Goscor

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

As part of the expansion project, UCL also appointed Bosch Projects to design, fabricate, supervise installation and commission several

UCL- long tube evaporator

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 Ü~äÑ=é~ÖÉ=mêÉëëìêÉ=ï~ëÜÉê=~ÇîÉêíKKéÇÑ===N===NQLMTLOMOM===NQWPU500 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.

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.

INTRODUCING NEW PRESSURE WASHER ATTACHMENT

www.bobcatsa.co.za bobcat@goscor.co.za

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Bayer launches its decarbonization program for agriculture in Europe

In line with the political objectives of the EU Green Deal, the program’s main goal is to fight climate change by establishing carbon farming practices at farmers’ level with benefits for the entire agricultural value chain / Program kicks off with over 25 farmers across seven countries in the EU and beyond: France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom and Ukraine

Bayer has announced the European launch of its global Carbon Initiative. The main goal is the decarbonization of the food value chain focusing on farmers’ activities for a more resilient and sustainable food system. It brings together farmers and food value chain players to explore future reward structures for farmers implementing new carbon reduction practices and thus contributing to the Green Deal objectives of the European Commission. The new European Carbon Program recognizes the pivotal role growers and their land can play in helping to create lasting, positive environmental impacts and is an integral part of Bayer’s sustainability commitments specifically aimed at reducing field greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 30% in 2030.

“Our Carbon Program actively contributes to the development of carbon farming activities in Europe by working directly with farmers in their role as primary producers and involving companies throughout the food value chain. This collaboration at a food value chain level will help decarbonize the European food system in a way that works for farmers, the environment and consumers,” said Lionnel Alexandre, Carbon Business Venture Lead for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Bayer Crop Science.

“The main idea is to reward growers for adopting climate-smart farming practices like using cover crops, tillage reduction, crop rotations and precision nitrogen application. These activities sequester carbon in the soil while improving soil health, resilience and productivity as well as limit emissions.”

To support these operations, Bayer will develop a digital tool which will allow farmers to claim rewards based on accurate and verified data. It will be compliant with current data privacy standards and will be reliable and simple to operate for every farmer. This digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) solution builds on Bayer’s industry-leading digital farming platform Climate FieldViewTM.

The 27 participating farmers from seven countries are collectively contributing about 500 hectares of land from their farms based in France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany as well as Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Central to the European Carbon Program is the practice of co-creation: farmers, Bayer experts and food

value chain players work together in a carbon farming lab where they can jointly test activities and generate learnings. Discussions with several food processors and retailers are ongoing, and they are expected to join the Carbon Program by the end of the year.

After establishing the current carbon content in the participating farmers’ lands as the baseline for the project, farmers will implement climate smart farming practices like using cover crops and tillage reduction.

This implementation of new practices will be continuously monitored and improved. The learnings and the further insights gained from the participating project partners from across the food value chain will inform the design and implementation of an accurate and reliable digital MRV tool. The program is expected to deliver this new digital solution in the next three years, while its implementation within Climate FieldViewTM is planned for the third year. “An intact soil structure and organic matter soil management are decisive for securing my income”, said Stefanie Peters, Agro-Farm GmbH Nauen and part of the Bayer ForwardFarm network. “In my opinion, carbon farming, the sequestration of carbon in the soil, can make a great contribution to this. I am also looking forward to working with a variety of partners within Bayer’s carbon program.”

The European launch is part of the company’s Global Carbon Initiative which launched in the U.S. and in Brazil in July 2020. In these countries, Bayer is the first agriculture company to offer all the necessary technologies in terms of seeds and traits, crop protection and digital solutions, cost-efficient MRV and certification according to internationally recognized standards.

Alexandre Teillet, Head of New Business Models at Bayer Crop Science for Europe, Middle East and Africa, summed up: “Our vision is that in the future, food retailers or food processors will be able to work with confidence on effective carbon emission reduction projects involving their partner farms from their specific supply chains.

At the same time, farmers, as primary producers of a stable and longer food value chain, shall be rewarded in a transparent and fair way – for their effective carbon emission reductions conducted through their farming practices everywhere in the world.”

This European Carbon Program kick-off is the latest addition to Bayer’s actions to help decarbonize Food Systems in Europe. Earlier this year, the company announced its participation into the EU Carbon + Farming Coalition which is driving a farmer-centric approach for designing Food Systems decarbonization solutions in the region. The Coalition will also deliver to the European Commission a set of recommendations to help framing EU policies that will enhance climate smart solutions adoption at scale.

Kenya to host the AGRF 2021 Summit

Kenya will host the AGRF 2021 Summit, which this year will focus on the bold actions needed for agriculture to fuel the continent’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and continued food systems transformation.

The four-day Summit will take place from September 7 until 10 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Speaking during a courtesy call to H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President, Republic of Kenya, H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, the former Ethiopia Prime Minister and AGRF Board Chair, applauded the Kenyan Government for making agriculture a priority, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. made in agriculture, this is the kind of visionary leadership that the continent needs to end hunger and malnutrition and for our continent’s shared prosperity,” H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn said.

President Kenyatta welcomed the forum and affirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening agriculture and boosting Kenya’s food security.

He said the forum would showcase the country’s agricultural leadership on the continent, and forge closer partnerships with the private sector. The President also urged the AGRF partners group and another stakeholder to increase investments to strengthen smallholder farmer resilience, support the development of often neglected value chains like millet that are profitable and nutritious crops, and invest in youth in agriculture.

The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward.

Jennifer Baarn, acting Managing Director, AGRF, said that the 2021 Summit is taking place at a defining moment for the continent.

“This year’s AGRF takes place when the global voices converge around food systems. It is also the time when the world’s focus turns to the economic and social recovery from the COVD-19 pandemic.

We have learned a lot in the past 18 months, there are a lot of opportunities to accelerate and catalyze agricultural transformation,” Ms. Baarn said.

She added that the 2021 Summit will provide a platform to highlight and unlock many of the political, policy, and financial commitments and innovations needed to get back on track to targets outlined in the Malabo Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year the Summit is expected to host over 10,000 delegates virtually with a scaled-down physical event in Nairobi.

Elgon Kenya Director Bimal Kantaria feted for his investment in Kenyan agriculture

Agriculture Sector Network Chairman and Elgon Kenya Managing Director Bimal Kantaria has been awarded the Productive Business Civility Award by US-based iChange Nations Organization in recognition of his role, investment and impact in agriculture, education, health and social services.

The award is set aside for the Top World Civility Leaders who are making a global impact with their businesses, innovations and initiatives. “I am honoured and humbled to receive the 2021 Productive Business Civility Award along inspirational great business leaders across the globe who have committed their time and effort to make the world a better place,” said Dr Kantaria in his acceptance.

Last year, Dr Kantaria was elected chair of the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET) the umbrella organization of agribusiness organizations and stakeholders seeking to steer the industry into the required transformation into the driver of Kenya’s economic development. The body was formed on realization that the important sector is not as productive as it should be despite its massive potential in food security, industrial development and job creation.

ASNET brought together the national government, county governdments, development partners, non-governmental organizations and agriculture sector value chain players to craft a joint strategy to refocus and grow the industry into a global force. Given his involvement in agriculture sector initiatives developemnt and support, Dr Kantaria was naturally picked by his peers to steer the structural formation of ASNET. The network has since gone regional, following the establishment of the Agriculture Confederation of East Africa, which seeks to negotiate with governments and businesses in the East Africa region to formulate a policy to support a seamless movement of goods across borders to spurr agriculture development with the EAC borders. This effort, despite the EAC Heads of State Summit pledging since 2011 to spearhead a regional approach to agriculture development has not taken off but with ACEA, the dream is close to becoming realized. Dr Kantaria is the chair of ACEA. Among international organizations working with ASNET is the SDG Partnership of the UN – Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).

At the height of Covid-19 last year, Dr Kantaria working with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Rotary International and the Kenya Flower Council formed the Caravan of Hope Initiative that delivered flowers to caregivers in Kenyan hospitals and the UK, to encourage first-line health workers as the virus crushed the world. Kenya flower industry was among the most hit by global lockdowns and the flower donations were meant to give hope the world woul bloom again.

For his efforts, President Uhuru kenyatta named him with among the Uzalendo Award honours, given to exemplary supporters of the war against Covid-19. Elgon Kenya donated food rations, hand sanitizers and masks as its contibution to containing the spread of the virus.

Dr Kantaria is the patron of the annual National Farmers Awards that seeks to reward the country’s farming champions ranging from small enterprises to large commercial entities. The all inclusive scheme recognizes women, persons with disabilities and the youth. Winners have become icons, mentors and model farmers, demystifying agribusiness as a career of choice. The awards have been recognized and earned a Presidential trophy. The scheme is supporting the recently revived 4K Clubs movement that seeks to reintroduce farming initiatives in Kenya’s primary schools and young farmers in secondary schools. Dr Kantaria is also the patron of the newly formed Agriculture Media Society of Kenya that seeks to support the training of agriculture journalists in reporting about the sector.

I Change Nations was founded by Dr. Clyde Rivers, the acting Representative to the United Nations – New York for the Interfaith PeaceBuilding Initiative (IPI) and the United Nations Department of Public Information. Dr. Rivers is also the Spokesman Worldwide for World Civility Day. “I am honored to be able to work alongside such amazing people, who. are changing the world and creating a culture of honor and civility. Each one is an icon and a difference maker,” said Dr. Clyde Rivers.

Dr Kantaria has supported health, education, and the homeless among many other initiatives.

Zinc fertilisers are essential to boost cereal-crop yield

An optimal supply of zinc in a well-managed fertiliser programme can have a measurable increase in crop production.

By Simon Norton, International Zinc Association, Africa Desk

In Sub-Saharan Africa, soil health concerns are largely due to poor nutrient supply in the soil. Increasing population pressure on agricultural land has led to a breakdown of traditional practices, resulting in much higher nutrient outflows. Also, there is insufficient support to small farmers to implement soil and cropping practices that could potentially reverse this depletion.

A consequence of poor soil health is the high prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity due to lower agricultural production, less fodder for cattle, less fuel wood for cooking and less crop residues and cattle manure to recycle nutrients to soils. Carbon dioxide emissions also increase due to soil nutrient depletion and deforestation. Although zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, zinc input has received far less attention than nitrogen, phosphorous or even irrigation. Almost half of cereal-growing areas globally have soils with a low level of plantavailable zinc.

Therefore, the application of zinc fertilisers is essential in such soils to boost cereal yield and grain zinc concentration. Numerous studies have indicated that maize grain yield, for example, increases significantly when zinc fertilisers are applied to zinc-deficient soils. This calls for a better understanding of the critical role that zinc fertilisers play. Not only are half of the world’s agricultural soils deficient in zinc, so is a third of the global population as a result. The use of zincIn zinc-deficient soils, zinc application increases maize yield due to increased kernel numbers and kernel weight in inferior grains. An adequate zinc supply in maize plants maintains high pollen viability and a sufficient carbohydrate source. Here the critical shoot zinc concentrations for high pollen viability and high kernel numbers of inferior grains have been shown to be 31.2 and 33.6 mg/kg respectively.

The international HarvestZinc project HarvestZinc has demonstrated that simultaneous foliar applications of zinc, iodine, selenium and iron in the same solution results in significant increases in zinc, iodine and selenium concentration, and modest ones in iron in grains of different wheat cultivars under various agro-ecological conditions, without grain yield trade-off.

Therefore, it is critical to consider global micronutrient balances in order to improve crop yield and quality and human health. Studies have also shown the importance of balanced nutrient feeding for improving livestock productivity. Ensuring optimal supply of zinc in a well-managed fertiliser programme can have a measurable increase in crop production and return on the farmer’s investment, while the increased concentration of zinc in plans is also beneficial to human health.

enriched fertiliser (for instance zinc-coated urea or zinc-enriched NPK) in Turkey, Australia, South Africa or India has resulted in significant increases in yields, as well as boosting zinc concentration in rice and wheat. The best way to increase zinc density in grain has been demonstrated to be foliar applications.

A recent study revealed that “agronomic biofortification using a foliar-applied fertiliser containing iodine, alone or in combination with selenium and zinc, is effective in improving grain iodine concentration.” The study also examined potential iodine losses during the preparation of foodstuffs with the enriched grains, and found that iodine levels had lowered but remained significantly higher than foodstuffs prepared with non-enriched grains. This calls for an enabling environment based on strategic cooperation with the fertiliser industry supplying the products, scientific organisations assessing the extent and impact of micronutrient deficiencies in soils, plants and human populations, and governments which stimulate the adoption of biofortification practices by farmers through economic incentives, subsidies and legislative mandates, together with technology and knowledge transfer.

An adequate zinc supply in maize plants maintains high pollen viability and a sufficient carbohydrate source