Farmers Review Africa September /October 2021 edition

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CONTENTS

Volume 9. Issue 5. Sept/October 2021

Editor’s Note

News Uganda boosts agricultural commercialization with help of Chinese technologies

10 Image courtesy: Evans Vanodine Int’l

Executive Editor Anthony Kiganda editor@farmersreviewafrica.com Writers Silimina Derick, Bertha M. Contributing Writers Nqobile Bhebhe Zimbabwe Oscar Nkala Botswana Bertha M South Africa Anita Anyango Kenya Project Manager Victor Ndlovu sales@farmersreviewafrica.com Art Director & Layout 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, arobia@farmersreviewafrica.com eastafrica@farmersreviewafrica.com Published by : Mailing Times Media +27 11 044 8986 sales@farmersreviewafrica.com

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lthough agriculture has a potential to create employment, majority of African youth do not realize agriculture as a profitable opportunity for livelihood. There is a growing notion that the best way to entice young people back to the farms is through making youths access information and communication technologies tailored for agriculture.

Cameroon initiates a program to boost rubber production

Training

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Launch of Africa Agribusiness Qualification by AGCO Africa sees 20 participants embark on year-long programme

This should include investing in agricultural innovation hubs and incubation centres.

These centres should provide access to online and offline resources, act as the access point for innovators to build skills and use tools, be staffed with trained experts to offer technical support and motivate innovators, and offer connections for innovators to idea-share.

NEW PRODUCT

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Vriendschap Boerdery standardises on Massey Ferguson tractors from FMS for its sugarcane operations

Feature Farmers petition parliament to review EU policy, before adopting it unseen

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Small-scale chicken farmers growing despite challenges Increased participation of women in land reform structures crucial to meeting socio-economic development imperatives

Youth should take integral role in agriculture

Financial institutions should also be encouraged to provide seed capital to the youth who want to engage in Agriculture.

And the young people also should be challenged to take the lead in driving agricultural transformation through technology.

And this is how agriculture in Africa can move to the next level. We can’t continue doing the same things and expecting different results!

Anthony Kiganda

editor@farmersreviewafrica.com

Advertiser’s index Agritech.................................................................03

Irrfrance Pivot.......................................................45

Bata Industries...................................................IFC

Irrigation Show 2021............................................33

Big Dutchman.......................................................41 DSM ......................................................................42 Eima 2021..............................................................17 Evans Vanodine /Bitek SA...................................37

Mandals................................................................39 Mecmar.............................................................OBC NTN.....................................................................IBC

Growtech..............................................................23

Polmac..................................................................31

Insta-pro................................................................47

Siman ....................................................................14

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NEWS

Netherlands launches a call for projects for rainfed agriculture in Sudan

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he Netherlands has launched a call for a rain-fed agriculture project for the Darfur region and South Kordofan State in Sudan.

The Dutch government wants to support a rainfed agriculture project set to boost food security in the two regions. In Sudan, rain fed agriculture covers a total area of about 15 million hectares, or 80% of the total cultivated area in the country, according to a report (2019) by the French Treasury.

Currently, the North African country has barely 30 billion m3 of water per year, of which 20 billion m3 comes from the Nile, 5 to 7 billion m3 from seasonal rivers (wadis) and 4 billion m3 from groundwater, according to a report by the French Treasury.

Organisations interested in the Dutch call for projects must submit their proposals by September 30th, 2021. Two organisations will be selected after reviewing the applications. They will then be asked to submit fuller proposals for their rain fed agriculture projects. The organisation selected after this final review will receive 23 million euros in funding from the

Dutch government. The funds will be allocated in phases over a period of four years.

“By funding this project, the Netherlands hopes to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, which aims to eliminate hunger, ensure food security, improve

nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Within this framework, the Dutch government will also improve water collection at household level to increase availability, propose inclusive and sustainable solutions to resolve conflicts around land and increased access to land, etc,” said the Dutch embassy in the capital Khartoum.

Cotton farmers in Kenya warn of a drop in harvest

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otton farmers in Busia County, Kenya have been warned of a possible drop in the 2021 harvest over prohibitive seed prices.

Jairosi Cotton Farmers Cooperative Society chairman Aggrey Emojong announced that the high seed prices continue to push many growers

away from the crop. Out of the 2,750 registered farmers under his leadership, only 15 planted the crop in June and July. The crop is usually planted in June and July. The 15 are those who had surplus seeds from the 2020 season.However, he noted that another 150 farmers had by Friday

last week picked seeds from the cooperative society’s offices in preparation for planting in September. The seeds are for the KSM 81 low yield variety.

Emojong said going by the number of farmers planting cotton in 2021 coupled with late planting, the sector may experience a drop in this year’s harvest. Most farmers, had stayed away from planting because they cannot afford to buy highyielding hybrid seeds.

A two-kilo packet of the recommended hybrid Mahyco C567 retails at Sh2,200, a price he said is too high for many growers. The number of growers who planted the crop in 2020 was high because the seeds were distributed for free.

“If they want the farmers to continue planting cotton with the enthusiasm they had in 2020 when the hybrid seed came, they should reduce the cost of seeds to approximately Sh500 for one kilo packet. Alternatively, the seeds can be distributed on loan. Farmers should be allowed to service the loan after harvesting and selling their cotton at the end of the season,” said Emojong.

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NEWS

Uganda boosts agricultural commercialization with help of Chinese technologies

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bout 70% of Uganda’s population derives its livelihood from agriculture and as such the country has adapted the use of modern farming technologies such as using of machinery and drones are practiced, and is striving to speed up commercialization of agriculture to increase local household incomes.

The country together with China have been operating the China-Uganda South-South cooperation project over the years through a tripartite agreement with FAO. Through the project, small scale farmers in rural Uganda will benefit from the on-the-farm training to boost production. Chinese technicians and experts will continue to share skills and technology on the agronomic practices with local farmers.

Antonio Querido, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) country representative told Xinhua in a recent interview that the three parties are working on the third phase of the cooperation project. “It is an opportunity to learn from China and the Chinese people on how they went about transforming their agriculture system and how this can be shared with countries of the South,” Querido said.

At the end of the second phase of the project in 2017, about 3,000 farmers were trained in cereals, horticulture, aquaculture and livestock in Uganda, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Herbert Agaba is one of the farmers who got the opportunity to be trained on the use the technologies. On the lush green rice paddies at a Chinese-run farm in the central Ugandan district of Kalungu, he is seen preparing flying drones to spray pesticides.

The Chinese technicians introduced the growth of Chinese hybrid rice to local farmers. Official studies showed that the hybrid rice can yield up to 10 metric tons per hectare compared with the conventional rice which yields 4.5 metric tons per hectare.

Peter Muhimbo, an expert at Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture and acting project coordinator of the Uganda-China South-South Project, told Xinhua that the third phase is to develop a complete value chain with access to the market, which would be able to ensure food security and improve people’s wellbeing.

He is optimistic that during the third phase, innovative ways would be developed to help farmers sell their agricultural products to the market amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Querido said the lockdown measures affected some farmers as borders were closed

and their products could not reach the market.

“We are doing fine in terms of food security. The first lockdown created some constraints, but it did not take us to a point of total collapse of our food system. We should continue to plan ahead for any situation that can create any constraint to the food system in Uganda,” he said.

On the lush green rice paddies at a Chinese-run farm in the central Ugandan district of Kalungu, Herbert Agaba has got prepared for flying drones to spray pesticides.

Government figures show that about 70% of Uganda’s population derives its livelihood from agriculture. Uganda and China have been operating the China-Uganda South-South cooperation project over the years through a tripartite agreement with FAO.

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NEWS

Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) ventures into gardening to supplement soldiers’ feeding budget

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he Gambia Armed Forces has ventured into gardening to supplement the allocated budget given to them for the soldiers’ feeding. Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Mamat O. Cham made the announcement and said they have already made the first harvest of their pilot gardening project.

“Most of the cash money we spend daily in the markets is now spent on these items to supplement the feeding and provide nutritious food for our soldiers,” he said. 26 soldiers with civilians who voluntarily joined the forces harvested garden

eggs, okra, bitter tomato and tomato. Major General Cham said the engagement of the forces into agriculture is also to build training skills for the soldiers so that when they finish their national service, they would have skills and techniques to contribute as ordinary citizens into meaningful agriculture for the feeding of themselves and their families as well as build the agricultural chain in the country.

“This harvest is a clear testimony that if given the support, GAF in line with its constitutional mandate to venture into productive activities such

Kenyan youth to tap untapped potential in agriculture

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One of the most pressing challenges among Kenya’s educated youth is unemployment.

According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s literacy rate for those aged between 15 and 24 years has oscillated between 82% and 94%. Approximately 35.7 million Kenyans (75% of the population) are below 35 years. Some 13.7 million (29% of the population) are aged between 18 and 35 years.

This is an opportunity that the youth should exploit. They should realise that education is not necessarily meant to earn them jobs, but to furnish them with knowledge to solve societal problems, identify gaps to fill then get rewarded for it.

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He believed that in the long run, GAF will be able to supplement its feeding and if a surplus is generated, they will be able to dispose of them through middle women to enhance their livelihood. The next pilot project is to start a poultry project.

cent of Kenya as arid and semi-arid or see a mammoth opportunity for innovation in irrigation.

Youth can explore new products and services along the innumerable value-chains or choose to inherit the hoes of their forefathers or migrate to the urban areas where formal employment has stagnated at three million jobs for about two decades.

This year’s International Youth Week was themed: Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health. But the bitter truth is that food systems will scarcely transform without mindset transformation.

Partnerships between the youth and the public/ private sectors should be nurtured in a symbiotic mutually beneficial environment. Cognisant of that, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has partnered with various arms of government, development partners, SMEs and Captains of Industry to ensure that youth-driven enterprises across diverse sectors are equipped for business development.

To ameliorate the problem of unemployment, the growing population of young Kenyans should exploring the continent’s huge market of 1.2 billion people (projected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050) and a combined GDP of US $2.5 trillion.

This provides a massive opportunity for Kenya where manufacturing has remained stagnant at 11% of the GDP for over a decade. Kenya exports only US$11 of processed agricultural products per capita, compared with South Africa’s US$83 and Côte D’Ivoire’s US $77.

as agriculture, education, health and engineering will be able to take part in the socio-economic development of the country,” said General Mamat.

Deputy CDS Cham said the soldiers that took part in the pilot project will be sent back to their various units to replicate the activities learned.

The youth should look at farmlands as huge agribusiness opportunity, after all, 32 million of those aged below 35 years live in the rural areas.

Post-harvest losses stand at 20-50 per cent in numerable value-chains. They can choose to blame brokers for post-harvest losses or view the predicament as an opportunity for agroprocessing. They can choose to look at 80 per

An example is the KEPSA Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Training and Mentorship Programme that has a county outreach and is positively impacting on SMEs, majorly run by youth across to help them achieve a better future.

Youth may as well tap from the wisdom of Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president of the Africa Development Bank, who said “millionaires and billionaires will not be coming from the oil and gas sector, rather from the agriculture sector.”

NEWS

Green technology for irrigation launched in Rwanda

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green technology for irrigation has been launched in Ngoma District in Rwanda. The Rwf271 million hillside irrigation scheme to water fruits and vegetables in sectors of Zaza and Mutender uses solar energy to distribute water on 20 hectares of smallholder farmers’ lands.

Targeted to benefit around 1,200 residents, the project established solar pumping systems and constructed two water reservoirs of 500m3 each to irrigate 10 hectares in the Zaza and 10 hectares in Mutenderi, using Lake Mugesera water in Zaza and source water in Mutenderi.

Currently, farmers have planted at Zaza site crops including bell peppers, French beans, watermelon, and eggplants, while in Mutenderi site, there are bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, onions, and eggplants.

“The only role of the lake was water for home use. We used to plant two seasons a year, but now we will plant anytime. This will help us grow financially. Of course there will be a big difference,” declared Sophia Mukamukiza, 25year old farmer from Nyakariba, Ruhinga Cell, Zaza.

To secure the sustainability of the scheme, the farmers were grouped into a cooperative, with the committee making sure the farmers pay maintenance fees at the end of the season, in order to repair damaged materials.

The project was introduced to increase the capacity of farmers in terms of horticultural productivity, climate resilience, and access to markets for a better livelihood of vulnerable groups in the two sectors, implemented by Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative (RWARRI) and funded by Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA).

“The sun that previously caused drought is now changing people’s lives as it is now the source of power to irrigate the crops,” stated Uwizeye

Belange, the Executive Secretary of RWARRI. Everywhere around the district, the farmers are able to buy small-scale irrigation technologies and get a 50% subsidy from the government.

Around 400 irrigation systems were provided to the farmers in the district over the last two years, according to Vice Mayor Mapambano. Ngoma has a total of 1,643 hectares of irrigated land, and the government targets to irrigate 2,300 hectares by 2024.

Kenya seeks importation of fresh oregano, parsley to USA

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enya is seeking US market access for fresh oregano, parsley. The country has asked the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Aphis) to authorise the importation of fresh oregano and parsley to the US. On their side Aphis has drafted a pest risk assessment that describes potential pests associated with the commodities ahead of the possible approval process. The agency is making the assessment available for public comment before it finalises its draft assessment that identifies pest control measures in the import approval process.

The US Department of Agriculture said the draft pest risk assessment for oregano for

consumption from Kenya will be available for review and comment until October 13.

“Based on the market access request submitted by the government of Kenya, the pathway was considered to include fresh shoots of oregano shipped by air in cartons,” said the agecny.

In April this year, the US allowed the importation of previously banned carnations from Kenya without any restrictions, with local flower farmers saying it is a welcome boost to the horticultural market.

APHIS said at the time it would allow the importation of carnation cuttings from Kenya without post-entry quarantine requirements as long as they will pose no disease or pests threats

to the US. Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya CEO Okisegere Ojepat at the time termed the approval a landmark move for Kenya saying it would expand the basket of cut flowers exported to the US boosting jobs and income for Kenyans.

Oregano is a herb used to add flavour to dishes and to treat health conditions. Parsley is often used as a garnish, but it can also enhance flavour and benefit human health, according to health experts.

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NEWS

Nigerian tech-enables spices exporter Agricorp raise Series A funding round It is now seeking greater scale and impact, and has therefore raised a US$17.5 million Series A round. The Nigeria-based Vami led the funding round with US$11.5 million in equity, while One Capital LLC and AFEX provided working capital financing for the company.

The funding will be used to expand Agricorp’s spices processing capacity to hit 7,000MT per annum, set up regional sales operations in South Africa and East Africa, acquire certifications for food safety and hygiene, increase staff strength to meet growing demand, and improve marketing efforts.

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igerian startup Agricorp, which is utilising technology in a bid to become the largest spices exporter on the continent, has raised US$17.5 million in Series A funding to help it increase its production capacity to 7,000 metric tonnes.

Founded in 2018 by Kenneth Obiajulu and Wale Omotimirin, Agricorp has so far supported over 5,000 smallholder farmers with inputs and training on good agronomic practices, and built a 0.5MT/hour spice processing plant in Kaduna that produces value-added products for the export market.

The startup has developed proprietary technology, Farmbase, that registers, aggregates, and pays farmers for produce sold. In a market where farmers are largely undocumented and unbanked, Agricorp collates data that can help provide detailed analysis for stakeholders to make informed agricultural decisions, and also helps with traceability of all farmer activities from the need for farm input to disbursement to sales of products and, eventually, payment.

Financial institutions can also use this information to provide loans, credit facilities, and insurance to interested parties.

“We believe that by increasing our capacity to 7,000MT, we will maximise the potential to boost Nigeria’s forex earnings through export, contribute our quota to improving the Nigerian GDP from agriculture, and serve as a worthy model to African youths who aspire to be agribusiness owners. We want to show them it is possible and very rewarding as well,” said Obiajulu, Agricorp’s chief executive officer (CEO).

AgriCorp’s founders raised US$330,000 in seed capital back in 2018 to get the company started, and One Capital has previously invested an undisclosed amount in convertible notes to help it scale operations. The company has also raised several debt notes to meet its working capital requirements for buying raw materials from farmers within its network.

2021 Africa Agriculture Status Report launched

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he 2021 Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR21) has been launched at the 11th Edition of the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) summit taking place in Kenya.

steps in place to increase production without

AGRF is an annual gathering that will run for the next three days and usually brings together heads of state and government, agriculture ministers, members of the civil society, private sector leaders, scientists and farmers in discussions that define the future of Africa’s food systems.

steps that must be taken by all stakeholders

The report addresses the challenges and opportunities in the creation of sustainable and resilient Agri-food systems in Africa. The report has called for necessary actions by governments, pan African organizations, bilateral and multilateral development partners and the private sector.

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compromising the continent’s natural resources.

The report further outlines the priorities and next to achieve the transformation that will lead to According to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has registered the most rapid rate of agricultural production growth since 2000 of any regions of the world. However, three quarters of this growth is driven by the expansion of crop land, over yield increases.

With Africa’s population expected to double to nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, the report says that now is the time for stakeholders to put the

sustainable and resilient Agri-food systems.

The AGRF meeting is running under the theme, Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems, and the summit expects to explore the pathways and actions needed to steer the continent towards food systems that deliver sufficient and nutritious food, protect the environment and create sustainable jobs.

NEWS

Kenyan, Nigerian firm win US $1.5M grant for agritech innovation

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ello Tractor, a Kenyan firm and Nigerian’s ColdHubs have won a US $1.5 million grant to fund expansion plans in a bid to provide services to smallholder farmers.

The two firms were declared winners of the inaugural Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge by Heifer International picked. Hello Tractor was feted for creative solutions to Africa’s farm machinery challenges.

The company is known in Africa as the “Uber of tractors.”

ColdHubs provides solar-powered, walk-in coolers for smallholder vegetable farmers to keep their produce fresh. Hello Tractor founder and CEO Jehiel Oliver and ColdHubs founder and CEO Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu who are winners of the 2021 AYuTe Africa champions were chosen from young agritech innovators from across the continent, during the ongoing 2021 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Summit.

“Across Africa today, young, creative professionals are deploying tech innovations that are reimagining farming and food production,” said Adesuwa Ifedi, senior vice president of Africa Programs at Heifer International.

“We want to do our part to help companies like Hello Tractor and ColdHubs as they provide Africa’s smallholder farmers with much-needed products and services to develop sustainable, profitable business,” he said.

The companies will also receive support from a team of expert advisers and accomplished business veterans, to help them translate their funding into an aggressive expansion strategy.

This is part of Heifer International’s efforts to support young entrepreneurs to develop affordable tech innovations.

Hello Tractor provides technology that allows farmers to connect with local tractor owners

Kenya proposes Sh 670M budget to mitigate drought

on the Hello Tractor marketplace and book a machine for as long as they need it. ColdHubs owns and operates dozens of compact, walk-in, solar-powered coolers at rural produce markets in central Nigeria. The transportable, standalone units help farmers keep beans, pepper and tomatoes fresh for long to reduce waste.

CMGP and ADP II were advised by Derenia Capital, Smyle Finance, PwC and Allen & Overy.

CAS was advised by BMCE Capital Conseil and Norton Rose Fullbright. AfricInvest was advised

by DLA Piper.

to deteriorate the region’s food security and nutrition.

The report indicated that livestock in Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River, Wajir, Turkana, Kilifi, Kitui, and Laikipia counties have experienced poor body conditions which affects milk production and market prices.

“The food security and nutrition situation in most parts of the arid and semi-arid (ASALs) areas in the northern and eastern parts of Kenya is likely to deteriorate. SDL has submitted a drought interventions budget and is awaiting the release of funds by the National Treasury,” the ministry noted.

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enya’s Ministry of Agriculture’s has proposed a Sh 670million budget to the Treasury for mitigating drought, adverse weather conditions experienced in the country’s arid and semi-arid regions.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had recently declared drought a national disaster. Consequently, he

instructed the National Treasury and the Ministry of Interior to spearhead Government efforts to assist affected households including water and relief food distribution as well as livestock uptake.

In the latest food security monitoring report, the State Department of Livestock (SDL) noted that funds will be used to manage the implications of the forecasted depressed rainfall which is likely

“Outlook for the Oct-Nov-Dec (OND) 2021 “Short Rains” season indicates that most parts of the country are likely to experience depressed rainfall. Analysis of the rainfall performance indicates that most parts of the country especially eastern and northern Kenya experienced rainfall deficit,” the ministry added.

As part of the proposed interventions, the ministry says efforts should be directed towards Livestock disease surveillance, control, and treatment, livestock breeds improvement and increased purchase of livestock supplementary feeds.

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NEWS

Farmers in Ntungamo District, Uganda count losses over fire blaze

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total of 112 farmers in Ntungamo and Itojo sub-counties of Ntungamo District are counting losses after a fire destroyed several crops, trees and other projects in the Butaare- Ruhanga hills on. Farmers have been using Butaare-Ruhanga hills that stretch for about two square kilometres for both agriculture and settlement. Area residents suspect that it could have been work of an arsonist.

“We have tried to sensitise people that they abandon the practice of burning the pastures. We shall engage the police to hunt suspect and make sure they serve as examples. You can’t destroy people’s investments like that.” Mr Mpirirwe said.

The Ntungamo sub-county councillor, Mr Naboth Mpirirwe, said some individuals, especially herdsmen, burn hills during the dry spell on claims that it would help improve the pastures once the rainy season sets in.

“I have lost almost all my commercial crops. I started growing these crops about eight years ago after returning from training in Israel, under a project funded by the First Lady. We were taught how to grow crops on hills. I put in all the money

Mr Enock Mwesigye, one of the affected farmers, revealed that he lost 21 acres of crops and 140 beehives in the fire.

I had but now I don’t know where to start from,” said Mr Enock Mwesigye.

The Ntungamo natural resources officer, Ms Dinah Tumwebaze, said they were working on supporting the affected farmers whom she said had been aiding conservation of the hills.

World Vision Ghana provides small ruminants to farmers in Bawku West

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orld Vision Ghana, a Christian humanitarian and development organization has provided 220 small ruminants to 110 farmers in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region to rear as economic empowerment venture for improved livelihoods.The beneficiaries, with each receiving two female goats comprised 70 women and 40 men were selected from Galaka, Kari- Natinga, Adonsi, Kusanaba-Kukua, Kusanaba-Namoo, Zongoyire, Soogo, Googo, Bulinga and Winnaba communities. About 30 of the beneficiaries have various forms of disabilities such as visual and hearing impairments, physical challenges among others. The support was part of the implementation of the Re-greening Africa Project being implemented in Bawku West, Garu and Tempane Districts by World Vision Ghana with funding from the European Union (EU).

At separate communities to present the goats to the farmers, Mr Edward Akunyagra Anaba, the Project Manager for the Re-greening Africa Project in charge of the Bawku West Cluster, noted that it was seeking to create a sustained approach to reversing land degradation and integrating food production through agroforestry.

He explained that as a result through approaches such as the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) and tree planting, the project has restored 208,057 hectares of land across the three districts.

Wild fires have also been brought to the barest minimum in these districts through the activities

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of firefighting stewards formed by the project, he added.

“The project addresses pressing challenges of the savannah areas of Ghana such as acute and prolonged dry seasons, overgrazing (livestock pressure), rampant bush burning, and indiscreet felling of trees that culminated in the decline of the forest cover, loss of indigenous biodiversity and increased soil infertility,” he said.

“The project’s objective is to improve livelihoods, food security and resilience to climate change by smallholder farmers in Africa and restore ecosystem services, particularly through evergreen agriculture.” To leverage the impact

of the project, Mr Anaba said the smallholder farmers were supported with the small ruminants to take advantage of the restored natural resources and fodder available and enter into rearing as a lucrative business venture to improve on their livelihood.

He added that the gesture was to reward the communities for their efforts in restoring the environment. The Project Manager who entreated the beneficiaries to take good care of the animals said while the animals would provide food and source of income for the farmers, it would motivate the communities to ensure sustainable project to protect the environment.

NEWS

Kenya’s agriculture sector posts second best growth in five years

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enya’s agriculture growth has recorded a 5.4% in 2020, posing a second best growth in five years. This is according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

The rise signifies the sector’s resilience despite last year’s desert locust invasion in various parts of the country, the COVID-19 pandemic and the short rains which posed a threat to farmers’ harvests. The rise has been partly attributed to the increased production of tea and food crops such as beans, rice, sorghum and millet.

Adequate rainfall in tea growing areas contributed to a 24.1% increase in its production which rose to 569.5 thousand tonnes in 2019/20. crop year.

KNBS said the volume of sugar cane deliveries

increased from 4.4 million to 6.0 million tonnes in 2020 due to the ‘availability of mature sugar cane.”

On the other hand, the volume of marketed milk increased by 2.1 per cent from 668.2 million litres in 2019 to 682.3 million litres in 2020.

Maize production, however, decreased slightly from 44.0 million bags in 2019 to 42.1 million bags in 2020, similarly to coffee whose production dropped from 45.0 thousand tonnes in 2018/19 to 36.9 thousand tonnes in 2019/20.

“Multiple factors affected coffee production such as poor weather conditions in the coffee-growing areas, inadequate application of farm inputs by

smallholder farmers and the shift in land use from coffee farming to real estate among others,” the survey added.

The volume of horticultural exports decreased by 4.5% from 328.3 thousand tonnes in 2019 to 313.6 thousand tonnes in 2020. Overall, the value of marketed agricultural production increased by 9.3 per cent from Shs 466.3 billion in 2019 to KSh 509.7 billion in 2020.

“Crops contributed the highest share of the marketed production in 2020, at 68.0 per cent.

Favourable weather conditions resulted in higher production and hence higher earnings for various commodities,” the survey added.

Morocco launches campaign to give UK food companies a taste of its produce

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orocco has launched its first food and drink export campaign in the UK to inspire British businesses and consumers to explore Morocco’s diverse food products, as well as promoting its offering as a quicker, more reliable and credible trading alternative.

The campaign marks the beginning of a wider awareness initiative from Morocco Foodex to promote the quality and importance of Moroccan agriculture. The multi-channel campaign includes a series of both B2B and B2C creative assets that highlight the importance of Moroccan agriculture and foodstuffs to the respective audiences, with a heavy focus on the quality and diversity of its food and drink sector, as well as its sustainable farming practices, competitive prices and reliability of the logistics involved to transport goods between the two countries.

secure and high quality manufacturing processes which meet top British standards at competitive prices, allowing buyers in the sector to offer credible, reliable alternatives at lower prices without compromising on quality.

and we’re passionate about the high-quality produce, authentic cuisine and sustainability of our food and drink offering. That’s what we want to celebrate and promote to the UK through this campaign.”

“The special relationship between Morocco and the UK dates back over 800 years and it continues to get stronger every year,” said El Mehdi El Alami, Director of Export Promotion and Development at Morocco FoodEx. “And now, we have a real opportunity to take our economic and trade relations to a new level. Food is such an important part of Morocco’s history and identity

Morocco, a key exporter of produce including citrus fruits and market vegetables, fish and other processed and local produce, has a rich heritage in agriculture and agribusiness – a key pillar of its economy. With approximately 33,000 square miles of arable land and a temperate Mediterranean climate, the agricultural potential of Morocco is unmatched.

It coincides with the opening of a new direct shipping route between Tangier in Morocco and Poole in the UK, cutting journey times from more than six days by road to less than three. Until now, maritime trade between the two countries took place via two crossings, with the shipping route passing through Spain. The new route will significantly reduce emissions compared to previous logistic chains by road.

A country with a long-standing relationship with the UK and Europe, Morocco offers modern,

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NEWS

Cameroon initiates a program to boost rubber production

2020 affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The program will also help bring in more revenues for farmers given the uptrend being recorded in rubber prices in international markets since 2020. Indeed, according to BEAC data, in Q32020, rubber (23.6%), palm oil (22.8%), and sugar (14.6%) were the CEMAC region’s export products that recorded the highest price rise on the international market. In Q4-2020, rubber once again recorded the highest price rise, up by 35.2% quarter to quarter.

This year natural rubber production in Cameroon will increase again, according to the business cycle forecast recently published by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). The central bank explains that this rise in production will be boosted by international demand and the renovation of rubber production fields in the Southwest.

This is good news for main local rubber producers such as Safacam, Hévécam, and Sud Cameroun Hévéa, whose activities were impacted by the

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he government of Cameroon in collaboration with a number of experts have initiated a program to boost rubber production by 6,667 tons in 2022. The programme aims develop oil palm and rubber tree plantations in the country. This ambition will be fulfilled by notably

providing various supports to small farmers, and restoring and redeveloping existing plantations to boost per-hectare yield. This projected increase in rubber production will comfort the upturn already announced by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) after a rather sluggish

coronavirus pandemic. Also, this will particularly help the operations of Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the state-owned company that paid the heaviest price to the so-called Anglophone crisis raging in the North-West and South-West regions since late 2020.

Seed Co’s new US $13M plant to change face of farming in Zimbabwe

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he US $13 million maize seed conditioning plant from SEED Co Limited commissioned in Zimbabwe by President Mnangagwa, is set to enhance the group’s seed maize supply capacity for both local and regional markets as the facility contributes to quick turnaround of production and productivity.

According to the group, the seed maize plant, whose installation started in 2019, has the ability to double cropping per unit area as well as produce early ensuring harvest crop. Mr David Long, the company’s chairman, said the seed maize conditioning plant would also result in a massive turnaround of agriculture in the country.

“The quality of seed maize has improved through elimination of pest challenges as seed maize harvesting can be done at 35% moisture content while the cost of producing seed will be

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commissioning of the plant was completed in June this year, and the project was completed for US $13 million with over 60% of the project cost benefiting local contractors and suppliers.

reduced since other processes of harvesting are eliminated,” he said.

Double cropping In 2019, Seed Co embarked on a project to install the drier plant, and the project would be done in four phases, the first of which would have the capacity for 5 000 tonnes of seed maize per season. Mr David said the technical

The new plant would start to process seed that will be harvested in February 2022, as the company already had enough dried seed in stock. It has capacity to open up land for double cropping, thereby ensuring increased crop range for farmers.

“We have enough seeds for the upcoming season. This plant, because we had already dried all the seed, it will start to dry seed that we will harvest in February, 2022, because the seed we will start to sell in September is already dried,” said Mr Morgan Nzwere, the group’s chief executive officer.

NEWS

Civil society organisations seeks halt to funding for industrial agriculture

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ivil society organisations have called on influential donors to stop funding industrial agriculture programmes.

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) which represents 200 million small-scale food producers along with 165 organisations from 40 countries, have raised concerns that the funding harm smallholder farmers and the environment.

The organisations have written a letter to donors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and other ‘Green Revolution’ organisations, urging them to redirect their support to African-led agroecology and low-input farming systems.

The green revolution of the 1950s to 1970s intensified agriculture by increasing the use of inputs — fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation for high-yielding modern crops.

“Only a very small amount of money is flowing into Africa for research. Government funders tend to give the money to western-based research institutes that is a sad fact. Farmers all over Africa have shown far more promising results sharing knowledge and working with scientists to establish low-input farming methods that leave the control of production in the hands of African farmers,” said Million Belay, AFSA co-founder.

AGRA’s funders include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. The programme provides African farmers with subsidies to buy commercial seeds such as maize, as well as fertilisers to help

increase yield. It also funds research efforts in its 13 partner countries.

installation and new civil and foundation works was executed in nine months.

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of the Nigeriabased Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said that this mindset of trying to bring knowledge to Africa, rather than relying on local expertise, was failing to address the problems within agriculture on the continent.

As part of the expansion project, UCL also appointed Bosch Projects to design, fabricate, supervise installation and commission several critical process equipment items, to fast-track the procurement process and meet project timelines.

The process equipment items supplied were a 45m3 “C” Continuous Vacuum Pan (CVP), a 2 500 m2 Long Tube Evaporator (LTE), two Strike Receivers (30m3 and 50m3 respectively), a 1.5m3 condensate vessel and a 17m2 rotary screen for draft juice screening.

“AGRA or similar organisations do not have the knowledge that African governments or countries have. AGRA does not know Africa more than Africans. The very problem with these messianic interventions is a lack of respect for knowledge available in their areas of interest,” he told SciDev.Net. The widening of the chainless diffuser required redesigning and replacement of many structures and components, including stage juice spray pipes and process piping and a new dewatering drum and kicker. A new juice distribution system, which comprises fully adjustable juice launders, allows optimum process control. Pumps and piping were relocated to suit the updated design.

New 3CR12 troughs, side-walls and roof sections, as well as a new structure on one side of the diffuser, have been installed and the existing rafters were extended. The project also required additional lifting screws, hydraulic cylinders, pumps, piping and new hydraulic structures. New civils and foundation works and reconstructed walkways and access ways were also installed.

This component of the project - comprising full process and mechanical design, project and construction management, fabrication,

The Bosch Projects equipment team was responsible for every aspect of these equipment supply projects – including design compliance, in accordance with project specific and regulatory pressure vessel standards and specifications, the fabrication and quality control of the fabrication, logistics, rigging and installation, as well the commissioning and hand-over under strict COVID-19 conditions.

Bosch Projects works closely with its technology partners and fabricators to ensure manufacture of all equipment adheres to stringent international quality standards and exact design specifications.

The company, with a network of offices in Africa, South and Central America and the United Kingdom, also has technology partners in the South East Asian region and the USA. These recent projects undertaken by Bosch Projects, enhance the company’s extensive track record, as Bosch Holdings celebrates its 60th birthday this year.

September - October 2021 | 11

NEWS

Nigeria’s Sesame exports could rise to US $1.5bn

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igeria’s Sesame could contribute US $1.5 billion to the country’s agriculture exports. This is according to Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN).

a huge opportunity for Nigeria to earn major FX and export revenue, forecasting export revenues of $1.5 billion.

“Sesame seeds come from a flowering plant, mostly grown in Northern Nigeria due to the drought-resistant nature of the seed. Aside the fact that it has numerous health and industrial benefits and is widely used for baking, medicine, cosmetics and animal feeds, it also has high oil content of about 44% to 60%,” Ojiefoh said.

The review follows agriculture exports of N127 billion in Q1 2021 out of which Sesame topped the list of exported agriculture. The association said that the numbers can increase if maximized and also called for the support of the state government and collaboration of the private and organised sectors with FACAN in boosting agriculture exports in Nigeria.

“Reports have it that the global demand for the commodity is expected to grow at 4.2% compound annual growth rate between 2018 and 2024. Nigeria is expected to key into this, considering its land mass and the fact that the sesame is drought-resistant and requires minimal fertiliser, which makes it cheaper to cultivate than other crops,” he added.

Chairman of FACAN, Edo chapter, Mr Enahoro Ojiefoh, revealed that sesame topped the list of agro-export commodities, with an estimated export value of N41.9 billion, while cashew nuts, both in-shell and shelled, were valued at N13.7 billion, and added that Sesame was

Small scale farmers in Kenya facing financial starvation

“Lack of financing has led to the country experiencing chronic food shortages due to low productivity in most of the value chains. This is however not a Kenyan problem only, but an African problem. In Nigeria, domestic credit to the agriculture sector in the country was about 5.2 percent of the total credit in 2020,” he explained during the session themed “Rural and Markets Development”.

Balogun said the factors hampering the rural and market potential in Africa is a mix between financing and infrastructural deficits.

“The infrastructural deficits majorly speak to the

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hief Executive Ayodeji Balogun has announced that small scale agricultural sector in Kenya is the least funded sector despite it being the largest employer with more than 40% of the population.

Speaking during a session at the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), Balogun noted that the small scale farmers in Kenya are facing financial starvation inhibiting the growth of the

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availability of adequate and affordable storage for agriculture sector. He observed that less than 5% of Kenyan small-scale farmers get access to formal borrowing.

“Possible reasons for the minimal allocation of credit to the sector in Kenya may range from the high-risk nature of the sector, information asymmetry in determining the creditworthiness of the Agri-sme, and the non-suitability of conventional financing instruments,” he added.

farmers among others,” he said.

AFEX operates over 80 warehouses in some of Africa’s grain-producing regions, accounting for over 100,000 metric tonnes of total storage capacity in the continent. Since 2014, the Exchange has connected over 160,000 farmers and traded 200,000 metric tonnes of commodities worth USD47.6 million (NGN17.1 billion).

NEWS

Young Agri-Preneurs seek to drive up adoption of climate smart farming by raising awareness especially to the youths that this sector is also a sector of survival.

“We also wanted to open the eyes of the youth, inspire them and showcase the opportunities present in the agricultural sector,” added Mugisha.

With limited skills, capital and the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, Infim Agricultural Transform Africa settled its first premises in Gashora sector, Bugesera district, and started looking for funding for the project. The team presented to different groups, individuals and organizations and managed to raise Rwf 5 million as the capital, to commence their horticultural activities.

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n response to challenges in the affordability of climate-smart farms and related equipment for Rwandan farmers, a local agri-business group, Innovation for Impact (Infim) is using innovation to find alternatives. This vision has earned them ‘best youth-led agricultural organization across Africa’ in the Foundation of the Year (FOYA) Awards 2021.

The awarding ceremony that was held in Nairobi on August 31, awarded Infim team a nonmonetary prize of mentorship and matching the team with potential investors in agriculture.

Climate smart farming is an approach to farming that increases productivity and resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Having graduated their high school in 2018, four agriculture students, Mugisha Ernest, Eric Sibomana, Benjamin Ntihemuka and Jean Damascene Kubwayo, identified a need to improve, develop and elevate innovative ideas to improve the health sector through agriculture.

Unfortunately, Mugisha noted, that these farmers who are concerned solely about digging and harvesting get little in return and hence their improvement of standards of living remains low.

Upon adopting the improved farming styles of climate smart farming, the group rented up to two hectares of land to cultivate and apply the innovations they had brainstormed. They embraced horticultural farming, concentrating on tomatoes, onions and chili among other products.

Apart from embracing the new farming style and raising the farmers’ standards of living, the local startup also sought to change the bias that the agricultural sector is a low-income earning sector

“In our first agricultural seasons, we have managed to produce more than 700 kilograms of onions but our go-to-market plan was drastically hindered by Covid-19, hence the profit was not the maximum as projected, but we are dealing with the supply of horticultural products with chili being exported to china,” commented Mugisha.

With their activities, more than 500 casual workers were employed in the previous agricultural seasons since 2019, who the group claims have improved their standards of living owing it to the wages they make from Infim.

Apart from horticultural production, Infim also provides agricultural consultation services. In 10 years to come, according to Mugisha, the team envisions Rwandan farmers having embraced smarter climate farming techniques like crop rotation and mulching among others.

To pursue their goals, they initiated Innovation for impact agriculture for transformation project (Infim) in 2019 with a strong belief of developing ideas from fundamental research to make a remarkable impact on Rwandan agriculture.

“During that research, we realized climate smart farming will be one of the solutions to the problems facing Rwandan agricultural system, because most of our farmers think that agriculture is all about digging and harvesting, but our research went further,” said Ernest Mugisha, head of Infim, citing that they wanted to educate farmers on the modern methods of farming.

September - October 2021 | 13

OPINION

A further sign of resilience as agriculture posts a strong GDP rebound in 2Q2021 Comment by Paul Makube, Senior Agricultural Economist at FNB Agri-Business

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tatistics SA’s latest economic growth numbers came out stronger than expected in the 2nd quarter of 2021 underpinned by robust gains in the transport sector, personal services, as well as agriculture with quarterly increases of 6.9%, 2.5%, and 6.2% respectively.

Overall growth came in 1.2% higher q/q from 1% q/q in the 1st quarter 2021. Resilience in the agriculture sector continued as expected despite the ongoing Covid-19 related challenges with all sectors, field crops, horticulture crops, and animal products making immense contribution.

Leading signs of yet another impressive rebound, ahead of the release of 2Q2021 GDP numbers included the robust harvest of summer grain and oilseed crops, good commodity prices, the record high agribusiness confidence, as well as strong exports.

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underpinned by strong export demand despite the 2Q2021 Rand exchange rate appreciation of 6% quarter-on-quarter and 21% relative to 2Q2020 at R14.09/ US$. Further, the Agbiz/IDC Agriculture Business Confidence for 2Q2021 reached a 10year high of 75 points in the earlier update.

Looking ahead, another great agriculture year is in the offing if the recent weather forecasts of another La Nina year (normal to above normal South Africa recorded an agriculture trade surplus of US$1.5 million which is 40% ahead of the same period in 2020. This follows a 36% y/y spike in total agriculture exports in quarter two of 2021 at US$3.2 billion, bringing the total 1H2021 export value to US$6.1 billion which is 30% higher y/y. The overall good export revenue was

rainfall) materialise for the 2021/21 summer crop season. This combined with relatively strong commodity prices despite input cost pressures, should deliver another year good agriculture year ahead and positive news on the inflation front with the food category likely to be tamed.

REPORT

Global Witness Reports 227 land and environmental activists murdered in a single year

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Global Witness report released reveals that 227 land and environmental activists were murdered in 2020 for defending their land and the planet. That constitutes the highest number ever recorded for a second consecutive year. As the climate crisis deepens, forest fires rampage across swathes of the planet, drought destroys farmland, and floods leave thousands dead, the situation for frontline communities and defenders of the earth is getting worse.

On average, our data shows that four defenders have been killed every week since the signing of the Paris Climate agreement – but this shocking figure is almost certainly an underestimate, with growing restrictions on journalism and other civic freedoms meaning cases are likely being unreported.

The figures show the human cost of the destruction wrought by exploitative industries and corporations. At least 30% of recorded attacks were reportedly linked to resource exploitation – across logging, hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure, mining, and large-scale agribusiness. Logging was the industry linked to the most murders with 23 cases – with attacks in Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru and the Philippines.

The killings include the murder of Óscar Eyraud Adams, Kumiai water defender murdered in Mexico after opposing the extractive industries contributing to water scarcity in Baja California. Óscar was one of many Indigenous people killed in 2020, asserting their right to self-determination and protecting ancestral lands from those looking to exploit their natural resources.

Chris Madden, senior campaigner with Global Witness said: “One day, we hope to report an end to the violence against those defending our planet and their land, but until governments get serious about protecting defenders, and companies start putting people and planet before profit, both climate breakdown and the killings will continue.

This dataset is another stark reminder that fighting the climate crisis carries an unbearably heavy burden for some, who risk their lives to save the forests, rivers and biospheres that are essential to counteract unsustainable global warming. This must stop’’.

Activists still under threat include communities in Guapinol in Honduras, where dozens of land and water defenders have been arrested in recent years for peacefully protesting an iron

oxide mining concession which was granted by the central government in a protected area. Many community members remain incarcerated.

Key findings: • Colombia was once again the country with the highest recorded attacks, with 65 defenders killed in 2020. A third of these attacks targeted indigenous and afrodescendant people, and almost half were against small-scale farmers.

• In 2020 the disproportionate number of attacks against indigenous communities continued – with over a third of all fatal attacks targeting indigenous people.

Attacks against indigenous defenders were reported in Mexico, Central and South America, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

• Nicaragua saw 12 killings – rising from 5 in 2019, making it the most dangerous country per capita for land and environmental defenders in 2020.

• Where reports indicate that defenders were attacked for protecting specific ecosystems, the majority – 70% - were working to defend the world’s forests from deforestation and industrial development, efforts vital to curbing the climate crisis. Others died for their work protecting rivers, coastal areas and the oceans.

• Almost 3 in 4 of the attacks took place in the Americas – with 7 out of the 10 highest countries located in Latin America. In Brazil and Peru, nearly three quarters of recorded attacks took place in the Amazon region of each country.

• Global Witness documented 18 killings across Africa in 2020, compared to 7 in 2019. Most of these took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with two in South Africa and one in Uganda.

In the DRC, 12 park rangers and a driver were killed in an attack by militia groups in the Virunga National Park. Verifying cases from across the continent continues to be difficult and it is possible cases are widely unreported.

Report recommendations The United Nations through its member states should: • Formally recognise the human right to a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment.

• Ensure that commitments and actions made at COP26 to implement the Paris Agreement integrate human rights protections.

Governments have the primary duty to guarantee that defenders’ human rights are protected and that they can carry out their activism safely, and should: • Ensure national policies protect land and environmental defenders – and scrap any legislation used to criminalise them • Require companies and financial institutions to carry out mandatory due diligence, that provides accountability for violence and other harm to land and environmental defenders throughout their global operations and supply chains.

• Ensure access to justice by investigating and pursuing prosecutions of all relevant actors, including implicated corporate actors, for violence committed against land and environmental defenders.

The European Commission is currently preparing two important pieces of legislation: an initiative on Sustainable Corporate Governance, and a Regulation on forest-risk commodities. The EU must ensure that: • The Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative requires all companies doing business in the EU to undertake steps to prevent, identify, address and account for human rights and environmental harms along their value chains as part of their due diligence and includes a strong enforcement mechanism with robust liability regimes and penalties to hold companies accountable; • The proposed due diligence Regulation on Forest-risk Commodities explicitly requires companies and financiers doing business in the EU to only source from or finance operations that have obtained the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Businesses need to do everything in their power to ensure that they are not causing, contributing to, or benefiting from these attacks, whatever the costs. In particular they must: • Publish and implement robust due diligence systems to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate human rights and environmental harms throughout their supply chains and operations.

• Adopt and implement a zero-tolerance stance on reprisals and attacks on land and environmental defenders • Provide for and facilitate effective remedy processes when adverse human rights and environmental impacts occur.

September - October 2021 | 15

EVENT

EIMA 2021: Official delegations from 70 countries Thanks to close cooperation with the ICE Agency, the international agricultural machinery exhibition will be able to welcome business operators from all over the world, in compliance with the differentiated safety protocols established by the health authorities for groups of countries. Business-to-business meetings will be held in a new facility at the Volvo Congress Center adjacent to the exhibition centre and connected to Hall 19.

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he 44th edition of EIMA, the exhibition of machinery, equipment and components for agriculture and landscaping held in Bologna from 19 to 23 October, confirms its international character. Business operators from all over the world will be attending the exhibition - the first of its kind to be held after the suspension of trade fair events due to the health emergency - to find out about the new product ranges and deal with the purchase of the technologies most in demand in the various agricultural and economic settings.

The aim of FederUnacoma - the organiser of the event - is to widen the audience of participants as much as possible, using all the tools and procedures that allow the safe incoming of distributors, importers and economic operators from foreign countries. While the on-line ticket office is active for foreign buyers, who can benefit from a service package specifically designed by FederUnacoma, the programme of official delegations created by the ICE Agency in collaboration with the Federation is nearing completion.

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The programme envisages the presence at the fair of 450 delegates selected from 70 countries, and the organisation of “business-to-business” meetings with exhibiting companies, as well as informative meetings and guided tours. Official delegations have been confirmed from Europe (the group includes 25 countries, from those belonging to the European Union to the Balkans, Russia and Ukraine), the Americas (15 countries in all, including the United States, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay), and Africa (which currently has 13 participating countries, covering the northern belt to include Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, and the Sub-Saharan belt to include Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda).

Finally, the Asian and Middle Eastern area is represented by 17 delegations, including those from Turkey, Israel, South Korea and the Philippines. In order to improve logistics and ensure ample space for spacing out and implementing all health prevention procedures, this year the B2B meeting area will no longer be

located in the mezzanine between Halls 25 and 26, but in a new building. The Volvo Congress Center, directly connected to the Palazzo dei Congressi and adjacent to Hall 19, will be the location hosting the business meetings, where delegates will be able to take advantage of the usual interpreting services and legal assistance for business transactions, in addition to a special catering facility.

“FederUnacoma’s Internationalisation Service, together with the ICE Agency offices that are organising the official delegations - explains FederUnacoma Director General Simona Rapastella - are intensifying their activities in these days, not only to complete the incoming procedures on schedule but also to meet the growing requests for participation from buyers from all over the world. In the last few weeks, expressions of interest have come in well above expectations - concludes Rapastella - and this is a very important indicator of the role of a trade fair like EIMA and of a progressive normalisation of the sector after the emergency.”

Bologna, 19-23 October 2021

The Event INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND GARDENING MACHINERY EXHIBITION Organized by

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

TRAINING

Launch of Africa Agribusiness Qualification presented by AGCO Africa sees 20 participants embark on year-long programme The AAQ programme seeks to fill a much-needed capacity or skills gap in agribusiness in Africa

The 2021 AAQ cohort participants will take courses across agronomy, business, sales and marketing, as well as technical training

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“The AAQ is a well thought-out, one-of-a-kind programme that seeks to fill a much-needed capacity or skills gap in agribusiness in Africa,” comments AAQ Program Manager Dr. Benard Ngwene. It includes an accredited management qualification (NQF4) and provides participants with business, agronomy and technical skills to enable them progress in their careers and/ or better manage their businesses. “The AAQ programme will continue to evolve in response to the agri-industry’s training needs,” adds Dr. Ngwene.

he AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) skills development initiative, under the banner of ‘Advancement in Agricultural Education’, saw 20 deserving participants commence with the Africa Agribusiness Qualification (AAQ) on 1 September. This took the form of an introductory session at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Johannesburg campus elaborating on the programme content and anticipated outcomes.

Fully-funded by the AAF and implemented through the AGCO Africa Head Office in Johannesburg, the AAQ programme is facilitated

by GIBS, together with Harper Adams University in the UK. Furthermore, technical expertise and support are provided by AGCO South Africa and Cerealis Technology Institute in South Africa.

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AGCO Africa Managing Director Africa Dr Dominik Reus.

About 270 applications were received over a twoweek application period. The two-stage selection process saw applicants longlisted based on set criteria. Shortlisted candidates were invited for an online interview, following which the 20

most deserving were chosen. The selection process took into account factors such as group dynamics and learner abilities, so as to ensure all participants will not only benefit from the programme curriculum, but also be able to share their unique experiences through peer-to-peer learning. Participant capabilities will be gauged at an in-depth level during the programme to understand how best to magnify their strengths, while identifying and working on improving any areas of weakness.

This is actually the second AAQ cohort. The initial 24-month programme was hosted in Kenya from March 2018 to March 2020 and was open to participants from all over Africa. To cushion against any uncertainties posed by Covid-19, such as the restriction of movement between countries, the 2021 AAQ call for applications was open to South African residents only. This included other African nationals living in South Africa. The AAQ programme will be implemented through a hybrid model, with 80% online delivery and 20% face-to-face classes.

Dr Ngwene highlights that the AAQ programme aims to: • Cultivate agricultural professionalism and quality leadership.

• Enhance knowledge of the African agrientrepreneurship ecosystem.

• Build participants’ capacity to achieve sustainability in food systems and agribusinesses.

• Inspire innovations that strengthen Africa’s production systems.

• Enhance knowledge of agricultural science, agribusiness and mechanisation.

stakeholders. All the implementing partners are renowned industry leaders offering quality training and education in their various fields.

“Through the AAQ programme, we hope to empower Africans who have a passion for the agricultural sector, particularly technical and sales representatives, who can serve as trusted partners to African farmers,” says AAF Director Metti Richenhagen.

AAQ Program Manager Dr. Benard Ngwene

•

•

•

Enhance the ability of participants to develop and implement projects, initiatives and businesses in various agricultural value chains.

Increase exposure to platforms through which participants can contribute to policy discussions and programmes that aim at strengthening African agriculture.

Produce competent graduates with the capacity to deliver effectively in junior management, technical and specialist roles in agricultural-based companies.

The 2021 AAQ cohort participants will take courses across agronomy, business, sales and marketing, as well as technical training. The programme is structured as six core modules and two electives. The course offering and design was informed by recommendations and consultations with industry players and various

The AAF is a private foundation committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development. In order to extend the coverage of the AAQ programme and make it accessible to even more young people, AAF and AGCO in Africa are inviting organisations and stakeholders in the agri-food value chains to support, collaborate and contribute to the programme.

“A number of supply-side interventions are required for the South African economy to cope with changes in demand for certain skills, especially with regard to post-secondary education. We believe that the AAQ programme is a stepping stone that will adequately prepare participants to further their education in agriculture or to become entrepreneurs in this field themselves,” says AGCO Managing Director: Africa Dr Dominik Reus.

The AAQ programme will contribute to Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 of the United Nations: Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 5: Gender Equality and Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

AGCO Agriculture Foundation Director Metti Richenhagen addressing the AAQ cohort participants.

September - October 2021 | 19

PRODUCT

AGRICULTURE 4.0?

BKT RESPONDS WITH THE FLOTATION RANGE Thanks to their flotation properties, the tires in this line minimize the impact of agricultural machinery on the soil, thus preventing damage to the crops.

Objectives: sustainability and efficiency.

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igitalization, technology and sustainability, or, in other words, agriculture 4.0. We are talking about the trend that is having the widest-ranging impact on the agricultural sector.

Not only a trend but also the only way to the future.

The aim? To revolutionize operations carried out in the field by using advanced technologies to increase efficiency, the sustainability of activities and production quality. One of the cornerstones of this new era of agriculture is the automatic collection, integration and analysis of data directly from the field. This happens thanks to particular technologies which make valuable information available to farmers, supporting them in the decision-making process for their work and their relationship with others in the supply chain.

Today, thanks to the development of digital technologies, it is moreover possible to collect data that covers environmental, climatic and

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soil-related factors. All this allows farmers to intervene in a targeted way, making work processes more effective and complying with the due timeframes. The precision agriculture of recent years, combined with the potential of digital, thus shows us a new approach to work in the field, where sustainability becomes a central element in all operations.

Agricultural machinery and equipment, including tires, are also at the heart of this revolution. The BKT Flotation range responds to the needs dictated by Agriculture 4.0 and to the new challenges in production and sustainability.

“This is the series of tires with a high technological content, designed to reduce the compaction of the soil, a phenomenon that is due to the load that weighs on the tires themselves. Thanks to the flotation properties of these products, soil compaction is reduced – explains Denis Piccolo, Product Manager at BKT – which means: less alteration of its structure. This ensures a better exchange of nutritional components in the soil, better aeration capacity and water drainage. All this translates into greater productivity.

Another key feature of these tires is their versatility, which allows users to move smoothly over long distances and on different terrains, thus facilitating their work.”

Thanks to their footprint and excellent traction, BKT Flotation tires allow significant fuel savings, improving cost efficiency.

bead which guarantees better stability even at

In particular, the following products stand out:

Steel radial tire also guarantees an extraordinarily

V-FLEXA, a radial tire designed for agricultural trailers which incorporates VF (Very High Flexion) technology, thanks to which it is possible to transport heavy loads with tire pressure that is 30% lower than a standard tire of the same size. This latest generation product is also characterized by a tread equipped with steel belts that makes the casing more resistant, thus preventing tears and penetration by foreign bodies. It is currently available in the VF 600/55 R 26.5 size to which the VF 600/65 R 26.5, VF 650/55 R 26.5 and VF 560/60 R 22.5 sizes have been added, all recently launched on the market.

90% road use, but at the same time also offers

high speeds and is particularly suitable for road applications with trailers and tankers. This All comfortable ride, having been designed for excellent performance in the field. Available in the 24 R 20.5 size and in the new 525/65 R 20.5 size.

The BKT Flotation range includes numerous other tires, including FL 630 SUPER, FL 630 ULTRA, FL 635, FL 637, FL 639, RIDEMAX FL 690 and RIDEMAX FL 693 M, each with specific features designed to meet users’ different applications and needs.

FL 633 PERFORMA is the solution dedicated to trucks for agricultural use and designed to improve performance. Extreme resistance, durability and load capacity make this tire one of the flagship products in the Flotation range, perfect for multiple activities in the fields and even for travelling on highways at up to 100 km/h.

It is available in the 600/50 R 22.5 size.

BKT’s range of Flotation models and sizes

Among the solutions in this range there is also RIDEMAX FL 699 equipped with a reinforced

accompanies the constant customer focus, an

is increasingly wide and includes innovative design through increasing attention paid to environmental sustainability. Hence the study of every possible solution involving respect for the soil - when it comes to agriculture, through the reduction of consumption/CO2. This approach aspect which end users of course appreciate.

September - October 2021 | 21

PRODUCT

BI launches new Rexnord RN series for demanding applications Industries include cement, fertiliser, power generation, steel, aggregates, mining and mineral processing

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he latest bearing solutions for the most arduous and demanding industries is being launched by leading supplier Bearings International. The new Rexnord RN series of metric bearings offers cutting-edge design with unmatched ease of use, performance and durability. As a drop-in replacement for existing SN500 bearings, major customer benefits are efficiency and productivity, reduced downtime and a lower total cost of ownership.

bearings, where it is needed the most. Unlike

The RN series has an industry-leading misalignment capability of a full 2°, a two-piece outer race and higher radial and axial load capability due to a larger roller design and seals for improved bearing life, ease of fitment and removal from the shaft thanks to a SHURLOK adapter mounting. Another major benefit is no shaft damage from seal wear or the grub screw locking onto the shaft.

generation, steel, aggregates, mining and mineral

The new RN series is available throughout the extensive BI branch network, with access to back-up from BI’s Technical Department in conjunction with Rexnord South Africa, explains BI Product Manager Lingesh Naidoo, who has 23 years’ experience with the Rexnord range to date. Although the Rexnord range has been represented locally for over 40 years, this is a first for South Africa in terms of the line of ISO metric sized unitised plumber block bearings available.

As the global leader in bearing solutions, the

“The new RN series takes the guesswork out of mounting and dismounting spherical roller

The Rexnord RN series from BI reduces

the conventional plumber block assembly with multiple components, the RN series unitised plumber block unit has no loose components.

This, together with other technological features, reduces installation time by up to 80%,” highlights Naidoo.

Industries include cement, fertiliser, power processing. Applications range from elevators to screw conveyors, feeder breakers, roll crushers, conveyor pulleys and fans. “The opportunities for the RN series are very broad, as it covers any scenario where a high load is combined with high contamination,” explains Naidoo.

new RN series is based on Rexnord’s 150 years of industry experience and cutting-edge design.

The series will be supplemented by technical back-up and 24/7 aftersales service, in addition to theoretical and practical training as well as installation supervision and installation.

Quick Fact installation time by up to 80%.

PRODUCT

Latest German-engineered Fendt 900 and 1100 Vario multi-tracked tractors available in South Africa

Fendt is a global leader in building high horsepower tracked tractors, with over 30 years’ experience

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he secret to healthy crops and high yields lies in the soil. Therefore, managing the soil efficiently and with care ensures longterm economic success for farmers. In addition to efficiency and comfort, soil protection is Fendt’s top priority when developing tractors. A global leader in building high horsepower tracked tractors, with over 30 years’ experience, the Fendt 900 Vario and Fendt 1100 Vario are the latest additions to the track tractors range available locally from your nearest Fendt South African Dealer, reports Frans Cronje, Regional Sales Manager for Fendt, AGCO Africa.

Unlike other tracked tractors, the Fendt 900 Vario MT (Multi-Tracked) is not a variation of a wheeled tractor, but instead has been developed as a pure tracked tractor. In terms of the track system, the wheelbase has been extended to 2 565 mm, which is 13 cm longer than previous versions.

The total ground contact area is 3.25 m² on 25” wide tracks, 3.90 m² with 30” and a hefty 4.42 m² on 34” tracks. This equates to more traction, less soil pressure and an optimal weight distribution across the entire contact area, even in the case of a heavy load, all combined with optimised driving comfort and reduced ground compaction.

The Fendt 1100 Vario MT is the first tracked tractor in this class to feature a stepless drive.

The Vario transmission has been revised and

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adapted to the special requirements of a tracked tractor. The introduction of the stepless Vario transmission greatly increases overall efficiency.

The newly-developed SmartRide suspension combined with two options of cab suspension provides unprecedented driving comfort for a tracked tractor. With the innovative SmartRide suspension system, the hard bar is mounted on the frame using coil springs, shock absorbers and silent rubber blocks, offering a considerable overall suspension stroke of 217 mm. The central carrier can oscillate by 11° for best groundhugging.

A coupling rod (Panhard bar) prevents any movement to the side and stabilises the tracks lengthways. The three rollers of the undercarriage are attached to the chassis frame in a unique bogie-in-bogie system allowing for long travel distances and adaptive ground tracking. The weight is distributed evenly across the track to the ground maximizing traction. A wide range of tracks is available for the Fendt 900 Vario MT, with two designed especially for agricultural use and two enhanced versions for special applications.

The all-new Fendt 900 Vario MT The Fendt 900 Vario MT has a powerful and highly efficient seven-cylinder AGCO Power engine with a 9,8 litre cubic capacity, generating up to 317 kW/431 hp at a rated speed of just 1 700 rpm. Two in-line turbochargers with fixed geometry provide constant power generation.

The maximum torque of 1.921 Nm is reached at just 1 450 rpm thanks to the Fendt iD low-speed concept. The engine speed range is between 1 000 and 1 700 rpm, while the engine idle speed is just 800 rpm.

The Fendt 1100 Vario MT is the most powerful The Fendt 1100 Vario MT range has four models to choose from, ranging from 511 hp to 618 hp.

The MAN six-cylinder in-line engine offers a cubic capacity of 15.2 litres on the Fendt 1151

Vario MT, 1156 Vario MT and 1162 Vario MT models. The high-end Fendt 1167 Vario MT model boasts 16.2 litres, providing an unbeatable 673 hp to the auxiliary power consumers under extremely high-power requirements. A Common Rail system with an injection pressure of up to 2 500 bar and a turbo-supercharger with variable turbine-geometry (VTG) deliver the power evenly and dynamically, even at low engine speeds.

Efficient cooling is ensured by the unique Fendt Fan and Concentric Air System (CAS) cooling concept. Here a forced-draft high-performance fan is positioned in front of the cooler unit where it sucks in cool dense air, accelerates it via the concentric hood and pushes it through the cooler.

The CAS has its own hydrostatic drive, so it can always deliver ideal cooling power to each component according to need, independent of the engine speed. The fan is tilted upwards to prevent harvesting residue from being sucked up from the ground.

The revolutionary Fendt VarioDrive drivetrain from the standard tractor Fendt 1000 Vario has been extensively and optimally adapted for the Fendt 900 Vario MT. The result is an innovative and efficient continuously variable drive for tracked tractors that meets all practical requirements. As a result, you can drive without manually changing speed ranges. This allows the tractor to operate at optimal engine speed with, maximising performance and fuel efficiency.

The heart of the VarioDrive drivetrain are large and powerful hydrostatic devices with a

capacity of 370 cm3 each. The hydro motors can swivel independently of each other to allow the VarioDrive drivetrain to achieve maximum efficiency. This is amplified when a hydro motor is decoupled at higher speeds (more than about 20 km/h) as soon as it swivels back. The Fendt 900 Vario MT achieves a transport speed of 40 km/h at a very low 1 550 rpm. The renowned Tractor Management System (TMS), along with automatic maximum load control, ensures that the Fendt 900 Vario MT delivers the most efficient results every time, without having to make any elaborate settings. Together with the Fendt iD low engine speed concept, this translates into the lowest possible fuel consumption.

stability combined with a tracking system. If there is an obstacle on the field dragging the attachment on the side, the attachment can swerve around it without the tracked tractor leaving the track.

Whether heavy tillage, or higher speed applications, a wide range of ballast options on the Fendt 1100 Vario MT tracked tractor caters for any kind of work. The tracked tractor offers ballasting options on the rear drive wheels, the front guide wheel, with added weights on the sides of the tracked drive and at the front due to a variety of front weights. With light ballasting and higher speeds on the field, Fendt tracked tractors can pull a precision planter, while heavy ballasting and low speeds are ideal for heavyduty soil cultivation.

In order for the driver to obtain the best performance from the machine, it is essential that the workstation is ergonomic, clear and easy-to-use. Therefore, the Fendt 1100 Vario MT is fitted with the trusted cab from the Fendt 900 Vario MT. This spacious Fendt cab offers plenty of room and provides excellent visibility and ease-of-use in classic Fendt fashion. Machine parameters are easy to control and monitor on the Varioterminal 10.4” with large touch screen.

Machine operation is quick and ergonomic, with the familiar Fendt multifunction armrest and builtin Fendt multifunction joystick.

A special feature of the Fendt 1100 Vario MT is the exclusive pivoting rear power lift. The pivoting rear power lift with three-point suspension has a movement radius of 12° in both directions.

This means the pivot point of the attachment moves to the tractor’s natural pivot point and the attachment runs with much more directional

The Fendt 1100 Vario MT also comes into its own when following irregular field boundaries with the pivoting rear power lift. The contour is followed with full care and precision, even with large attachments in tow. The pivoting rear power lift mean less effort is required for steering, with far less wear. Overall fuel consumption is reduced and working speed is improved, further increasing the efficiency of the new Vario MT series.

In support of the farming community, Fendt has a nationwide dealer network covering the whole of South Africa, offering service, sales and support.

For further information, and to get in touch with your closest dealer, visit www.fendt.com/za.

September - October 2021 | 25

PRODUCT

Vriendschap Boerdery standardises on Massey Ferguson tractors from FMS for its sugarcane operations Vriendschap Boerdery’s most recent purchase was a MF 7726

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uch was the support and back-up offered

by Farm Maintenance Services (FMS), one of the KwaZulu-Natal dealers for Massey Ferguson tractors, based in Pietermaritzburg, that client Heinrich Harris has switched from a competitor brand for all his new equipment needs.

“When we were at the point to start replacing our machinery, FMS was the dealer able to meet our needs and provide us with the technical back-up we needed,” says Heinrich, who is Mechanisation and Maintenance Director at Vriendschap Boerdery in Melmoth.

“All our maintenance is carried out under warranty. Whatever new equipment we may require, we simply approach FMS, which has been really helpful in that regard.”

FMS Sales Manager Cornie Tosen explains that value-for-money was a major consideration in Heinrich switching from a competitor brand that he has been supporting for a long time, in addition to the high standard specification level of the MF machines. “Now it is a combination of aftersales service and support that continues to

26 | September - October 2021

make this important client feel highly valued and well looked after.”

To date, Vriendschap Boerdery’s fleet consists of two smaller-sized MF 5710 and MF 4708 tractors, both with four-wheel drive. “We currently own ten MF 5710s and five MF 4708s, which have sufficient horsepower for common sugarcane operations. We recently bought two of the slightly bigger MF 6713s, also four-wheel drive, which are mainly used for land preparation,” says Heinrich.

The MF 5700 Series is a workhorse range that has re-engineered the concept of the sub 130 hp tractor from the ground up to meet the needs of present and future farming. “No other range on the market today offers such an array of build specifications, options and accessories, all designed to help tailor the machine exactly for the farming operation on hand,” says Cornie.

The MF 4700 Global Series is a highly modern, high-performance, heavy-duty, straightforward range of tractors that provides exceptional efficiency for every type of farmer. With its

entirely new yet simple design, featuring efficient drivelines and a high level of comfort, the series also provides exceptional value for money.

Vriendschap Boerdery’s most recent purchase was a MF 7726. “The client needed a tractor that was both versatile and efficient for planting and large scale mowing work,” says Cornie. The MF 7726 was ideal in this regard, with features such as front linkage, front and cab suspension and full guidance. Paired with a front-end butterfly mower combination, the client can now cut 8 m at a time.

The tractor is also powerful enough for ground preparation and sufficiently fuel-efficient to carry out spreading work. In addition, the MF 7726 offers a low total cost of ownership that makes it a very attractive option for KZN sugarcane farmers.

Heinrich says that the MF 7726 will be deployed at another Vriendschap Boerdery farm. “The tractor is well-adapted for our operation there, especially as the front-lift system means we can deploy three separate mowers for maximum efficiency, two at the back on either side of the tractor and one in

the centre that cuts in front. This is the perfect machine, and I believe in future we will definitely purchase more MF machines from FMS.”

always on the ball and ready to assist whenever needed. We have a very good relationship, and I am very happy with the excellent service we have received.”

The MF 7700 S Series provides a comprehensive choice of power output, transmission, cab specification, hydraulics and PTO variants. It is guidance ready and available in four models, with power ranging from 200 hp to 255 hp, and Dyna-6 and Dyna-VT transmission.

Commenting on the decision to switch to both a new dealer and brand, Heinrich says the competitor did not have a mechanical, lowerspec machine in its range adequate for rugged sugarcane farming applications. “Newer technology is obviously more expensive and just adds to your cost base at the end of the day.” What tipped the scales in favour of MF was the 25% price difference in its typical basket of spares. “From a maintenance point of view, this alone is a massive saving,” stresses Heinrich.

While a cheaper price can sometimes translate into an inferior quality product, Heinrich says the opposite is true with MF, which prides itself on the quality and reliability of its machines. “We

Cornie concludes that Vriendschap Boerdery is an excellent example of the type of long-standing client that FMS has cultivated over the years that it has been a MF dealer. FMS has a large footprint in the region, and “have four mobile vans for rapid-response on-site servicing and a wellequipped workshop to take care of any major repairs.”

Paired with a front-end butterfly mower combination, the client can now cut 8 m at a time.

have had no problems with our MF fleet to date.

In addition, we are very well taken care of by FMS as the dealer. Minor teething problems do crop up, but the manner in which these are resolved, with the emphasis on ensuring maximum uptime and productivity, speaks volumes about the brand and its representatives. The FMS team is

In support of the farming community, Massey Ferguson has an extensive network of over 35 dealers covering the whole of South Africa, catering for parts, service, aftersales and new sales. Potential customers interested in the MF range can obtain a price point with a rapid quote within 30 seconds, in addition to a video, brochure and the details of the nearest dealer, by simply visiting www.masseyferguson.co.za.

The MF 7726 offers a low total cost of ownership that makes it a very attractive option for KZN sugarcane farmers.

September - October 2021 | 27

FEATURE

Farming is not for the faint hearted

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uccessfully managing a farm is tough because nature is unpredictable and only resilient and passionate farmers reap the rewards. Two crop farmers in Limpopo are finding ways to work in harmony with nature despite the challenges.

Martin Munzhedzi the founder of Dzudzanani Greenery grows chillies, okra, green beans as well as habanero and green peppers on eight hectares of land. Farming was not his first choice but after studying engineering and not finding a job, he saw an opportunity in farming. “I was tired of being unemployed and decided to take advantage of Limpopo’s good weather by starting a farm” says Martin.

Phillip Kgapane the founder of The Veggie Guy is a specialized farmer that grows tomatoes on 30 hectares of family-owned land. Whilst working in corporate he noticed that food outlets in Burgersfort purchased their vegetable from neighbouring towns and cities. “I saw a gap. I started off by buying and selling vegetables to see if it was a viable business, once I saw it’s growth potential, I decided to become a tomato farmer” says Phillip.

Producing crops that are enjoyed by many South Africa means their harvests are always in demand and they can co-exist peacefully.

Martin sells his produce at the Jo’burg Market,

a large distribution hub that is a member of the World Union of Wholesale Markets. He sells to traders, chefs and locals who want to stock up on fresh produce. Phillip on the other hand sells his tomatoes to food and grocery retailers in Limpopo like Steers, Pick n Pay, Nandos, Spur and many more.

Even though they are thriving farmers and running profitable businesses, sometimes due to weather conditions they don’t reap what they sow. “Excessive rain and frost damaged all my tomatoes and now I have to start all over again” says Phillip. This experienced farmer is slightly disheartened by the damages, but he is ecstatic to farm his land again because to him, it’s all part of the job. He adds that growing tomatoes is not easy because they are high maintenance crops that need special care and attention.

Challenges come in different forms, for Martin his biggest challenge was caused by COVID19 lockdown restrictions. The demand for his chillies and peppers was low when restaurants were closed, because a lot of his stock is purchased by chefs and restaurateurs. “Those were tough months, I had to sell my crops at a lower price because the demand was low” says Martin. He was also affected by bad weather and he is doing damage control on his farm.

In the first quarter of 2021, the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry decreased at a rate of 3,2%. The success of this sector is vital because it creates seasonal jobs, improves the local economy and helps in the development of rural areas.

“I’m in the process of opening a tomato training centre for aspiring farmers to attend for free” says Phillip. The aim of the centre is to share his knowledge, mentor young farmers and grow the farming sector. Developing more land to farm and learning more about scientific and technological advancement in farming is Martin’s focus. “When I got my seedling machine, I was impressed by how helpful it is and I want to learn more about modern farming tools to share with my peers “says Martin.

Working in harmony with nature, embracing challenges and not giving up has helped these farmers remain at the top of the game, no matter the weather.

28 | September - October 2021

FEATURE

Danfoss helps dairy producers stay cool under pressure, with accurate, efficient temperature control

By Roy Naidoo, Sales Director: Danfoss Climate Solutions, Danfoss South Africa According to a paper written by Eliud Abucheli Birachi called ‘Determinants of Coordination and Supply Chain Performance: The Case of Fresh Milk Supplies Chains in Kenya’, the local dairy industry is a source of livelihood for over 660,000 rural households, 365,000 direct farm wage jobs and 40,000 jobs in the processing activities. And as another example, the South African dairy sector is one of the largest agricultural industries in the country, also employing more than 40,000 people.

However, a combination of water, sugars, protein and minerals makes milk at an ambient temperature the perfect medium for bacterial growth. This means that cooling plays a critical element in ensuring sustainability within the dairy supply chain. As a highly perishable food, fresh milk must be refrigerated as soon as the cow is milked in order to adhere to strict processing and handling requirements.

“

Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers.

Everyone has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and healthy. Food safety is everyone’s business.”

This statement was made by the World Health Organisation (WHO), talking on this year’s World Food Safety Day (WFSD), celebrated in June with the theme of ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’.

This year, it was heartening to see several African countries, including Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, commemorate the day, highlighting the fact that food safety awareness across Africa is increasing. This is of particular significance considering that Africa is considered to be the most food-insecure continent globally, a predicament only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts that intra-African food demand is projected to increase by 178% by 2050, adding that “… it is crucial to create and implement effective food safety systems which guarantee that food producers and suppliers along the supply chain work responsibly and ensure the safety of the food.”

According to Milk South Africa, milk leaves the cow’s udder at approximately 35°C, and if maintained at this temperature, the microbial load would increase rapidly. “Cooling milk rapidly to below 6°C is necessary to avoid multiplication of micro-organisms, especially psychrotrophs, which can grow at refrigeration temperatures, although their optimum (>15oC) and maximum growth (20oC) temperatures are much higher,” states research by the organisation.

The critical role of the African dairy sector An important link in the food production supply chain is the dairy industry, with millions of people dependent on milk and milk products to supply energy, protein and several vitamins and minerals in a single product.

In addition, many Africans are also employed within the dairy sector. The Kenyan dairy industry, by way of illustration, contributes up to 3.5 percent of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP) and up to 14 percent of the agricultural GDP.

Thus, immediate cooling after milking, and storage at refrigeration temperature, are both crucial to reduce bacterial growth. Dairy farms rely on highly efficient cooling of the milk to keep it at a consistent temperature of around 4°C, in either open or closed milk tanks, until it is collected for further processing. The milk tank is typically equipped with a mixer to accelerate the cooling process and homogenise the milk.

In addition, the dairy sector depends on technology that can control temperatures and ensure uncompromising hygiene in every single step of the conversion of fresh milk into finished products. Whether the end product is ice cream, processed milk, cream, or yoghurt, precise temperature management is absolutely vital.

September - October 2021 | 29

FEATURE

How Danfoss can assist the African dairy value chain Whatever the technology solutions used by manufacturers of milk tanks, ranging from direct expansion type, instant cooling to a two-stage cooling process, Danfoss offers an optimal selection of scrolls or reciprocating compressors, standard condensing units or packaged condensing units for 800 to 10,000 litre milk cooling tanks with either reduced application, operating or servicing costs.

Compressors Danfoss MLZ scroll compressors are dedicated to commercial and light commercial refrigeration applications with refrigerants R134a, R404A / R507A, R407A/F. Both brazed and rotolock connections are available for most of the compressors.

Benefits include a compact design, especially for large capacities, which frees up space in the systems, as well as an energy efficient design, up to 30 percent smaller than alternatives, with optimised motor and scroll wrap for refrigeration, which cuts down electricity consumption.

The MLZ’s low decibels improve the working environment with the lowest sound level in the industry.

Danfoss Maneurop® MT and MTZ reciprocating compressors are of the hermetic reciprocating type and are designed for medium and high evaporating temperature applications. Available in a large variety of single and tandem models for refrigerants R404A, R134a, R407A / F, the

compressors operate under extreme conditions with reliability and a long lifetime expectancy.

Danfoss Maneurop® VTZ and VTZ are reciprocating inverter compressors with cooling capacity from three to 48 kW and with multirefrigerant capability for R404A, R407C and R134a. They prevent the design of oversized and short cycling systems by automatically adapting to the current load in commercial cooling systems.

Using an innovative and intelligent compressor package that utilises variable speed technology ensures superior efficiency across the entire operating range.

Condensing units Reliability, efficiency and compactness will make the Danfoss Optyma™ Slim Pack condensing unit an ideal cooling solution in milk tanks.

The Danfoss Optyma™ Slim Pack condensing unit provides: An energy efficient and cost-effective solution - up to 24 percent energy savings, thanks to smart Danfoss design and components. Up to 35 percent cost savings on refrigerant – Optyma™ Slim Pack units utilise highly efficient micro channel heat exchangers to help reduce refrigerant charge by up to 35 percent compared to standard condensers.

Dimensions - Optyma™ Slim Pack has been designed to perfectly match a milk tank’s size, enabling transportation of the entire system from the factory to the end user without additional cost.

High reliability and customer satisfaction - the

Breezy: Controlling natural ventilation in pig and poultry barns

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atural ventilation in pig and poultry houses is a good option especially in regions without frost – and available at a reasonable price. To control the air exchange, roller curtains with electric winches are used on both long sides of the building, which is a wellproven concept to open and close the barn. In order to ensure an automatic as well as reliable curtain handling German livestock equipment supplier Big Dutchman has developed a computer which perfectly answers the purpose: Based on the temperature and additionally supported by data from a weather station, Breezy controls the curtains automatically and independently of the side. The computer was

30 | September - October 2021

developed specifically for naturally ventilated barns and comes with the following features: • coloured seven-inch display with a clear structure; • with its twelve relays, Breezy controls, among other things, up to two recirculation fans and heating as well as cooling; • available for connection are up to three temperature sensors, one CO2 sensor, one humidity sensor, and one water meter; • integrated weather station to determine wind speed and direction. www.bigdutchman.com

challenge with milk is to lower its temperature from 35°C to 4°C in just a few hours. Quick pull down is essential to ensure 100 percent quality without product loss. Whether working indoors or outdoors, Danfoss Optyma™ Slim Pack condensing units fulfil the requirements of milk production and collection frequency, with longterm reliability and efficient operations, supported by the inclusion of the tried-and-tested Danfoss scroll compressor technology. All units are 100 percent factory tested to ensure safe factory assembly on to milk tanks, as well as reduced leak risks and down time on site.

The Optyma™ Slim Pack condensing unit is equipped with Danfoss components optimised to work together: compressor, controls, and heat exchanger. Danfoss Micro channel heat exchangers and housing are corrosion resistant; the galvanised and painted housing has passed a 400-hour salt spray test to ensure a long lifetime in harsh environments.

Food safety and system reliability go hand-inhand. If your cooling solution is performing as it should, and with the proper product management being in place, there should be no safety or longevity issues when it comes to milk storage.

Danfoss Climate Solutions in South Africa has a focus on enabling energy-efficient refrigeration systems for the Sub-Saharan African dairy and agricultural sectors, helping to alleviate the pressure that local dairy manufacturers are under to make their systems more efficient, while maintaining and enhancing cooling performance.

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FEATURE TOPICAL ISSUES

Farmers petition parliament to review EU policy, before adopting it unseen Petition highlights governmental failure in recommending parliamentary adoption of policies Kenya is disputing as illegitimate and unfounded through the World Trade Organisation.

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armers, led by industry associations the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya, the National Potato Council of Kenya, and the Cereal Growers Association, have lodged a petition with parliament seeking the review and overturning of a recommendation from the parliamentary health committee that the industry claim will be catastrophic for Kenya.

Under pressure from environmental lobbyists and following a pe tition from the organic farming group Route to Food, the health committee took up a new mantle in determining agricultural policy in Kenya and has recommended to parliament that it ban all agricultural inputs in Kenya that are banned in Europe. However, the committee did not review the European Union policies that have led to the bans, taking it on the word of NGO witnesses that these were food safety issues, and failing to ascertain that the policies that have led to the bans in Europe have been disputed by the rest of the world, including Kenya, as unscientific trade barriers.

Kenya is one of 45 countries that has contested the EU’s input policies and bans through the World Trade Organisation, in a seven-year dispute, number STC 382, in which the EU has been asked to provide scientific grounds for the bans, which it has never yet done. The policies have also been rejected vigorously by the US as unscientific and also fly in the face of the world food safety system run jointly by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“It speaks to a constitutional oversight that the health committee can recommend the most serious agricultural policy change in a generation and never even seek the input of the agricultural committee or any agricultural policy makers, appearing to be completely unaware, too, of our own nation’s foreign policy and trade position on the same matter,” said Ojepat Okisegere, CEO of the Fresh Produce Consortium, Kenya.

“Yet, what makes this incredible is that the committee is recommending the ban of the insecticides we use to control malaria, which will

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make some mysterious gain in food safety. If the committee had even looked at the EU policy, Europe has determined to cut agricultural inputs by targets, claiming it will slow climate change, but without any evidence of how. The policy does not show food safety as the cause for its further targeted cuts of 50 per cent of pest control products and 20 per cent of fertiliser, and yet parliament has been asked to automatically ban everything that Europe bans,” said Mr Okisegere.

“We hope with this petition that the government will reconsider where agricultural policy should sit, under what circumstances we adopt foreign legislation, when we act in opposition to our own trade and foreign policy positions, and whether it is right to sacrifice our food security and GDP without any impact assessment at all.” lead to potentially tens of thousands of deaths, as well as most of our crop protection in the middle of a locust invasion and just as climate change increases the pests and diseases afflicting our agriculture exponentially, through higher temperatures and more erratic weather conditions.”

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya recently announced a new drive to address the country’s rising pest levels, saying Kenya needed to boost overall farmer productivity and protect and safeguard the nation’s agriculture from external threats, including the introduction of foreign pests and diseases.

However, the health committee has simultaneously asked parliament to ban the majority of the country’s crop protection products, in a meltdown that will lead to a near-immediate maize crisis, close the country’s coffee estates, cut tomato production by 80 per cent, and savage the production of potatoes, wheat, rice, onions and most other crops.

“These proposals are catastrophic. We believe they will cut Kenyan GDP by more than 20 per cent and deliver waves of new hunger and poverty. Yet, for all that damage, we will not even

The farmers and growers seek a review of the committee recommendations for their impact, arguing there is no merit to bypassing an impact assessment that would certainly have been undertaken to achieve new legislation, but has not been commissioned as part of this recommendation.

“We seek decisions based on science and proven studies, rather than anecdotes, hearsay and misconstrued policies. It is not enough to be told another region has a different policy and call it food safety when their policy is about different targets that we have never adopted. We need agricultural experts to review the EU policy that we are being asked to adopt and a full legislative process to take place to determine whether this EU policy should be Kenyan policy too. This is a basic first step in implementing another region’s policies in Kenya,” said Mr Okisegere.

With the Pest Control Produces Board now instructed to review the status of every crop protection and public health product banned under the EU’s environmental changes, the farmers are also demanding that the reviews be properly resourced, so that they can be based in science and scientific studies and not delivered through political pressure without proof or grounds.

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FEATURE

Fibertex geosynthetics horticulture irrigation plant propagation capillary mats

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t a time in Southern Africa, when food scarcity is a very real concern, it is even more important for the agricultural sector and horticulture specialists to make sure they have optimum growth conditions in nurseries and greenhouses.

Capillary mats ensure uniform water storage and reduced disease, fungus and rot, due to the controlled water hold. These mats, which are also well suited for computer-controlled watering systems, eliminate dry spots and prevent areas with insufficient fertilizer.

nozzles and irrigation system. Although the main function of this material is for filtering, these mats have also been designed to absorb the remaining moisture and distribute this evenly to plants, after irrigation is completed.

“A critical part of providing a healthy growing environment for plants is controlled water and fertilizer distribution in optimal amounts, to ensure high quality of each vegetable, herb or shrub,” says Sefton Fripp, Commercial Executive, Fibertex South Africa, specialists in nonwovens and performance-based materials for use in diverse industries. “The Fibertex team works closely with farmers and horticulturalists globally to continually improve plant growing conditions, through the development and manufacture of eco-friendly products that make it easier to care for plants correctly.

“Fibertex capillary mats are simple to cut without any fraying at the edges and are easy to join by welding or glueing. These durable mats can be re-used many times and maintain high strength, even in wet conditions. Added to this, they are easy to clean with a high-pressure cleaner or a firm brush.”

These white mats (80 g/m² weight and 0.6 mm thickness) have a capillary lift of 7.0 cm and are available in a maximum roll width of 520 cm and standard length of 200 lin m. All Fibertex horticulture products are manufactured to stringent environmental and quality standards, including ISO 9001 certification.

Fibertex PPR 443 capillary mats are the most popular type of capillary mats for sub-irrigation with hoses. This range has an excellent balance between capillary action and water retention capacity and is suitable for use in all nurseries and greenhouses.

The Fibertex geosynthetics range encompasses nonwoven and woven geotextiles, gabions and mattresses, drainage pipes and fittings and erosion control and cellular confinement solutions. The company also supplies soil reinforcing and stabilising products, including geogrids and geocells, as well as geosynthetic clay liners as part of composite lining systems in modern landfills.

“Included in the broad range Fibertex range of horticulture products are geosynthetics used for constructing growing tunnels and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drainage pipes, which are UV stabilised and offer high impact resistance to avoid damage during installation, as well as improving mechanical service life and ensuring extended service life in exposed propagation environments. Fibertex capillary mats have been specially designed for controlled sub-irrigation for efficient nursery production.

“The installation of Fibertex capillary mats in nurseries and greenhouses improve the quality of plants by providing the best growing conditions.

34 | September - October 2021

The highly efficient capillary function of this material enables exact control of the dry/wet cycle, ensuring uniform water and fertilizer distribution on sloping benches, sand bottom and concrete floors.

These grey mats (150 g/m² weight and 1.0 mm thickness) have a capillary lift of 8.0 cm and are available in a maximum roll width of 520 cm and standard length of 100 lin m.

Fibertex is the largest manufacturer of UV stabilised virgin PP (polypropylene) nonwoven geotextiles produced in Africa, with certification for durability of over 100 years, in accordance with the latest EN standards.

Fibertex F-80 capillary mats, with excellent filter properties, have been developed for ebb and flood benches, preventing dirt build-up in the

The local Fibertex team supports the diverse product range with technical advisory service throughout the African continent.

FEATURE COVER STORY

Non-toxic & Biodegradable Disinfectants for Containing Foot and Mouth Disease in Southern Africa

Safer and Greener Disinfection Rigorous tests carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) have revealed that most traditional surface disinfectants for livestock contain toxins which are classified as a health hazard and pollutants. This necessitates cattle farmers to adopt safer and greener alternative disinfectants to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable business practices (Environment, Social and Governance).

F

By Nick Barnes oot and mouth disease (FMD) has cost cattle farmers in Southern Africa - South Africa and Botswana in particular – easily over two billion of rands in revenue loss - as importing countries of animals and animal products only buy from FMD-free countries.

Governments - the departments of agriculture and relevant authorities in affected countries in this context - may do their utmost by committing resources towards enforcement of policies of good veterinary governance to prevent and control the spread of the virus. Nevertheless, all things considered, the buck stops with farmers themselves who have to adopt appropriate means to protect their herd. And one of the elements in the first line of defence is the use of surface livestock disinfectants, which are used in regular cleaning and disinfection of livestock pens, buildings, vehicles and equipment.

Cattle farmers have to make judicious decisions on the choices concerning the relevance and quality of disinfectants they use. In particular, Current legislation obligates livestock farmers – indeed the agricultural sector – to only use suitable products whose efficacy in the containment of viruses, bacteria and fungi has been verified.

Growing interest in alternative disinfectants Interestingly, there has been growing interest in what are deemed safe and environmentallyfriendly disinfectants as the agricultural sector embraces sustainability (Environment Social and Governance) in its business model. Though, it would be an exaggeration for anyone to claim that there is a revolution in surface disinfectant markets, where traditional products are being phased out of the market, and non-toxic and

biodegradable alternatives are replacing them.

It is entirely upon the livestock farmer to elect to use products which are classified as safe and eco-friendly as part of their commitment to sound business ethics (ESG).

Surface disinfectants based on hydrogen peroxide are considered as an alternative to traditional surface disinfectants like hypochlorite, the most preferred chlorine disinfectant available in both solid and liquid forms. Rigorous tests carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) have revealed that most traditional surface disinfectants contain toxins which are classified as a health hazard and pollutants.

In one report released in May 2020, the WHO warned: “Spraying or fogging of certain chemicals, such as formaldehyde, chlorine-based agents or quaternary ammonium compounds, is not recommended due to adverse health effects on workers in facilities where these methods have been utilised.”

Judicious procurement decisions As expected, in response to this growing niche demand, manufacturers are producing biodegradable disinfectants based on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution. Unfortunately, the malpractice of greenwashing, rampant in other veterinary products, has not spared the non-toxic and biodegradable detergents niche market, posing a challenge for farmers to tell the genuine from the counterfeit. It is not uncommon, in the core business of pushing sales to increase revenue, for manufacturers and major suppliers of non-toxic and biodegradable disinfectants to claim that their product is the ‘leading natural and toxic free cleaning and decontamination natural alternative’ widely used to control microorganisms.

Accordingly, it is entirely upon the cattle farmers to exercise prudence and make judicious decisions when choosing products in a market awash with hundreds of product brands. Any doubts cattle farmers may have about the veracity of claims by suppliers made can be settled by referring to certification by any of the credible entities.

Prudence would be the operative word at all times.

All the more, as regards proper usage, it is the farmer’s responsibility. Respective regulatory bodies make it mandatory for all label use directions and safety precautions to be followed.

In the U.S., for instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates disinfectants (referred to as antimicrobial pesticides) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In South Africa, this falls under Section 13 (1) of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act (Act 5 of 2008) - Compulsory Specification for Chemical Disinfectants (VC 8054).

The future of biodegradable products Generally, notwithstanding COVID-19, there are huge prospects that the African livestock surface disinfectant market size is set for exponential growth in the coming years. This is mainly down to increasing awareness amongst farmers concerning animal diseases – a phenomenon which is expected to occasion growing demand for stockyard disinfectants. There are indications that the African livestock surface disinfectant market size is set for a growth trajectory. Valued at USD 65.0 million in 2018, a market review predicts that it is likely to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% by 2025.1

Africa Livestock Surface Disinfectant Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Chemical, By Form, By Livestock (Cattle, Pig), By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 – 2025 1

September - October 2021 | 35

COVER STORY

Fighting Foot-and-mouth disease, the modern way

O

ne of the most important keys to success in containing diseases such as foot-andmouth disease (FMD), is using a highly researched and tested disinfectant. For it to be successful, it must contain a formulation of several ingredients working together, where the whole performs more effectively than its parts. This contrasts with simple non-formulated disinfectants, which require very high levels of biocidal ingredients that are more likely to lead to toxic and environmentally hazardous results. These raw disinfectants are also not as effective at containing disease as their formulated counterparts.

This is because formulated disinfectants have been developed directly with a purpose in mind; farm biosecurity. Researchers match ingredients to the disinfectant which can deal with real-world challenges, such as organic soiling, temperature change, water hardness, and repeated usage, in boot dips or vehicle wheel baths.

The disinfectant FAM 30, developed by Evans Vanodine International in the UK, was first researched and developed throughout the 1960s, to directly combat FMD during a nationwide outbreak. According to government testing laboraties, raw disinfectants being used at the time were taking hours to kill the virus and were not effective. When the first version of FAM 30 was introduced, these laboratories discovered the virus was eliminated in less than a minute.

The name of the product, short for ‘Foot and mouth formulation number 30’, highlights its history against the disease.

36 | September - October 2021

The FAM 30 formulation has been redeveloped and improved over the decades. Further testing provides the product with maximum efficacy against a wide spectrum of bacteria, viruses, and fungi while also keeping the environmental impact and hazards of the product as low as possible. One of the strengths of FAM 30 is its well-matched level of surfactant. Surfactants are a type of detergent which allow the disinfectant to penetrate organic soiling or other surfaces.

FAM 30 has been developed to take advantage of this, so that it is effective at sanitising and disinfecting while also possessing cleaning properties. As well as being highly effective, the surfactant chosen is also biodegradable.

These advancements have led to FAM 30 becoming the number one disinfectant for FMD and other diseases in the UK. This is reflected in FAM 30 being authorised by various, rigorous, efficacy and environmental regulations, such as the European Union’s Biocidal Products Regulation and others throughout the world.

Farms, and the industry at large, have trusted FAM 30 for 50 years worldwide, including South Africa. This is in part due to FAM 30 passing the strict UK DEFRA test method for FMD at a dilution of 1:550.

Not only must your chosen disinfectant be effective at neutralising harmful microorganisms, but it must also be safe, as the need for low environmental impact and safe-to-use disinfectants grows. Some biocidal ingredients have already been banned due to their highly hazardous nature. Disinfectant manufacturers must therefore research safer alternatives so that users and the environment remain protected.

Evans Vanodine International is committed to this approach; FAM 30 is non-toxic to farm animals and humans and is also completely biodegradable. Care should always be taken with disinfectants, especially regarding usage and disposal. For a more effective containment of microorganisms, it is recommended to clean with a detergent prior to disinfection.

For more information on FAM 30, visit the Evans Vanodine website www.evansvanodine.co.uk or contact export@evansvanodine.co.uk

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FEATURE NEWS INDUSTRY

for overseeing and supporting the South African product testing program.

“With the Magnum AFS Connect we tested all the latest functionality the machine offers,” he said.

“First, we tested it on the new Case IH/CNH industrial RTK network. This enables customers to work in the most accurate way possible, giving them around 2cm repeatable accuracy.

“We also tested the machine on the new AFS 1 and AFS 2 correction signals. With this we could see the accuracy on the ground and how the machine performed, and also if this satisfied the customer expectations.

“The AFS Connect machines offer customers the ability to connect to the machine remotely,” Mr. Prinsloo said. “We tested this as well and shared information back and forth from the machine to the AFS Connect Farm Portal.

Magnum AFS Connect put to test in South Africa

S

outh African farmers looking forward to the arrival of Case IH’s new Magnum™ AFS Connect™ tractor can take comfort in the knowledge that the machine has performed successfully under local conditions in a series of in-field trials.

South African testing of the Magnum AFS Connect 380 CVT began in September 2020 in Bergville Kwa Zulu Natal. Since it arrived in South Africa, the Magnum AFS Connect 380 CVT tractor has completed approximately 600 hours of rigorous testing.

The Magnum AFS Connect is the seventh generation of Case IH’s Magnum series tractors and incorporates technology from the brand’s Autonomous Concept Vehicle. AFS (Advanced Farming Systems) is the name of Case IH’s precision farming range. AFS Connect denotes the brand’s telematics solution, which is now an integral part of the Magnum AFS Connect tractor.

The Bergville area is known for no-till, high intensity farming due to irrigation, and farmers in the area typically produce two crops per year on rotation, as well as incorporating cover crops in their farming operations.

Wireless connectivity allows for instant communication and two-way data transfer between the machine and its manager, with AFS Connect technology making it possible for remote display viewing of the tractor’s AFS Pro 1200 operating screen by farm owners, managers and, with permission, the dealer supporting their equipment, providing exactly the same screen view the operator is seeing in the cab.

38 | September - October 2021

The machine was tested at a large maize, soybeans, dry beans and wheat operation.

The new Magnum AFS Connect boasts new features such as a new full-length door, cab interior, instrumentation, Multi-controller armrest for enhanced operating ease and new brakeassisted steering, all of which were put to the test by in-field operators, however the machine’s precision farming and connectivity features were the main focus of the trials.

Jaco Prinsloo is Case IH’s Product Marketing Manager for Crop Production and is responsible

“We also connected remotely to the machine via our Remote Service Tool (RST) to run diagnostics and do software updates and helped the operator by connecting via a remote display.”

One of the groundbreaking features of AFS Connect Farm is the ability for it to be linked with other cloud based FMIS (Farm Management Information Systems) such as Trimble® and FarmersEdgeTM FarmCommand® platforms.

Sharing data between multiple platforms will allow customers to access all their data from one central location. The DataConnect partnership even allows customers with mixed fleets to visualize their supported John Deere and Claas machines on the AFS Connect Farm platform.

“With this we enable farm equipment users to view mixed-brand machinery data within a single platform of their choice,” Mr. Prinsloo said.

“So far all the tests we have done have been successful. The customers who participated in our trials are excited by what they have seen from the AFS Connect platform.”

Case IH dealers across South Africa are currently undergoing a hands-on training program on the new Magnum AFS Connect and Steiger AFS Connect series tractors, so will be well-placed to support customers in the field.

For more information about Magnum AFS Connect tractors, or any Case IH equipment to suit your needs, talk to your local authorised Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com.

W O R L D

C L A S S

LAY-FLAT

HOSES M

andals lay-flat hoses have been the preferred solution in the global agricultural sector for decades.

The durability and wear resistance provide long lasting hoses for such demanding use. Quick deployment and retrieval, combined with excellent flow rates and long life time, reduce operating cost.

We offer hoses especially designed for use with umbilical drag hose systems. This ensures environmentally friendly and safe manure distribution, and also prevents hard-packing of the soil.

Mandals Dragman is especially designed to withstand the extreme tensile stress, pulling forces and abrasion from umbilical slurry systems. Some diameters are available in 300-400 meter lengths.

Mandals Superman is a hose intended for large volume transfer under high pressure and is widely used as supply hoses for large agricultural systems.

UMBILICAL

DRAG HOSE SYSTEM

Mandals Flexitex Standard and Extra are intended for use as feeder hose for smaller irrigation and slurry units. This hose is a reinforced fluid transfer lay-flat hose for agricultural systems, but it may also serve as a drag hose in smaller umbilical systems, or for irrigation in the agricultural sector.

READ ARTICLE: The hose that makes farmers more productive

DRAGMAN

SUPERMAN

WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW DISTRIBUTORS

Mandals (a Michelin Group company) is a world leading manufacturer of premium lay-flat hoses. With over 245 years of experience in production and distribution of lay-flat hoses, you can trust us as your next business partner. Mandals has become a well-known brand though our worldwide sales and distribution strategy.

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We can offer a solid base of products and solutions, in addition to in-house services that can help your business grow together with the Mandals brand.

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We are looking for new partners in various industries, such as agriculture/irrigation, oil and gas, mining and portable water. We are always open to explore new industries as well.

If you would like to discuss your future partnership with us, please contact us at sales@mandals.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you would like to know more about our products, please have a look at our website www.mandals.com

FEATURE

Small-scale chicken farmers growing despite challenges

because the business has grown from 1000 layers to close to 3000 layers.

COVID19 lockdown restrictions negatively impacted the poultry sector which sells eggs to the hospitality industry which was closed. “When deliveries to the town were stopped or late, I jumped in to fill that small gap. But because the price of chicken feed skyrocketed, I had to absorb the costs” she said.

The increase in the costs of chicken feed also affected Tshokolo Selolo the owner of TNJ Operations, a business that supplies eggs and chickens in Limpopo. She chose not to increase her prices, despite the steep hike in chicken feed during the lockdown year.

I

By - Tanya McClean n the State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted plans to boost the poultry industry by investing R800 million towards its growth. The announcement to support entry level small businesses in the poultry industry was welcomed by Izaak Breitenbach, the South African Poultry Association General Manager.

Poultry farmers are contributing towards job creation and economic growth despite challenges caused by the rising price of chicken feed. “Consumers want farm fresh chickens and eggs, and my customers look for quality”, says Herbert Nenweli the owner of Nweli Poultry in Limpopo. Herbert added that government should help emerging poultry farmers by cutting the amount of red tape to enter the industry and limiting the importing of chickens. “By importing chicken, government is missing an opportunity to empower entrepreneurs to be part of the poultry industry”, he said.

Nweli Poultry in Tshirenzheni was founded in 2016

by Nenweli who followed in his father’s footsteps.

The business is a co-operative business model and employs casual workers. “Most of our customers want live chickens, they do not like the frozen ones from the large retailers,” he said.

The owner of Mae Eggs also shares Nenweli’s sentiments about the need for poultry farmers to be supported because they play a huge role in communities. Phuti Mphelo the owner of a poultry business called Mae Eggs in Lephalale, outside

40 | September - October 2021

Polokwane believes there is a big demand for eggs. “Many people in rural areas and townships eat eggs for protein when they can’t have meat; they mostly prefer farm fresh eggs,” she said.

Phuti was inspired to start this business because she wanted to build a business which could be transferred to her children one day. “My husband and I are not farmers; we both did poultry courses to learn about running a poultry business”, she said. Most of her clients are local and retail grocery stores, guesthouses, hotels and hawkers.

“We are working hard towards becoming a significant employer, but it’s taking time; we currently employ four casual workers,” she said.

Mae Eggs’s business growth trajectory is positive

“The cost of chicken feed was very high, many people had lost jobs or were struggling financially and because of this, I did not increase my prices,” she said. Most of her customers are households and when children were not going to school and not getting fed by the school’s feeding schemes, families were under pressure to feed their families.

Tshokolo started her poultry business in 2016 with 14 chickens in her backyard. The lack of access to quality chickens and eggs motivated her to become a poultry farmer. “I live in a rural area and people had to travel far to buy chicken or eggs; some were sold rotten eggs,” she said. She started small and when she noticed that people responded well to her chicken business venture, she saved up and purchased more chickens to grow her business. The R 800 million investment that the President mentioned in his SONA will go a long way in supporting and empowering small poultry businesses like these. Their passion and resilience make farmers and entrepreneurs special.

Big Dutchman designs and implements feeding systems and housing equipment for modern poultry farming and is considered the market leader in the industry. On 5 continents in more than 100 countries, our name stands for lasting quality, fast service and unsurpassed know-how.

Now we offer you the possibility to extend and advance your business. We are looking for reliable independent resellers and sales agents with good local market insights and entrepreneurial background.

Working together for success – as partners side by side.

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If you are interested in our products and services please contact Managing Director Alistair Rawstorne: Big Dutchman South Africa Pty (Ltd) P.O. Box: 276 · Edenvale 1610 · RSA Office: +27 11 452 1154 Mobile: +27 83 327 9975 E-mail: alistair@bigdutchman.co.za

DSM – Your Partner in Innovative Nutritional Solutions for the African Agricultural Industry

Sustainability at DSM safeguarding our world and its people

Premixes and Blending

As the world’s population grows, demand for animal protein will continue to rise. Over time, the need for ever-increasing quantities of animal protein, which is already placing tremendous pressure on our planet’s finite natural resources, will lead to significant environmental strain and take our food systems well beyond the planet’s boundaries.

DSM Animal Nutrition & Health South Africa

If we are to feed, sustainably and responsibly, 9.7 billion people who are expected to share our planet by 2050, it is now more imperative than ever for us to make conscious efforts to our current lifestyle to ensure that we leave behind a legacy for those to come.

The need to provide enough animal protein for a growing population, while reducing the environmental costs of farming, requires smart science and innovative solutions.

At DSM, we are committed to creating an industry that meets the nutritional needs of the world’s rapidly growing population, while remaining within and respecting the critical planetary boundaries.

Our mission is to lead a robust and achievable global transformation in sustainable animal protein production, and to accelerate solutions that will initiate and maintain a brighter future. Sustainability is our core value, and it underpins our Purpose Led, Performance Driven strategy.

At DSM Animal Nutrition & Health, we are focusing our passion and expertise in 6 key areas to support the livestock value chain and address the challenges facing our planet: • Improving lifetime performance of farm animals • Reducing food loss and waste • Reducing emissions from livestock • Making efficient use of natural resources • Reducing our reliance on marine resources • Helping tackle antimicrobial resistance.

DSM has a comprehensive global network of premix plants with close to 40 plants dedicated to the production of pet food and feed premixes. This network helps to ensure high levels of customer service and delivery, supported by the high levels of traceability, quality and food safety. Being close to our markets allows us to respond quickly to our changing customer demands.

DSM South Africa is unique in animal nutrition and supplies premixes for a variety of crucial animal farming industries such as poultry, swine, ruminants, aquaculture and pets. We provide the highest quality ingredients and feed additives to produce excellent quality animal feed, while ensuring the health and welfare of animals that produce food for human consumption.

We continuously strive to provide our customers with products and solutions that help them succeed in a dynamic and ever-changing market, enhancing both profit and environmental sustainability.

The DSM South Africa site produces carefully customized premixes in a state of the art, fully automated production plant and serves the South African and Sub-Saharan African feed industries. This production site allows us to combine the expertise of a global business with the insight and logistics of a local one to meet our customers’ needs efficiently.

Collaborating closely with our customers, we work to solve some of today’s biggest global challenges, helping to bring about a fairer and more prosperous society for all.

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DSM -Your Partner in Innovative Nutritional Solutions for the African Agricultural Industry

For more than 50 years, animal feed manufacturers have trusted DSM to provide customized and innovative solutions in animal nutrition and health. Our cutting-edge products and premixes are used to produce excellent, high-quality animal feeds, while ensuring increased production and productivity, improved welfare, reduced environmental impact and enhanced results.

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FEATURE

Young farmer turned family farm around

G

BY: Fundiswa Nkwanyana one are the days when farms were led by old men and women, now that we are in the 21st century they are led by young farmers like Lehlohonolo Phakoe (23). He is the mastermind behind Basotho Farming, a livestock and agricultural produce farm on 250 hectares of land in Bethlehem, Free State.

When he was growing up, farming was not part of his plan but when his mother told him she is struggling to manage the farm all by herself, he stepped in to help. “My eagerness to help my mother drove me into farming and once I got involved, I fell in love with it and never looked back” says Lehlohonolo. In 2017, he took over the family-owned farm and since his takeover, he has managed to increase profits and diversify income streams.

The farm’s main source of income is from buying cattle when it’s still young and selling it for a good price at auctions and slaughterhouses when it’s older and mature. “I also sell the wool I get from the sheep, the maize and soybeans we grow, and I also sell charcoal and wood” says Lehlohonolo.

Relying on one income stream in farming is huge risk because working capital to keep the farm

works on your land and delivers your produce to clients, it’s difficult to keep track of the costs.

The business saved money and purchased equipment. They now use the equipment to work on their own land and other farmers are paying them to work on their land for them.

“We have over 100 sheep and 120 cows on the farm. I don’t mind waking up to them and working with the soil” he says. With all his responsibilities, he still likes to be hands on and work side by side with his staff. The farm continues to create employment for locals and he is giving back by mentoring farmers who are inspired by his bold moves.

Basotho Farming Owner

running in between harvests and breeding is essential.

Even though he is blessed to be working under his mother’s guidance and support, it was not easy. “When we started, we didn’t have our own equipment and we had to outsource a contractor to work our land for us; this was expensive” says Lehlohonolo. He adds that when someone else

Using technology to curb cattle theft also led to the growth of the farm. It’s a terrible loss when cattle are stolen. “To avoid theft, all my cattle have trackers and I get an alert on my phone when they move away from their designated range” says Lehlohonolo. Meticulous planning and having tight security is vital in running a farm of this magnitude.

Land redistribution is still a tentative issue in South Africa and the way forward is still unclear.

Lehlohonolo is one of the few lucky young farmers who work on family-owned land that is debt free. “I’m grateful that my mother paid off the land she purchased because I didn’t have to worry about paying for it” he says. The future looks bright for Basotho Farming because the business is financially stable with promising growth prospects.

Pig farming is a passion led business

M

By Fundiswa Nkwanyana ost South Africans are pork lovers, they enjoy pork chops and bacon. They are spoilt for choice because pig farms like Legae La Tlhago are producing A grade quality meat.

Obakeng Segooa is one of five founders of a pig farm in Winterveld, north of Pretoria that was established in 2015. “Our main source of income is from breeding pigs; we slaughter 12 to 17 pigs every week” says Obakeng. The farm also buys calves every four months to breed and later slaughter. Meat slaughtered on the farm caters to the increasing demand of good quality pork sold at shisa nyamas and butcheries.

All small business owners must start somewhere and for Obakeng and his team; they started off by selling only 12 pig carcasses a month and now they sell an average of 50 carcasses a month.

“We are pleased about our growth. We even process our own meat and sell it as burgers, ribs, mince, boerewors and sausages” says Obakeng.

44 | September - October 2021

The distribution reach for their meat continues to grow as more customers are becoming regular buyers. Good referrals from the businesses they work with also helps to grow their distribution reach.

fully-fledged medium sized farm that creates employment and contributes to the local economy. “Our meat is in high demand and we have plans to expand into owning an abattoir and a meat packaging plant” says Obakeng.

Nurturing piglets to matured and healthy pigs is a time consuming and sometimes stressful task.

“We have to make sure we feed them a wellbalanced diet, provide a hygienic environment for them to live in and pay a vet” says Obakeng. The team at Legae La Tlhago prioritises disease and infection control and they mix their own feed to make sure their pigs get the right nutrition.

Pig farmers face challenges that threaten their entire operation and for the owners of Legae La Tlhago, their biggest challenges were the listeriosis outbreak in 2018 and COVID19 lockdown restrictions. “During the outbreak we had to sell at a lower price because demand was limited. Lockdown forced shisa nyamas to close and we could not sell our meat” says Obakeng. These challenges negatively affected their business, but their passion helped them pull through.

“You can’t be successful in this business, if you don’t genuinely love pigs” says Obakeng. He and his team spend long hours feeding and cleaning up after their pigs because when their pigs are happy and well take care of, they produce good quality pork.

The farm’s growth protectory is impressive; they have grown from a small-scale farm to a

Even though there is a lot of hype around imported meats, buying from local farmers and supporting small businesses is important for the economy and improving food security. Pig farming is more than just selling meat, it’s a business that puts food on the table in many ways.

FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

Today’s Investment is Tomorrow’s Peace of Mind Technology in your farming operation is the driving force behind long-term resilience.

By Hentie Breedt, Marketing and Communications Manager, John Deere Africa Middle East

I

n times of economic uncertainty, making the right decisions has never been more critical.

Having a successful farming operation in South Africa means you need to set long-term goals that foster resilience.

Without a solid foundation, your farming operation may be facing an uncertain future. Resorting to short-term solutions may seem like the best decision today, but your farming operation will be ill-equipped to handle the challenges of tomorrow.

Technology is the underpinning factor that will provide your farming operations with the resilience it needs for a sustainable future. The decision to use technology applies to all aspects of a farming operation, especially when deciding on the correct mechanisation equipment to purchase for your farm.

If you rely on equipment alone to ensure the success of your operation, you may miss out on the opportunities that come with technological innovation. To ensure the prosperity of your farm, your approach needs to be less equipmentorientated and more solution-driven.

Gone are the days when a tractor was just a tractor, or a harvester was just a harvester; your equipment has now become the means to a longterm, sustainable goal.

Therefore, this means you need to prioritise the latest technology to realise maximum efficiencies,

46 | September - October 2021

optimal work performance, minimum downtime, higher outputs and achieve a higher resale value.

Solutions-driven technology can be applied to every level of mechanisation; for example, by using an efficient planter that optimises seed and fertiliser placement, yield percentages can be drastically increased.

As a farm increases in size and capacity, efficient data collection and management becomes essential. By introducing technology, data can be handled seamlessly. Data can be tracked and converted into appropriate and workable inputs for each step of the farming and cultivation process. Effective data management provides farmers with the insights they need to prepare for fluctuations in demand.

Whether it is soil preparation, planting, spraying or harvesting, technology will reduce fuel consumption while maximising profitability.

A sustainable, resilient farming operation is possible with the latest technology provided by John Deere. By monitoring the performance of your equipment over a distance, coupled with data collection processed by the John Deere Operations Center and JDLink™, your farming operation is built to last.

Technology is available to farmers at all levels and is designed with the farmer’s needs in mind. These innovations range from bolstered propulsion

systems to driver comfort optimisations. With greater visibility and better lighting, you can keep your tractor going for longer: John Deere effectively connects machinery, people and technology.

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FEATURE INSIGHT

Increased participation of women in land reform structures crucial to meeting socio-economic development imperatives the total privately owned land holdings in South Africa, men owned 26 202 689 ha or 72% of the total farms and agricultural holdings while women held 4 871 013 ha or 13%. 3 970 315 ha or 11% are jointly owned by males and females; 655 242 ha or 2% are co-owned; and 1379 029 or 3% fall under the “other” category.

The Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018, has found that less than a quarter of land reform beneficiaries were women despite policy pronouncements on the matter aimed at increasing women involvement.

W

hile South Africa has made some strides over the last 20 years when it comes to the participation of women in land reform, there is still a lot of work to be done before the country can attain the ideal gender equality in this space.

Emile de Kock, an independent land reform transaction advisor, who is also part of the panel of advisors for the Vumelana Advisory Fund says that, while there have been some significant improvements in the involvement of women in leadership roles in Communal Property Association (CPA) structures in the past 25 years, gaps remain in the overall degree of participation of women.

“In the majority of the more than 40 projects that I have been exposed to over the years, there has been a noticeable increase in the numbers of women in the leadership positions and otherwise,” he said. “I suspect that, in large part, the degree to which women are represented in the leadership structures of these communal property entities has to do with the way that the Communal Property Association Act 28 of 1996 was drafted, making provisions for representation. There are, however, still gaps that should be addressed to

48 | September - October 2021

increase the numbers of women participating and the manner in which women participate.

“Furthermore, age imbalances still need to be improved. The current average age of CPA members is about 52 years and that’s a challenge we should all address. There is substantial room for young women to participate in CPA structures and in leadership roles.

“The imperative of adequate representation should be communicated as a normal part of the performance process and in large part, public sector policy has done a lot to positively influence this,” De Kock added.

The land restitution programme in South Africa is implemented via the CPAs and other land-owning trusts. Through them, communities acquire, hold and manage property on a basis agreed upon by members of the community in terms of a written constitution. The CPA deals with matters related to the land and oversees any deals that are concluded on the land.

The most recent land audit conducted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that of

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has also raised concerns about gender representation in land reform.

Minister in the Department, Thoko Didiza has previously highlighted that South Africa is among the countries that have joined the global coalition to champion economic justice for women and a crucial aspect of this is to empower women in regulatory reform and programme interventions that drive socio-economic development. In this regard, the issue of women’s empowerment will be central in policy development and programmatic intervention.

Peter Setou, Chief Executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, a non-profit organisation that helps land reform beneficiaries to make their land profitable says, “It is, therefore, imperative to increase the pool of women participants in land restitution and redistribution programmes, as this will go a long way towards addressing women empowerment and in enabling women to play their rightful roles both in society in general and in business.”

“In land restitution, you typically end up with very large numbers of beneficiaries, because land restitution attempts to provide redress to communities whose families were historically forcibly removed,” he explained. “Land redistribution is different. In those cases, you typically have families, individuals or small groups who have applied to acquire land for agricultural purposes. In both cases, however, the representation of women in decision-making roles remains important, because by and large men have traditionally dominated in these roles,” noted Setou.

AP AGRI-2_A4_GB- NTN-SNR © 05/2020 - Photos: NTN-SNR / PEDRO STUDIO PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK

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