, listlessness, disinclination to move or eat, high rates of abortion in pregnant animals, and high rates of mortality in new-born offspring. During outbreaks, the disease has been known to kill more than 90 per cent of young animals and cause nearly 100 per cent of pregnant animals to abort their foetuses.

RVF in humans presents as a self-limiting febrile illness, but the disease can sometimes

12 | September - October 2020

cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), haemorrhaging and blindness, and can even be fatal. The disease can vary in its severity and clinical signs are different depending on the species and age of the animal, along with whether the animal is pregnant. Young lambs and goats tend to be most susceptible to the fever, with mortality rates of between 70-100%.

Livestock tend to be infected with RVF virus through infected mosquitoes, with young animals particularly vulnerable to the disease. Since first being identified in 1930, RVF has affected millions of livestock and has had a devastating impact on the livelihoods of farming communities.

Transmission and diagnosis RVF is a vector-borne disease, transmitted by mosquitoes from infected animals to other animals and also humans. Humans can contract the disease through contact with bodily fluids or tissue of infected animals, and also from the bites of infected mosquitoes. In areas where the disease is endemic, clinical signs, insect activity, known cases in animals and humans, and specific environmental conditions often lead to RVF being suspected.

Laboratory tests using blood or tissue samples

are required to diagnose infections, either through PCR (molecular detection of the virus), virus isolation, detection of antibodies to RVF virus in blood, or detection of virus antigen in tissue samples.

Preventative measures Vaccination is a priority for preventing RVF in livestock, especially in areas prone to outbreaks.

But the most widely used animal vaccines for RVF are not recommended for pregnant animals, as they risk causing abortion and malformation.

No licensed vaccines to protect humans against RVF yet exist, and the disease is listed as a World Health Organization (WHO) priority.

However, together with an international team of researchers from the University of Oxford, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Pirbright Institute and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, I am working to develop a single cross-species vaccine for RVF. We began by using a technique involving adenovirus – a chimpanzee respiratory virus – to expose animals to a small part of the RVF virus, which is not sufficient to cause an infection but enables the immune system to recognise

As the SARB steadies, low rates continue to spur confidence in agriculture

it. (The same technique has been shown to be safe for human vaccination against diseases including malaria and influenza, and is currently a leading strategy for vaccine development against COVID-19).

Importantly, the immune response generated by the vaccine is different enough from that generated by a natural RVF virus infection, which means that animal health practitioners can accurately identify through testing whether an animal is vaccinated or infected.

Our early studies found that a single dose of the vaccine, termed ChAdOx1 RVF, provided 100 per cent protection against RVF in multiple livestock species in Kenya, with further livestock field trials ongoing, and human clinical trials planned in the near future. We have also shown that the vaccine can be used safely during pregnancy in livestock. We hope that bringing this pioneering cross-species vaccination into widespread use will not only protect livestock and farmers against the devastating RVF virus, but also pave the way

for future One Health approaches that tackle zoonotic diseases holistically.

Forecasting via climatic monitoring systems and ongoing outbreak surveillance is effective to an extent in controlling the spread of RVF. Using remotely sensed data, for instance, can provide advance warning of climatic conditions that are favourable for mosquito breeding – including heavy rains and flooding, for instance – and enable enhanced control measures to be implemented in time.

Coordinated sharing of information is key to this, and a One Health approach that connects animal and human health practitioners is essential to protecting livestock and farmers alike.

George Warimwe is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, University of Oxford and Group Leader at the KEMRIWellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya.

A

fter cutting the repo rate by 300 basis points so far this year, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) kept the rate unchanged at a record low of 3.5% in September 2020.The SARB considered risks to both growth and inflation as balanced, and signalled no intention to make further cuts for the remainder of 2020. However, in the second half of 2021 we may see the first round of hikes.

While the decision does not have an immediate impact on agriculture, the lower interest rates for 2020 have benefited the sector whose overall debt is over R170 billion and rising.

This has further boosted confidence in the sector with the Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) rebounding and edged slightly above the 50-point mark in the first third quarter of 2020 to 51 points from 39 in the second quarter.

The capital investments confidence sub-index improved by six points from the second quarter to 44 in the third quarter as the huge 2020 agriculture output and better prices boosted farming profits. This is evident in progress with agriculture machinery sales for January to August 2020 with combine harvesters increasing by 18% relative to the same period in 2019 although tractors slowed a bit.

The favourable interest rate environment is particularly welcome as we head into the new planting season and will afford producers to expand their operations and do the necessary replacements of various machinery and equipment employed in agriculture. This will lead to another year of huge agriculture harvests which will help tame food inflation in the year ahead.

September - October 2020 | 13

FEATURE

Smart tech can lead to transformational change for smallholder farmers By: Matthew Margetts the Director of Sales and Marketing at Smarter Technologies.

A

gricultural development has the potential to boost shared prosperity, end extreme poverty and feed the world’s growing population. In fact, growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest individuals compared to other sectors. But how can farmers in developing countries overcome challenges such as climate change to feed growing (and often under-nourished) populations?

With a range of practical and economic challenges facing smallholder farmers, the introduction of smart technologies to farm management can make a meaningful difference to their daily lives.

Digitisation holds the key here, a process which is backed up in a report last year from The Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), an institution focusing on poverty reduction through the modernisation of smallholder farming.

Linking farmers to multimedia services and smart technology has so many potential applications in developing countries, and the evidence too is suggesting that this can be achieved through innovation and knowledge sharing. In fact, Africa’s digital agriculture is growing, with the number of farmers subscribed to digital services having grown by 40-45% per year in the last three years. Simple, digital and smart technologies are enabling streamlined disease control and herd management. This, in turn, has a potent knock-on effect when it comes to profitability, productivity, and reduced pressure on farmers.

Consumer demand puts increased pressure on farmers According to the WHO, we can expect annual worldwide meat production to increase to 376 million tonnes by 2030 to meet nutritional demands. While this raises inevitable environmental concerns, it also puts untold pressure on farmers, who are responsible for meeting these demands. And in Africa, the rapid growth of meat consumption (South Africa contributes to 20% of world meat production) is set to provide not only attractive opportunities for investors, but also in tech which makes its production and management more efficient.

Take for example the opportunities in animal disease, which decreases livestock productivity by up to 30% according to Deloitte, who also estimates that animal losses could be reduced by at least 65% through smart animal health and monitoring. Against this backdrop, there is a call for cost-effective, easily implemented smart solutions to meet the need for global increased yields and improved sustainability. While this has widespread supply benefits, there are a number of advantages farmers will simultaneously enjoy through the functionality of these technologies.

And, if these be continue to be successfully implemented, the annual revenues stemming from this in developing countries are there to support this need too, which are estimated at about $140 million.

The challenges of the traditional approach Traditional cattle disease management has a heavy reliance on the farmer and labourers to monitor and act upon (sometimes difficult to discern) symptoms they observe. When time is of the essence in containing disease, incorrect diagnosis and treatments can have a dire effect.

This is especially so when symptoms may have gone unobserved for some time. Additionally, delays in call-outs are not uncommon, particularly in developing countries where distance and reach of veterinary services can be problematic, and the cost of veterinary intervention can have a negative impact on profitability.

An extension of this is veterinary involvement in fertility and calving. This too attracts expenses, as well as the logistical implications of rounding up cattle for examination. In all, the guesswork around cattle health and fertility results in unnecessary losses. And when examining this among smallholder farmers, paying for veterinary bills may simply not be feasible through monetary concerns, and they end up losing animals to disease and complications. So the increased need for digitisation to help aid the process in these areas is essential moving forward.

The benefits of going smarter With this cross-section of challenges in mind, farmers have the potential to use insightful data collected from animals to inspire management methodologies which reduce the spread of disease and mortalities. A wide array of solutions exists - from wearable technologies to ingestible hardware. These smart animal health management tools are designed to empower meaningful outcomes through simple integration and actionable, real-time metrics.

Full-time temperature monitoring One such smart advance is the capability of technology to transmit real-time temperature readings to a remotely accessible dashboard, which is cloud-based and can be accessed on any connected device.

Please read more about this article on: https://w w w.farmersreviewafrica.com/ smallholder/2020/10/07/smart-tech-canlead - to - transf or mational - change - f orsmallholder-farmers/

14 | September - October 2020

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COVER STORY

Poultry farming in Africa A

frica’s love for poultry meat and eggs has grown at a staggering pace. Every year, the continent imports more than two million metric tons of poultry products valued at nearly US$3 billion to meet domestic demand. In 2012 alone, more than 5m tons of poultry meat and two million tons of eggs were consumed in Africa.

Africa’s love for chicken and eggs is increasing with the size of its rapidly growing population.

Chicken and egg farming Chicken and eggs are a rich source of animal protein for millions of Africans. The young population, who make up more than 70% of the continent’s people are the highest consumers of poultry products. Africa’s poultry market is experiencing a boom as a result of its rapid population and economic growth. Many African countries understand the huge income potentials for local poultry production and have placed import bans on poultry products to protect local producers.

However, most of these bans have not been effective and have made no real impact on actual imports. Smuggling poultry products, especially meat, have become very big business in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. For example, in the year 2010, over 200,000 tons of frozen chicken were exported to Ghana from the US, chicken frozen imports EU and Brazil.

In Nigeria, up to 100,000 tons of imported poultry products are seized annually over its borders and destroyed. This has severely undercut the profit potentials of this lucrative market for local producers as they struggle to compete with very

16 | September - October 2020

cheap imports. It is almost impossible for African producers to compete with these very cheap imports. Brazil is the world leader in poultry exports and has one of the lowest production costs in the world which makes its exports extremely cheap. Even South Africa, Africa’s former largest economy, is under pressure to save jobs in its local poultry industry due to the influx of cheap Brazilian and Chinese chicken.

Combined with the US and Europe, who are also jostling for a larger share of the African poultry market, it has become increasingly difficult for African entrepreneurs to exploit the poultry consumption goldmine.

Market Opportunities for Poultry farming in Africa Since cheap imports from Brazil, the USA and Europe have cornered the African poultry market, are there still any lucrative opportunities for local entrepreneurs?

There appears to be a glimmer of hope! Of the two major poultry products (meat and eggs), egg production holds a lot of promise for African entrepreneurs. While it may be relatively easy to smuggle poultry meat, eggs are much more delicate and have a sensitive shelf life.

Poultry meat production may still have opportunities for local African entrepreneurs.

However, given the stiff competition from cheap imports, this is likely to be a very risky business venture unless you have a guaranteed niche market or exclusive supply contracts.

As our population increases, and the size and earning power of the African middle class grow, the demand for poultry products is bound to put a lot of pressure on the already limited production.

Households, restaurants, processed food producers, fast food businesses, bakeries and confectioners constitute a large chunk of annual egg demand and make very good potential targets for a small scale egg supplier.

PROFILE

Meyn focusses on becoming Africa’s number one partner in innovative poultry processing solutions

T

similar wet markets. Global health organizations are putting more and more pressure on local authorities around the world to regulate these so-called wet markets. Close contact between humans and animals demands for further professionalization improved ratios of health and safety and manageability of the poultry, meat, and fish trade.

he global COVID-19 pandemic caused a tremendous impact on human health and the economy worldwide. Poultry processing specialist Meyn is eager to help recover human health and global economy by supporting aspiring poultry processors and farmers in Africa and around the world to professionalize their business to achieve higher levels of hygiene, efficiency, AND increase their profit.

During the 60+ years of its existence, Meyn has continuously developed processing concepts and solutions to help and improve the poultry processing industry. Meyn’s mentality; “Think global, act local.” has broadened the company with various regional specific focusses. Where in countries such as Brazil and China high capacity processors need help with high-speed automation, aspiring poultry processors and farmers in Asia and Africa need help to start their business with only minimal investment and the ability to grow along with their market and expand their plant accordingly.

LEAP - Low investment, Expandable, (semi) Automatic Processing As an answer to the need for low-key startup systems in Africa and Asia, Meyn recently launched its LEAP concept: Low investment, Expandable, (semi) Automatic Processing. LEAP allows poultry processors to professionalize poultry processing with a (semi) Automatic concept. At the start, only minimal investment is needed. Thanks to the modular design of the solutions, the processors can grow along with their market and expand their plant accordingly.

The concept has already proven to be highly successful in Asia.

CEO Joost Weel

LEAP allows both independent professionals as well as small businesses to step into the untapped market of (semi) automated processing.

Especially now COVID-19 has put the existence of the already contentious wet markets under increased pressure. The main theory that the beginning of COVID-19 could be traced back to a wet market in Wuhan, China, started a global discussion. Especially after earlier outbreaks of SARS and Influenza, which found their roots in

Meyn wants to simplify taking these necessary steps towards automation. Aspects involved in automation such as logistics, electricity, water usage, and filtration, all might be a little overwhelming at the start. Together with various partners such as Chore-Time for livestock handling and Nijhuis for water treatment, Meyn offers a complete package of knowledge, experience, and solutions to guide the way.

“At Meyn, we think beyond the steel. We stand side by side with processors to identify their potentials and help them develop their plant accordingly. Our support does not stop once a concept is realized. We will continue to support a processor by providing necessary spare parts, service, training of staff, and providing valuable business advice. We see ourselves more as consultants, as advisors. Only then we can help

Air chilling

September - October 2020 | 17

PROFILE poultry processors reach their highest potential.”

– Milan van de Beek, area sales manager at Meyn.

Meyn Service & Parts The success of state-of-the-art equipment depends highly on the way it is operated and maintained. To safeguard the optimal performance of processing equipment, it is extremely important to install high-quality replacement parts in case of wear & tear.

Meyn container harbour

Meyn supplies processors with original Meyn OEM parts, which have passed the highest standards in design, production, and material quality. Especially with high volume processing, tolerances are tight, and compromising on quality will give an increased risk of yield losses and even equipment breakdowns. Because these costs can be very high, Meyn has invested a lot of research in finding the best materials and manufacturing tolerances to safeguard an optimal performance.

Meyn’s experience in different parts failure patterns and turnaround ratios, has helped hem defining parts recommendations. Meyn distinguishes: • Safety stock: parts that should be available on stock to keep production losses to the minimum when unexpected breakdowns occur.

• Initial stock: parts that are forecasted as the usage in a predefined period. This reliefs stress on your planning and procurement department and assures you have got the right parts on stock.

Modular designer of LEAP concept

Global support by local specialists To support processors around the globe, Meyn employs over 135 dedicated engineers who reside in over 20 countries, holds over 14 local offices across the globe, and has an extensive network of over 36 agents and distributors. Their local presence makes them quickly available even within the current travel restrictions and gives processors the benefit of improved communication since Meyn speaks the local language.

For more information visit www.meyn. com, watch our product videos on Meyn Poultry Processing Solutions YouTube channel or contact our Africa representative Milan v.d. Beek milanvdbeek@meyn.com, Tel: +31 (0)20 2045 000

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18 | September - October 2020

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FEATURE

Broiler & layer nutrition L

aying hens and broiler meat birds require diets with the correct proportions and ratios of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for optimal nutrition. A properly balanced diet will ensure the birds have enough feed to maintain their body functions in addition to meeting their production needs. Different feeds are used as conduits for various nutrients, and those feeds are formulated based on ingredients available in the area and how they can be combined to create the proper ratios of nutrients needed in the diet.

Laying Hen Diets Understandably, laying hens need feed specifically formulated for egg production, and it should contain a minimum of 16% proteinexperts say. (For birds going through a moult, however, an even higher percentage of protein is recommended.) Additionally, laying hens have very specific needs for vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The nutrients the chicken feed on will be the nutrients seen in the egg.

Calcium makes up the majority of the eggshell so a layer feed is designed to have a much higher calcium content. Calcium can be supplemented,

20 | September - October 2020

but if a proper layer feed is available free-choice, it may not be necessary. If you like the hardness of the shells from your hens, don’t worry about a supplement. If your hens are having major laying problems, including soft shells, provide a calcium supplement, such as oyster shells.

Scraps and treats should make up a small part of a chicken’s diet. Hens enjoy grazing plants and bugs, but they should still have unlimited access to a balanced layer feed. Changes in yolk colour are not an indication of how healthy an egg is; they’re simply an indication of what the hen has been eating. If you would like your eggs to be higher in certain nutrients, such as omega-3s, feed your hens a diet with higher omega-3s.

Chickens will not get omega-3s in their eggs just because you let them graze your weed patch.

Again, the nutrients you feed your birds will be the nutrients found in their eggs.

Broiler Chicken Diets Chicks that are being used for meat production

will need transferring to a grower/finisher feed that clocks in around 18% protein at about 6 to 8 weeks of age, depending on the breed.

They’ll need to remain on that diet until they are processed. Meat chickens grow quickly: Depending on the breed, some can be finished in as little as six weeks, meaning that you’ll need to maximize the nutrients they receive to make the most of that brief finishing time.

What you feed meat chickens will affect the way they taste. Giving meat birds space to graze is fine, provided they have unlimited access to a complete grower/finisher feed. Grazing can also slow down their growth; it may take longer to finish chickens raised on pasture.

Overall, the most important takeaway for feeding any type of chicken is to feed a balanced diet, which provides enough energy for body maintenance in addition to egg and/or meat production.

FEATURE

Enhancing gut health and performance of broilers with Ecobiol®, an innovative probiotic solution

I

n conclusion, Ecobiol® Soluble Plus may replace water soluble antibiotic programmes as prevention/prophylactic medication.

Ecobiol® 500 and Ecobiol® Soluble Plus can improve broiler welfare and performance through enhancement of gut health, thus leading to prudent use of antibiotics and the preservation of the environment and consumer health.

Antibiotic Growth Promotors (AGPs) have been used in broiler nutrition for decades to improve gut health and performance. However, current evidence suggests that the massive and extended use of these compounds have been

linked to increased occurrence of microbial resistance, and presence of antibiotic residues in feed and the environment, compromising human and animal health (Mehdi et al, 2018).

In many parts of the world, there has been ongoing pressure from non-governmental organizations to reduce or eradicate the use of AGPs in broiler drinking water and diets. Removal of AGPs in broiler nutrition can result in increased gastrointestinal (GIT) upsets/diseases (i.e. dysbacteriosis, necrotic enteritis, salmonellosis, etc.), causing wet litter, reduced welfare, poor

Control, sloughing of intestine with mucous exudate and excessive slime, water and gas

Ecobiol®, normal intestine with no lesions and mucous exudate

Figure 1: Intestinal evaluation performed on day 29 on broilers treated with Ecobiol® vs Control September - October 2020 | 21

FEATURE Results: Overview of Performance Improvement BWG (grams) 3.43%

2350

2328

2300 2250

2261

2200 2150 2100 2050 2000

Control

CECT 5940

FCR -4 1.64

1.64

1.62 1.60

1.60

1.58 1.56 1.54 1.52 1.50

Control 1

CECT 5940

| Confidential | 2020_15188 F&F Poultry

Figure 2: Meta-analysis of Broiler performance treated with Ecobiol® vs Control feed conversion ratio (FCR), reduced live weight (LW), high mortality and loss of profits for the broiler enterprise.

Thus, there is a global imperative for valid alternative solutions to AGPs as a replacement in the event of a ban on AGPs usage. Among the available solutions, probiotics appear to be a promising alternative to AGPs because they have specific mechanisms of actions that could improve and maintain a stable gut microbiome. Furthermore, probiotics reduce the impact of GIT diseases and enhance bird welfare to consequently maintain and/or improve performance (Ducatelle et al., 2015).

Effect of Ecobiol® (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940) on intestinal health, LW and FCR of broilers Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 strain is a proprietary probiotic produced by Evonik (as Ecobiol® Soluble Plus, min. 1 x 1010 CFU/g and Ecobiol® 500, min. 2 x 109 CFU/g). A study was conducted to evaluate Ecobiol® Soluble Plus in drinking water on intestinal health and broiler performance under commercial conditions.

Results showed that intestinal lesions and the sloughing of mucous were visually higher in the control birds compared to the Ecobiol® treated birds (Figure 1). Furthermore, Ecobiol® Soluble Plus improved LW (2.84 kg vs 2.76 kg, p=0.005) and the performance index (353.8 vs 315.2, p=0.004, calculated as [Livability % X final LW

(kg)]/[Slaughter age x FCR]) in comparison to the control. Previous reports (Gharib Naseri et al., 2018; De Oliviera et al., 2019) found that, regardless the challenge condition in broilers, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 probiotic enhanced the modulation of the microbiota towards butyric acid producers (i.e. Bacillus spp, Ruminococcus spp.) and decreased pathogenic ones (i.e. C. perfringens, Coliforms, Salmonella).

Such an enteric shift in microbiota in broilers improves gut function, nutrient digestion, FCR and LW while reducing wet droppings and foot pad lesions (Diaz, 2007). In a meta-analysis study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 probiotic was evaluated on weight gain and FCR of broilers under different challenges, conditions, diets, genetics and parts of the world. Results (Figure 2) showed significant improvements for both parameters, demonstrating the intrinsic potential of Ecobiol® under different challenges and conditions to maintain a better microbial balance and intestinal wall for efficient gut function and nutrient utilization.

Dosage Ecobiol® Soluble Plus (min. 1 x 1010 CFU/g): Add min. 50g per 1000 liters of drinking water Ecobiol® 500 (min. 2 x 109 CFU/g): Add min. 500 g per metric ton of a complete feed Design for flexibility For ease of use, Ecobiol® is compatible with other feed additives such as coccidiostats, AGPs or organic acids and is available in different

forms in order to support feed, premix and water applications.

Strain Properties • Natural spore-forming bacteria • Resistant to temperatures up to 90˚C for 1 minute • Resistant to low pH and bile • Fast germination and growth rate • Proven mechanism of action to produce:

- Macrolactins and other specific secondary metabolites

- Lactic acid

- Quorum Quenching Proven benefits • Survives feed manufacturing processes • Easy to handle by workers at feed mills and farms under different environmental conditions • Persists in the GIT for at least 3 days, ensuring an extended benefit to the host • Favours growth of resident beneficial microbiota, such as lactobacilli • Reduces the threat of having opportunistic bacteria colonizing the GIT The Evonik team in Africa will be available to discuss more on this and other nutrition topics as well as offer you technical support in feed formulation, ingredient and finished products analysis, and the supply of Amino acids, GuanAMINO® and Gut health solutions such as Ecobiol® and Prophorce SR 130.

Feel free to contact the author, Dr Alain Useni on +27660813307 or email on alain.useni @evonik.com for clarification on this topic and any other nutrition related topics.

22 | September - October 2020

Ecobiol® Stabilizing the gut flora – with probiotics Stress, varying feed quality, opportunistic bacteria: maintaining intestinal balance in livestock isn’t always easy, especially when undigested nutrients in the gut result in overgrowth of pathogens. Ecobiol® takes out the guesswork by con sistently supporting a healthy gut microbiome for enhanced well-being and animal performance – top priorities in poultry production. animal-nutrition@evonik.com www.evonik.com/animal-nutrition

Evonik Africa (Pty) Ltd. Animal Nutrition Dr. Alain Useni IBG Business Park 11 Enterprise Avenue Midridge Ext 10 Midrand 1685, South Africa Phone: +27 11 697 0760 E-mail: alain.useni@evonik.com

FEATURE

Broiler-feed withdrawal

F

eed withdrawal is the first stage in the process once the chickens have reached the required live weight for sending to the processing plant. This operation seeks to ensure that the chickens arrive at the plant with their digestive system as clean as possible, so that the process can develop normally.

It is recommended that eight to twelve hours should span between the moment it is decided to send a chicken to the slaughter plant and the actual slaughter. Under normal circumstances, the transit of food through the digestive system takes about eight hours. An adequate feed withdrawal ensures that between 80% and 85% of the intestinal contents have been evacuated during the first six hours prior to processing.

Over the years, there have been many papers published about how feed withdrawal before processing affects broiler yield. Specific findings vary somewhat, but the authors generally agree that the longer a broiler is without feed and water, the greater the yield loss. Off-target withholding not only affects yield, it increases the likelihood of contamination in the processing plant, which may affect compliance with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s microbiological performance standard.

Research shows an average live shrink — catch weight minus dock weight — of 3.8% at 8 hours.3 Other experts reveal the range to be between 0.18% and 0.43% per hour of feed

24 | September - October 2020

withholding. Mathematically, live-shrink loss means diminished feed conversion. It’s common broiler-industry practice to withhold feed and water to empty the intestinal tract before birds go to processing. That large body of scientific research I mentioned earlier has shown a direct link between time without feed and the incidence of fecal contamination at the plant, which can increase the load of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella.

Throughout the industry, there are many arbitrary ways used to calculate the feed-withdrawal period. The only correct way, however, is the one that measures the elapsed time from final consumption to slaughter.

The time it takes to catch a house and transport birds from the farm to the processing plant — plus the time in the holding shed once they arrive — need to be factored in. But those activities do not affect the optimal time between the flock’s last meal and the stunning period.

A prerequisite for optimal feed withdrawal is steady feed consumption. Broilers in a comfortable environment with full lighting, or near full lighting, consume feed and water at a steady rate throughout the day and night. They will eat about every 4 hours and drink several times during that 4-hour cycle. Feed outages, light interruptions and cold or hot house temperatures result in binge eating and engorgement, which makes feed-withdrawal optimization almost

impossible. Any disturbance in steady-state consumption will affect intestinal-tract emptying and, consequently, sanitary dressing at the processing plant.

A broiler with steady-state feed consumption and full access to water will have an empty crop about 4 hours after feed withdrawal. Birds caught 4 hours after feed removal and processed 3 to 4 hours later will have tight, contracted gizzards containing a small amount of dry feed that’s sometimes mixed with litter.

With steady-state feed consumption, feed leaving the gizzard and entering the duodenum exits the intestine in about 2 hours. If normal intestinal contractions occur, the lower intestine and cloaca will be empty 2 hours after feed has stopped leaving the gizzard. The purpose of feed withdrawal is to allow the contents of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to be emptied prior to processing. This reduces the risk of faecal contamination at the processing plant, resulting in better profitability, product safety and shelflife. It also reduces the labor costs associated with re-processing carcasses to remove or clean contamination.

Feed withdrawal plans should be monitored and reviewed constantly and must be modified promptly if problems occur, but as a general rule of thumb, feed should be removed from the flock eight to 12 hours before the expected processing time.

FEATURE

Saving labor and improving quality in all steps of the process From manual to automated poultry processing A lack of suitable labor, the need to increase hourly throughputs or both are the main reasons driving poultry processors to opt for increased automation. Whatever the reason and whatever the throughput, Marel stands ready to help with advice based on many decades of processing poultry across the world. The company can supply suitable hardware and software solutions for all capacities backed up by first-class customer service.

First steps When low volume processors move to an inline process based on shackling birds to an overhead conveyor system, the first two process steps to be automated are always scalding and plucking. Both are critical for attractive product presentation.

Scalding is a function of time and temperature.

The higher the temperature, the shorter the time and vice versa. Scald time and temperature will depend largely on whether products are to be sold fresh or deep-frozen, air or water chilled.

Other considerations are skin quality and product color. Marel offers five scalding profiles from the longest scald at the lowest temperature to a short scald at the highest temperature. These together with hourly capacity will determine the size of scalder needed. Marel systems are modular and easy to extend when capacities increase and/or products change.

Marel offers a range of attack and finishing pluckers for all capacities from under 1,000 bph to 15,000 bph. When capacities increase or if

a processor decides to move from deep-frozen to fresh products, adding the correct attack or finishing plucker is a very straightforward step.

Evisceration Low volume processors invariably eviscerate manually using specialist hand tools. As the business grows, automation will become

increasingly attractive, not least because with higher line speeds some steps become ever more problematic. This is particularly true of the process of drawing the viscera out of the carcass.

Marel developed its Nuova CoreTech eviscerator with processors making the switch from manual to automatic evisceration particularly in mind.

CoreTech offers all the features and benefits of Marel’s well-known, globally established Nuova eviscerator. Where CoreTech differs from Nuova is that it does not transfer the drawn viscera pack to a separate pack shackle but deposits it over the back of the carcass. Vets can then inspect the pack and operatives harvest edible giblets manually. CoreTech ensures a cleanly eviscerated carcass and an undamaged viscera pack. Hygiene, quality, yield and consistency all benefit.

CoreTech can handle from 2,000 bph up to 6,000 broilers per hour. At lower throughputs, Marel can supply its CoreTech eviscerators with only half the number of evisceration units. In this case, evisceration line shackles will be at 12� and not

September - October 2020 | 25

FEATURE drum to remove excess water can complete the installation.

Screw chiller

6” pitch. When hourly capacities increase, the “missing” units can be retrofitted and additional shackles bought to convert the line from 12” pitch to standard 6”.

As CoreTech users approach 6,000 bph, they have the option of upgrading their CoreTech machine to transfer the drawn viscera pack to a separate pack shackle. Processors can then continue to harvest giblets manually or, alternatively, can start thinking about harvesting hearts and livers automatically. Even if giblet harvesting remains manual, harvesting from a pack shackle is ergonomically more comfortable and easier for supervisors to monitor. Giblet yields will usually be higher and quality could benefit too.

Quite simply, CoreTech is an eviscerator, which can grow in line with its user’s needs without the need to invest in a completely new machine.

Other evisceration line operations can be automated too. A combined venting an opening machine can replace vent guns and scissors, a final inspection machine lung guns. The neck process can be automated too with necks being removed automatically and neck flaps cleaned of

scalding plucking

26 | September - October 2020

residual pieces of crop, esophagus and windpipe.

At the end of the evisceration line, a carrousel machine can wash all carcasses thoroughly both inside and out. Automation does not need to happen all at once but can be a gradual stepby-step process.

Chilling Immediately after evisceration, products must be chilled to prevent the growth of spoilage bacteria.

How this is done will depend on whether products are to be sold fresh or deep-frozen.

If products are sold deep-frozen, water will be the chilling medium. The move to an in-line process will usually involve the installation of a counter-flow screw chiller. This well-established technology has three main advantages. The chiller’s transport screw ensures a consistent pass time. Carcasses and ice water or water chilled by flake ice move in different directions, so that carcasses move into ever cleaner and colder water. Last but not least, air is introduced into the chill water both to help the chilling process and to provide whatever level of water pick-up is allowed by local regulations. Marel counterflow screw chillers are modular. Their extension to handle increased capacities is easy. A drip

If products are sold fresh, often in outlets owned by the processor, air can be an alternative chilling medium. Processors usually start by air-chilling carcasses on racks in a cold room. This way of working can continue after the move to inline processing has taken place. The time will, however, come when a separate chill line based on an overhead conveyor becomes attractive.

This saves labor and guarantees a consistent pass time, ensuring top product quality and yield.

It can also be extended at any time, opening the door to a completely in-line primary process, as carcasses can be transferred automatically into and out of the air chiller. Marel has many decades of experience in air chilling and is able to supply a complete air-chilling package.

The secondary process Once chilled, products for sale whole must be graded, sized and packed. At the lowest volumes, all operations will be manual. Operatives will work at stations equipped with scales and bagging aids.

As volumes increase, the Marel Compact Grader, which automatically weighs and sizes whole carcasses, becomes an interesting proposition.

The final stage will be the installation of a dedicated selection and distribution line equipped with in-line weighing and quality grading stations, to which carcasses are transferred manually from a water chilling system and either manually or automatically from an in-line air chiller.

Some carcasses will be cut into portions, some of which will be de-boned typically into breast fillets. As markets mature, chicken portions and de-boned chicken meat become increasingly interesting. Initially, cutting and de-boning will be manual. Growing volumes will, however, prompt interest in systems such as Marel StreamLine, which help manual operatives become much more efficient and which allow plant management to supervise their work.

Automation of cutting and de-boning will, however, surely come, driven by increased volumes, labor issues or a combination of both factors.

The Marel ACM-NT Compact cut-up system is an excellent solution for doing all kinds of cut. The system offers all the advantages of the globally highly respected ACM-NT system in a compact footprint. It is modular and offers a wide range of wing, breast and leg cutting modules, which will satisfy the needs of most markets. These can be moved manually in and out of line to allow for various cutting regimes. The yield and quality of portions cut on ACM-NT Compact compare with the very best manual butchery operations. When business expands and if space permits, ACM-NT Compact can be easily converted into a standard ACM-NT system and most components reused.

AUTOMATED BROILER PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

MOVING UP TO MATCH THE MARKET For poultry processors who are looking for ways to add value to their operations, Marel can assist in finding the exactly right, customized solutions which meet the market needs.

• • • • •

Contact us to find out more: +31 485 586 111 info.poultry@marel.com marel.com/poultry

For all process steps in new plants or expansion projects For capacities of 500 bph and up Semi- to fully automated processing systems Personnel training for optimized performance Service and spare part support

September - October 2020 | 27

FEATURE When it comes to deboning, Marel can supply automatic in-line equipment for deboning breasts, front halves, thighs and drumsticks.

point. Innova can also provide full product-byproduct tracking and tracing. Supermarkets and quick service restaurants are increasingly insisting on this.

By adjusting itself automatically to each breast cap, the Marel AMF-i intelligent breast cap deboning system de-bones a wide range of breast cap weights into a wide variety of different breast fillet products. The system is modular, allowing processors to begin by automating some filleting operations while leaving others manual. Their automation can happen later with the straightforward addition of the necessary modules.

Where markets permit, the unique FHF-XB front half deboning system will also harvest shoulder meat together with the breast fillet, resulting in truly unbeatable meat yields.

Marel can also supply automatic end of line systems such as weigh price labelers, checkweighers and pack handling equipment.

Software The move from manual to automatic processing need not be about hardware alone. Marel also supplies software products specially developed for the poultry processor. There are several Innova modules, which will be of interest to growing businesses. Innova PDS is the ideal

Every step of the way Every processor is different, making the transition from manual to automatic processing at different times and for different reasons. Usually the cost and availability of suitable labor will determine when this happens. More subtle considerations such as more consistent yield and quality will also play their role. As line speeds accelerate, certain manual operations become more difficult to perform well.

Nelna grader whole birds

tool for ensuring that each carcass is sent to the destination, where it can earn the most money.

This could be for packing as a whole product or for cutting into portions and de-boning. Innova can also digitalize warehouse management, replacing the need for old-fashioned pen and paper. As and when capacities increase, processors can buy further Innova modules.

In its most complete form, Innova can oversee production plant-wide from live bird hang-on to cold store. This allows plant management to monitor and control production from a central

No matter where in the world a processor is pondering the change from a manual to an automatic process, Marel is ready to offer a tailor-made solution to suit the processor’s own individual situation and market. The Company offers a complete range of equipment, systems and software covering all aspects of the process from live bird hang-on through to the final distribution warehouse. Whether you are processing fewer than 1,000 broilers per hour or 15,000 bph, Marel can be your partner, who will grow with you. Marel will help ensure you supply your wholesale, retail and foodservice customers with a wide range of consistently top quality products processed safely and sustainably.

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FEATURE

100% Moringa Juice looks to create more jobs blossoming and reaching their full potential. The product itself is renowned for its health benefits, however, it took Ndlovu some time to understand that launching a successful product doesn’t rest solely on the inherent qualities of the product but also on the dynamics that the market functions on.

By: Levi Letsoko

P

owerful African plant moringa has been around for centuries. Popular for its medicinal purposes, moringa is mostly revered for its potent antioxidants which qualify it as the most trusted remedy when treating ailments such as hair and skin disorders, balancing mood swings and helping combat bacterial infections.

Rooibanch co-founder Sibusiso Ndlovu shares the secrets to making his moringa juice, which is known as 100% Moringa, part of the modern healthy lifestyle by making it an essential component of the daily diet plan while creating jobs in the process.

“It is very hard to have access to information and also secure opportunities that enable us to supply the formal market and get contracts which can assist the business to grow,” enthuses Ndlovu. 100% Moringa is available is some of the major retailers including Spar, which is one of Rooibanch’s biggest distributors.

Escaping unemployment The sight of a moringa plant signifies two things.

To an untrained eye, it is just a plant that produces the moringa fruit. To an entrepreneur, the tree represents a path out of unemployment.

“Our business is now getting guidance on business management from the workshops received as part of the SAB Tholoana programme, which I believe have helped the business to adapt and grow.”

Rooibanch is a Mpumalanga based start-up that is run by five family members, including Sibusiso Ndlovu, which grows moringa and uses the plant to manufacture their own moringa juice.

Business during COVID 19 The outbreak of COVID 19 in March shook the business down to its roots. According to Ndlovu, he has had to re-evaluate a few things in the business and make the adjustments accordingly in order to absorb the impact of the downtime. It is very difficult for small businesses to absorb a slow-down in business, specifically one that is imposed by a pandemic with no definite time frame to the effected restrictions.

“We started selling our drinks in the local townships with my younger brother. We would go to town with 2 buckets, selling only 500ml bottles to a very diverse range of customers, some of whom appreciated our product, while others were not so receptive,” says Ndlovu.

“We managed to generate R700 from our sales on the first day, that was when we realised that we should treasure this product and turn it into an official business.”

Due to the lack of sustainable economic opportunities in the area, Ndlovu decided to use his family farm to grow moringa and this became central to the formation of Rooibanch.

Access to market Since launching in 2017, Rooibanch has been able to organise resources necessary for the

plantation of moringa, as well as the machinery needed to produce the juice.

However, the industry is not without its challenges. Ndlovu has led the small business from one hurdle to the next to create a sustainable and viable opportunity that has grown into a job creator for his community over the years.

Ndlovu has experienced the hardships imposed by the red tape that prevents new businesses in the farming and agricultural sector from

“We had to close our business for the first two weeks as it was impossible for us to carry on operating. That decision resulted in a major loss of income for the business, meaning that we also had to shed 18 jobs due to the cancellation of the night shift.”

“As a business, we had to restructure our operations. We were fortunate enough as were allowed to operate during the lock-down as essential service providers and that gave us a chance to remain visible in the market,” he concludes.

September - October 2020 | 29

FEATURE

Enjoy a revitalizing weekend away with the whole family at Knorhoek

W

ide-open spaces are a great place to decompress after months of lockdown, and Knorhoek ticks all the boxes for the perfect country escape.

Situated in the Knorhoek Valley just outside Stellenbosch next to Quoin Rock Wine Estate, easy accessibility makes this working farm the perfect choice for family outings. The allure of delicious farm-to-table dishes, and top Simonsberg wines are just part of the story.

Parents can enjoy lunch around the pool, or a picnic under a canopy of trees, while their children are free to explore rock pools, or expend their energy on a bouncy jumping castle. Nature abounds, so there’s plenty to keep the little one’s entertained throughout the day in this beautiful Cape adventure land.

Known as a safe zone for kids, children’s parties have become something of a hit at Knorhoek. The estate caters for family get-togethers for 50 to 80 guests, as well as for special birthday celebrations for children. These can either be enjoyed at the pool area, on the veranda, or out in the garden.

Options include day events, and day-to-evening occasions, with catering options available on request.

Fun-filled birthday parties need tantalizing treats, and the little ones can enjoy items from a children’s menu. These include homemade cheeseburger, Margherita pizza, chicken strips and chips, mac and cheese, ice cream and chocolate sprinkles, and of course a choice of milkshakes, which includes the all-time bubble gum favourite.

30 | September - October 2020

Adults are spoilt for choice with a lunch menu served from 10am to 4pm. Starters range from smoked salmon salad with peppadews, dill mayo and garlic crumbs; to sesame crusted chicken salad with avocado, cos lettuce and vinaigrette.

Mains include mouth-watering aged beef sirloin served with chips, caramelised onions and rainbow carrots; as well as pork ribs served with crispy chips. While Knorhoek burgers also remain a menu highlight, the estate’s superb Country 3- Course Feast definitely makes a visit here worthwhile.

Day outings offer a great blast of fresh country air, but weekend getaways allow the whole family more of a chance to take advantage of this 200-hectare Winelands property. Both bed and breakfast and self-catering units are available. Breakfast is served daily, and lunch can be enjoyed at the restaurant.

Guests can also delight in birdwatching, cycling, hiking, or running, or take advantage of a leisurely ramble across the estate - all enjoyed in a safe, beautiful space. A choice of three trail routes offer potential sightings of the local wildlife, such as, owls, eagles, porcupines, or even a leopard.

Knorhoek Wine Estate: Knorhoek Road, Knorhoek Valley, Stellenbosch Reservations: +27 21 865 2114, info@knorhoek.co.za For more information: https://knorhoek.co.za/ Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/ knorhoek/, https://www.facebook.com/ knorhoekwinefarm/

FEATURE

JOKSIN = A PRODUCT FOR EVERY NEED!

I

n only 50 years’ time, JOSKIN has managed to become one of the biggest names in the agricultural world. Today, its machines crisscross the countryside all over Europe and in many regions of the world. Every year, machines are delivered to more than 60 countries.

This impressive success is closely related to the company’s DNA: an independent family structure with an entrepreneurial force and outstanding anticipative qualities. Driven by the willingness to internally master all strategic phases of the production and service chain in order to optimise them, the company has rapidly evolved as an international group. It has now 5 production factories that are perfectly adapted and strategically spread over the European continent. Moreover, it currently employs more than 850 people.

Aiming at an efficient, durable and affordable agriculture for as many people as possible, JOSKIN rapidly tried to produce quality implements that were perfectly adapted to the challenges of our time, while providing a real added value. From this wish, the company now offers one of the biggest ranges in the agricultural

•

transport industry in the world. This range is built around 3 main axes: • Spreading Range: While many people considered organic residues as common waste, JOSKIN has always seen them as a rich and abundant natural resource with a high fertilising potential. From this interest arose a complete range of spreading implements (tankers, muck spreaders, injectors, etc.), which provide the users with an exemplary reliability and a real return on investment.

• Transport Range: Often considered as an obstacle to productivity, transport has on the contrary always inspired the brand. The

JOSKIN vehicles not only allow to combine business with pleasure thanks to a wellthought comfort and ergonomics, but they also ensure a maximal profitability given the high loading capacities and the fully secured loads. Whatever your farm size, the JOSKIN transport vehicles are a first-choice logistics solution.

Livestock and Grass Care Range: Anchored in a grass area, JOSKIN has always been closed to customers looking for quality implements allowing them to efficiently take care of their pastures.

Convinced that growing grass is a full-time job necessary to get a good quality final product, the company has rapidly made it one of its specialties. It now benefits from the industrialization of its production force to keep innovating and offer implements that are even easier to use and more efficient.

Offering a total of more than 66 models including 360 variants that can be customized with more than 1,200 options, the JOSKIN range is undeniably one of the few ranges in the world that can meet every need! For more information about these products, go to www.joskin.com

SIROKO :

GALVANISED NARROW BODY • A QUALITY SPREADING • PAYLOAD FROM 8 TO 13 T • CAPACITY FROM 8 TO 14 M3

1

2

3 • Body and drawbar fully galvanized • Movable bolted axle • Very high wheels • Nice wide front wall with grate for good visibility • Drawbar with cross-leaves suspension

• Wide vertical beaters (820 or 900 mm) • Removable teeth in special steel • Retractable blades at the bottom

• Recessed and retractable rear lights, protected by plexiglas when retracted

• Waterproof control box : (1) FC300, (2) FC500, (3) FC4000 • Moving floor operation (start / stop and reversion of the moving floor) • Operation of other functions (guillotine door, limitation boards, canopy)

SIROKO MUCK SPREADER • Sturdy machine, safe and easy to use offering the highest level of working comfort in all circumstances • Personalized and complete parts book downloadable using the chassis number • 3 year warranty • Long term value

37B

joskin.com

September - October 2020 | 31

FEATURE

BMG launches a New User-Friendly B2B Online Shopping Platform

H

ot-off-the-press news from BMG is the launch this month (September 2020) of the company’s new online shopping platform BMG Online - which makes doing business in the industrial sector, even easier.

“Although the planning, development and execution for our E-Commerce shopping portal go back over two years, the Covid-19 lockdown has had a material impact on BMG Online’s design and format. Benchmarked on international best practice, the new system is efficient, userfriendly and customer-centric. BMG Online is an easy-to-navigate platform, that enables 24hour browsing and ordering from a selection of over 50 000 BMG products,” explains Darryn Wright, Group Marketing Executive, Engineering Solutions Group (ESG) part of Invicta Holdings Limited.

“What’s even more important about BMG Online, is although this platform offers new opportunities for doing business, digital shopping is merely another channel and will not detract from the

32 | September - October 2020

technical support and personal care that the BMG teams are well known for.

“This new online facility, which enhances the traditional way that we’ve done business for nearly 50 years, sees BMG leading the way, in a highly competitive sector. This platform will add value to our service offering and make shopping for engineering components even more convenient.

BMG Online offers many benefits, including easy product browsing, selection and ordering; click and collect from the nearest branch; swift delivery for existing customers and a fair returns policy.

“The BMG team is on hand to assist customers in all sectors, including agriculture, mining, food and beverage plants, water and wastewater treatment facilities, oil, gas and petrochemical plants, as well as construction, engineering and general industry.”

Through BMG Online, customers now have easy access to a comprehensive range of bearings, power transmission components and seals. Electric motors and electronic motion components are also now available online. BMG will soon be adding many more products to this electronic platform, including fasteners, tools and equipment later in 2020.

To find out more about BMG Online, please email customercare@bmgworld. net or go onto www.bmgworld.net.

FEATURE

Compac overcomes challenges of pandemic to deliver full satisfaction and a successful cherry season to customers in Turkey and Uzbekistan Compac, part of the TOMRA Food family, and its partners ICOEL and Sardas were confronted with unique challenges, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit just as they were preparing to ship and install three turnkey cherry grading and packing lines in Turkey and a fourth one in Uzbekistan. They overcame the unprecedented situation with countries under lockdown, travel restrictions and disruptions to goods transport logistics to complete the four projects right on schedule. This achievement required all the ingenuity of the teams involved in the installation, who were able to leverage Compac’s global supply chain and extreme operational flexibility. The four lines, equipped with Compac’s InVision2 electronic grading platform, were up and running for the beginning of the cherry season and they performed to the respective customers’ satisfaction. With their new Compac grading and packing lines, Perla Fruit, Karaali, Unifrutti in Turkey and Uz-Segang in Uzbekistan closed the season with resounding success, receiving positive feedback from their customers.

I

n a cherry season that was like no other before, Compac, its distributor ICOEL and Turkish agent Sardas demonstrated how even the most difficult hurdles can be overcome with good teamwork and out-of-the-box thinking. The major projects they completed in Turkey and Uzbekistan, installing four turnkey grading and packing lines totaling 42 InVision2 lanes during the pandemic, are excellent examples of their resourcefulness and determination to help their customers succeed.

34 | September - October 2020

Careful planning and a global footprint for on-time completion “The COVID-19 pandemic provided an unexpected level of challenge, with significant restrictions on the movement of people and materials,” comments Roberto Ricci, Compac Regional Director EMENA. “In spite of the situation, we delivered in full and on time! How did we do it? First, through careful planning of the logistics with our partner ICOEL, and we leveraged our global supply chain and logistics capabilities.”

technologies, controlled lighting and cherry rotation. With its partners ICOEL and Sardas, it installed a 16-lane system at Perla Fruit, 10 lanes at Karaali and at Unifrutti, and 6 lanes at Uz-Segang.

All the Compac InVision2 equipment for the four projects was produced at Compac’s facility in New Zealand and at TOMRA Food’s manufacturing center in Slovakia. The company’s global manufacturing footprint, which also includes a plant in China, gives it the scale and flexibility to deliver projects around the world efficiently – even in the complex situation created by the pandemic. All the equipment for the four projects was delivered to each site in time to begin installation and be ready for the beginning of the cherry season.

High quality grading for demanding markets Perla Fruit, Karaali and Unifrutti in Turkey, and UzSegang in Uzbekistan are all big exporters that serve some of the most demanding markets when it comes to the quality of cherries, such as China.

Turkey, the largest cherry producer with just over 25% share of the global market, has made the strategic choice to develop its export market and focus on sweet cherry varieties, which are more in demand. Between 2005 and 2016 alone, its production of sweet cherries increased from 6 million to 21.5 million. Perla Fruit was founded in 2019 by a family of pioneers who put the Turkish cherry industry on the map, closed successfully its first season exporting more than 4,000 tonnes to markets in Europe, the Far East and the Middle East. Karaali, a family business established in 1992, has an annual export capacity of around 3,000 tonnes, the majority of which goes to the Russian market.

Unifrutti, a well-known Italian global fruit exporter, established its base in Turkey in 1991 and started operation of its new sorting and packing plant this cherry season processing 3,000 tonnes for the European market. Uzbekistan is a fastdeveloping market, which has already risen to be the 5th largest cherry producer in the world.

The government is investing heavily and devoting

Remote installation with round-theclock virtual support The travel restrictions and countries in lockdown due to Covid-19 presented a challenge not only for shipping the equipment, but also for the Compac team to reach the four locations. Roberto Ricci explains: “We leveraged our remote service capabilities with resources located to cover all continents and time zones. These remote resources allowed us to provide support literally around the clock, 24/7, to the three separate technical teams that were on the ground working to install and commission the four lines.”

significant efforts to developing its exports of fruit and vegetables.

It has recently signed a protocol with China for the supply of cherries to the market and has undertaken negotiations with South Korea to facilitate exports. Its proximity to China, the world’s biggest cherry import market, is attracting the interest of Turkish cherry export companies who see it as a platform to reach a significant pool of new customers. Uz-Segang grows fruits, vegetables and legumes in the very fertile soil of the Fergana valley. It exports mainly to the Chinese market, benefiting from being located just a 3.5-day truck drive away – and South Korea. The four companies chose Compac for their grading and packing plants because of the high-quality product they would be able to guarantee their customers with its technology.

Compac carefully analyzed their respective requirements and developed tailored solutions for each, all of them featuring its InVision2 platform.

“Yes, it was 24/7, because of the time zones” adds Mustafa Sakarya, Senior Director of Sardas, Compac agent in Turkey, who conducted all four installations. Compac managed the four projects from its base in New Zealand, supported by its Assistance teams based in the USA, and its importer ICOEL headquartered in Italy.

“It was a difficult year, but we had so many gains.

We understood that we can manage the lack of persons on site with a good remote support. We proved that we can complete installations entirely remotely.”

Success also required a close partnership with the customers, who provided fast broadband connectivity in the packhouses. “We also asked them to set up cameras throughout the packhouse so we could follow them round the clock and see the progress on the mechanical and electronic installation,” says Mustafa Sakarya. “We also used a bit of creativity to overcome the logistic limitations of commercial flights into Uzbekistan,”

The InVision2 platform achieves extremely accurate and consistent grading for size, shape, color and blemishes through a combination of powerful imaging using color and infrared

O E N ERI TT BA S Irrigation with sprinklers or flood (Draglines & Permasets) High volume water (Up to 11 hours per day) Irrigation with pivots & “Kanonspuite” Stock & Domestic Water

79 Kempston Road, Sidwell, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

September - October 2020 | 35

FEATURE adds Roberto Ricci. “With the help of Uzbek Ambassador in Rome, Uz-Segang obtained permission to bring ICOEL technicians into the country and chartered a private flight for them – definitely the most exclusive mode of transport that the technical team has ever experienced! The customer organized accommodation and made eating arrangements at the packhouse for the six ICOEL staff, who never left the site in the almost 4 weeks of the project to respect the lockdown and distancing rules.”

The determination of the customer to run this year’s cherry season on the new line was matched by that of Compac and its partners, who pulled out all the stops to deliver the result he wanted.

Their efforts were rewarded when the facility was honored with the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on June 5th.

A successful cherry season for all All 4 lines were commissioned on time and were ready to start in mid-May, when the season usually begins. This year, however, the season was a little late and the cherries started to arrive from the field at Perla Fruit and Uz-Segang on the week of May 25th, and at Karaali and Unifrutti a week later.

“The cherry season started, and the customers needed to run their machines, we were working

36 | September - October 2020

with award-winning grading platforms like Spectrim, the company’s mission is to enable its customers to improve returns, gain operational efficiencies, and ensure a safe food supply via smart, usable technologies. To achieve this, Compac operates centers of excellence, regional offices and manufacturing locations within the United States, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. day and night to complete the installation, but everyone had their lines running on time,” says Mustafa Sakarya. All four companies closed the season with success and report superior results compared to other systems with respect to the quality of the pack, and the efficiency of the sort process.

“They have received great feedback about the superior quality of their pack compared to other suppliers, coming both from their distributors and retailers as well as the quality inspectors who inspect the fruit at the packhouse before it enters the distribution chain,” concludes Roberto Ricci.

About Compac Compac provides integrated post-harvest solutions and services to the global fresh produce industry using the world’s most advanced grading technology. Combining industry-leading solutions

For further information about Compac, please see www.compacsort.com.

Compac is a member of the TOMRA Group that was founded on an innovation in 1972 that began with the design, manufacture and sale of reverse vending machines (RVMs) for automated collection of used beverage containers. Today TOMRA provides technology-led solutions that enable the circular economy with advanced collection and sorting systems that optimize resource recovery and minimize waste in the food, recycling and mining industries.

TOMRA has more than ~100,000 installations in over 80 markets worldwide and had total revenues of ~ 9.3 billion NOK in 2019. The Group employs ~4,500 globally and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: TOM).

For further information about TOMRA, please see www.tomra.com

FEATURE

Education is key to improving the African agribusiness

T

By: Levi Letsoko he South African agribusiness pool is filled with ample opportunities. Despite the various challenges facing the regional sectors, there seems to be a silver-lining for farmers who are directly investing in their own personal development as business leaders.

Eastern Cape farmer and co-founder of CI Project Agricultural Co-operative (CIPACO) Andisiwe Mpumlwana is one such business leader, and he is very optimistic about what lies ahead. What started out as a holiday chore to help his parents on the family farm blossomed into an enterprising and promising career for Mpumlwana and his siblings.

He started off like most young men in the village, by herding his father’s cattle and assisting with the mandatory tasks such as cultivating the soil and preparing it for the plantation of various crops like maize, cabbage and potatoes. While in high school, Mpumlwana studied life sciences and agriculture and that is where his passion for agribusiness was sparked.

“I started my BSc in Agriculture and Animal Sciences at the University of Fort Hare in 2013

38 | September - October 2020

which I completed four years later. That is where I learnt about the vast field of agribusiness and my interests were captured from that moment onwards,” he says.

It was this path that led him to have a higher view of agriculture as a business and compelled him to learn about the commercial side of this farming. Wanting to know more, he signed up for entrepreneurial workshops with various development agencies including the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

Cultivating entrepreneurship through education “While I was at Fort Hare I had a light bulb moment. I decided to formalise the family business (which was already operating for many years) by registering it and recognising my immediate family as the founding members.”

“My studies awakened me to the possibilities of working for myself as well as the rewards that would soon follow once I gave the business an identity,” he adds.

What soon became evident to Mpumlwana were the varied avenues that he could explore through agriculture (and he eventually did).

In combination with his pursuit of an MSc, he compounded the lessons from the workshops he attended through the development agencies (which included basic business skills, entrepreneurial skills and corporate governance) to build what is now known as CIPACO. “In order to build on my existing knowledge, I joined the SAB Tholoana Program, which aims to identify aspiring entrepreneurs and nurture their potential through their varied programs.”

A seat at the table Mpumlwana believes that more can be done to help emerging farmers in the Eastern Cape.

“The Department of Agriculture has a structure that is aimed at bridging the gap between emerging farmers and government resources.

However, that structure’s efficiency is limited by issues that can be easily rectified through constant engagement by both parties,” he states.

“The Department is meant to stage interventions and create information exchange cycles that

could bolster the growth of the agricultural sector in the Eastern Cape but that is not happening.”

Mpumlwana points out that there is a functionality problem that needs to be addressed urgently for the sector in the region to prosper. One of the roles that was meant to be played by the structure is the facilitation of training resources for emerging farmers when dealing with the pandemic the country is currently facing.

Through his innovative endeavours, Mpumlwana is currently devising a blueprint for dealing with the drought that has plagued the region for over three years. This involves building green houses that require less water to deliver larger outputs of fresh produce.

He is currently directing his resources towards moving this idea from the vision board into a practical and implementable solution.

“I believe that through improving the compliance of the business, I stand a chance of eliminating barriers that could have previously hampered the company’s growth,” he concludes.

September - October 2020 | 39

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AGCO...................................................................................................IFC

Marel......................................................................................................27

All-Power.................................................................................................35

Meyn.......................................................................................................19

Bearing International.............................................................................15

NTN....................................................................................................OBC

Chapparo...............................................................................................40

Pure Hydroponics.................................................................................09

Eima International...............................................................................IBC

Shalom...................................................................................................06

Evonik.....................................................................................................23

Siman.....................................................................................................36

Fertilux...................................................................................................07

Tormac pumps.......................................................................................38

Irriland.....................................................................................................11

Ural Kali..................................................................................................39

Joskin......................................................................................................31

Utv Lighting............................................................................................28

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EIMA INTERNATIONAL changes and doubles The Digital Preview

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The Event 44 th EIMA BolognaFiere February 3/7, 2021

EIMA Digital Preview November 11/15, 2020

The international trade fair calendar, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, has been completely revised and many events have been cancelled and postponed. EIMA International has also redefined its program, moving the 44th edition from November 2020 to February 2021. However, in the days in November initially established for EIMA, EIMA Preview comes to life, a great online event that anticipates the traditional exhibition and is the first example in the world of a review of agricultural mechanics entirely accessible on a digital platform.

As of 2022 EIMA will return to the traditional November appointment

A GREAT EIMA, AS USUAL Organized by

INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND GARDENING MACHINERY EXHIBITION In collaboration with

Salons

www.eima.it Contacts

00159 Roma - Via Venafro, 5 Tel. (+39) 06.432.981 - Fax (+39) 06.4076.370 eima@federunacoma.it

DOC.I_AGRICULTURE PAA_AP1.GBa_210x297 - Conception et réalisation service publicité NTN-SNR - © NTN-SNR 08/2020 - Crédit photo : Shutterstock - Pedro Studio Photo

GUARANTEED RELIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF YOUR AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

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