Farmers Review Africa

Volume 4. Issue 2. March/April 2018

NAMPO’S aim set on efficiency with technology Page 28

Starting a successful farming business ‘from subsistence to commercial farming P16

FARMERS

Proper Maize Post-harvest practices P18

REVIEW AFRICA

Fall armyworm invasion, a wake-up call for Africa P20

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Volume 4. Issue 2. March/April 2018

CONTENTS

Volume 4. Issue 2. March/April 2018

News Wheat farmers gear up for winter cropping.................................................................4

NAMPO’S aim set on efficiency with technology Page 28

Starting a successful farming business ‘from subsistence to commercial farming P16

FARMERS

Proper Maize Post-harvest practices P18

REVIEW AFRICA

Nigerian State introduces incentives to encourage farmers ..............................6 Zimbabwe government leaves un-insured farmers in the cold.........................8

Fall armyworm invasion, a wake-up call for Africa P20

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F A R ME R S

R E V I E W

Editor’s Note

A F R I C A

I S S U E

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Cover: Case IH (www.caseih.com) Executive Editor Lee Daniels lee.daniels@farmersreviewafrica.com Writers - Silimina Derick, Bertha M. Contributing Writers Nqobile Bhebhe Zimbabwe Oscar Nkala Botswana Bertha M South Africa Nita Karume Kenya Advertising Executive Russou Billiard, Cleopas M., Mkhululi K., East Africa Advertising Executives Mercy Cherono, Ken Okore, Anthony Kiganda, Project Manager Victor Ndlovu sales@farmersreviewafrica.com Correspondents - Isabel Banda zambia@farmersreviewafrica.com Sales & Marketing Cleopas Moyo cleopasm@farmersreviewafrica.com Mandla M. mandlam@farmersreviewafrica.com Mthokozisi M mthokozisim@farmersreviewafrica.com East African Liaison Arobia Creative Consultancy P. O. Box 2922-00200, Nairobi Odyssey Plaza, Mkoma Road, Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 772 187334, 790 153505 arobia@farmersreviewafrica.com eastafrica@farmersreviewafrica.com Graphic Design & Layout Augustine Ombwa austin@arobia.co.ke Published by Mailing Times Media +27 11 044 8986 sales@farmersreviewafrica.com

Rwanda’s declining cassava production.........................................................................11 President of Zimbabwe visits Case IH distributor Agricon................................12 Fibertex SA appoints Terrain Group distributors E. Africa...............................14

Tips Starting a successful farming business...................................................................16 ‘from subsistence to commercial farming’ Proper Maize Post-harvest practices.......................................................................18

Feature Fall armyworm invasion, a wake-up call for Africa.......................................... 20 Farmers Crippled by Fall Armyworm Outbreak................................................. 22 Buschhoff Feed Mills.............................................................................................................. 24 High quality “Mill and Mix” at larger agricultural African farms Nampo Harvest Day 2018................................................................................................. 26 NAMPO’S aim set on efficiency with technology............................................. 28

Products Maer high-pressure washers for agriculture on NAMPO show........................ 32 BI to showcase latest agricultural hub bearings........................................................... 34 Case IH and Northmec, to showcase its full product range............................... 37 NTN-SNR structures its offering for agricultural machinery................................42 BMG boer-slim/smart farming high-efficiencies........................................................... 44 Banding & ID Solutions Africa aims for organic growth in agriculture........... 46 SANY compact equipment for agriculture on sNAMPO show........................ 48 Goscor Power Products to showcase full Weima range at NAMPO............ 50

Projects Bosch Projects............................................................................................................................. 52 New short retention time (SRT) refined sugar conditioning silo commissioned

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

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elcome to the March- April edition of Farmers Review Africa one of our most unique ever! In its pages, you’ll find information on products, services, equipment and trends in farming and agriculture.

It is harvest season in Sub- Saharan Africa, and in the realm of food security, the reduction of post-harvest losses is one of the ways to boost production.

While no one knows what the future holds due to the evolving nature of farming, Agricultural producers’ openness to new technology is one of the main reasons why they may be able to have sustainable food production means.

The more time you spend educating yourself on the policies shaping your future, the better your business will be able to navigate the next several years.

At Farmers Review Africa we strive to equip our readers with valuable knowledge and insights. In addition to an extensive preview of the Grain SA Nampo Harvest Day 2018, South Africa’s largest agricultural trade show.

Tackle your biggest challenges, by arming yourself with knowledge and information as you read through our magazine.

Bertha M.

editor@farmersreviewafrica.com

FARMERS

REVIEW AFRICA

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Farm Support Services Hosts Wheat farmers gear up for Educational Poultry Seminars for winter cropping Farmers in South West Nigeria

By Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimbabwe

By APO Group

Topics at the seminars included optimal poultry production, biosecurity, feed quality and risk management, and heat stress management

L

AGOS, Nigeria, March 21, 2018/ -- One of Nigeria’s largest producers of day old chicks, animal nutrition and medicaments, Farm Support Services Ltd, recently hosted a series of three educational poultry seminars to approximately 700 farmers in Sagamu, Ibadan and Akure.

Topics at the seminars included optimal poultry production, biosecurity, feed quality and risk management, and heat stress management.

Farm Support Services invited Cargill’s animal nutrition business in Sub Saharan Africa to provide technical expertise on poultry nutrition and its application on farm and introduce its range of Provimi products.

Olumide Origunloye, Managing Director of Farm Support Services, commented, “Our mission is to add value to the lives of our customers, consumers, families and communities by providing high quality products and contributing to the success of our customers.”

He added that the seminars go a long way to support the farming community to refine farm management and animal health, which impact performance, and ultimately profitability.

“There is a lack of ad-

equate knowledge regarding animal farming and feeding.

By running these educational seminars, we believe that farmers can improve their practices and up the bar as far as poultry nutrition and general farm management goes,” he said.

During the seminars, Farm Support Services launched Cargill’s Provimi range of products including its premix and basemix. Basemix is a new concept to the Nigerian market. It is a macro pack containing a blend of high quality vitamins and minerals (premix), amino acids, Monocalcium Phosphate, salt, enzymes, toxin binders and other additives. Basemix is an all-in-one approach that combines world-class nutrition technology in a “rip-and-tip” bag, and helps to streamline mixing operations for farmers and feed millers.

According to Origunloye, Farm Support Services will focus on growing and progressing in the agricultural market in Nigeria. “Our expansion plans include developing agents in three locations in the North and three in the South-East regions of Nigeria over the next three to six months,” he concluded.

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HEAT grows in Zimbabwe are gearing up for winter cropping season and project to increase the area under the crop to around 90 000ha from 70 000ha last year.

Although last year’s official yield figures are still to be availed by Government, projections where of more than 20 000 tonnes from about 10 000 tonnes in 2016.

Current estimates fall well below the 325 000 tonnes achieved in 2001 meaning the country will still bank on imports to cover the gap, Zimbabwe Wheat Board chairman, Mr Givemore Mesoemvura said.

The country requires between 400 000 tonnes and 450 000 tonnes of wheat annually.

In an update on winter cropping season preparations, Mesoemvura said “Stakeholders in wheat production are this year targeting to improve the winter wheat hectarage by at least 20 percent from 70 000ha last year to around 90 000ha with an average yield per ha of between 3.5 tonnes and four tonnes.”

“We are going to have a pre-planting winter wheat conference in the last two weeks of April to train the farmers on wheat farming so that Zimbabwe achieves selfsustenance,” he said as quoited by local media.

Wheat takes 140 days to reach maturity and the deadline for wheat planting in Zimbabwe is usually May 15 although it can be extended to May 31 under advice from agriculture extension officers

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and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Although some farmers have previously planted their crop in the second week of June, it should be noted that the crop risks being affected by early rains in October or November.

The country’s peak wheat production occurred during the 1990s but output has been declining in recent years as a result of frequent droughts and land resettlement exercise, which displaced many productive farmers.

In 1990, 1999 and 2001, annual wheat production reached 325 000, 342 000 tonnes and 325 000 tonnes respectively.

Experts say if Zimbabwe ups production to more than 200 000 tonnes, it will cut the annual import bill for the cereal by $70 million.

Every year, the country averagely spends $100 million on flour imports. Public-private partnerships have become successful models to finance agriculture.

Government buys wheat from farmers at $500 per tonne, while private buyers offer between $360 to $380 per tonne.

On average, it costs $1 500 to plant one hectare of wheat in Zimbabwe while according to the United States Department of Agriculture research the average cost of production per hectare is about $790. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Chart of the Day: Key Export Markets for South Africa’s Agriculture

By Wandile Sihlobo

By Oscar Nkala

Wandile Sihlobo is an Agricultural Economist and Head of Agribusiness research at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) in South Africa. He is a business and agriculture columnist.

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n 2017, South Africa’s agricultural exports grew past US$10.0 billion for the first time, boosted by growth in exports of edible fruits, beverages, spirits, vegetables, grains and other agricultural products. This is a 15 percent increase from 2016 – a year that was characterised

by El Niño induced drought.

From a destination point of view, Africa and Europe continued to be the largest markets for South Africa’s agricultural exports, collectively absorbing 67 percent of total exports in 2017, measured in value terms.

In more detail, Africa remained South Africa’s largest market, accounting for 42 percent of agricultural exports, which is a percentage point increase from a five-year average share. The sector’s export growth to the continent was led by relatively competitive industries such as beverages, cereals, fruits, sugar and vegetables.

Trailing Africa was the European Union region which absorbed 25 percent of South

Zambian Ministry of Land to revoke 35 000 offer letters for land over right of ownership fees

Africa’s agricultural exports in 2017, up by 13 percent from the five-year average share.

South Africa’s agricultural export growth to this region was also led by industries such as beverages, wool, sugar, fruit and animal fats.

Asia is also an important market for South Africa’s agricultural exports, demanding a 24 percent export share in 2017, up by a third from the previous year. Wool, fruit, grains, beverages, vegetables and meat were the leading products exported to this particular region.

The Americas and the rest of the world accounted for 5 percent and 4 percent shares, which are 3 percent and 14 percent increases from 2016 exports, respectively. Exports to these regions were also dominated by fruits, beverages, sugar, flowers and ornamental foliage.

T

he Zambian Ministry of Land says it has started processes to revoke up to 35 000 offer letters for land countrywide because the beneficiaries have not paid the relevant fees to secure right of ownership.

Lands Minister Jean Kapata said soon after revoking the offer letters and repossessing the plots, government would re-advertise and parcel out the properties to deserving Zambians who are willing to pay land tenure fees.

“We are in the process of withdrawing those offer letters and re-advertise the plots. The 35 000 in default are not only in Lusaka, but countrywide.

We are owed a lot of money in land fees, which people are sitting on instead of paying to the government,” Kapata said.

The formal process of withdrawing land offer letters

includes notifying and giving the beneficiaries a grade period of 90 days to make a feasible payment settlement plan. Failing that, a legal process of repossession is often considered as the next action.

According to Kapata, the non-payment of land fees is a huge draw-back on the implementation of national land titling and farming programmes. The government has also announced that with immediate effect, the issuance of all title deeds in Zambia will be centralised at the National Titling Centre in Lusaka.

She said the possession of title deeds offered several advantages to farmers, including use as collateral when applying for farm capitalisation loans at banks. Government also benefits through the collection of ground rental fees from land owners.

The Ministry of Lands has warned that it will revoke 35,000 offer letters issued countrywide because of nonpayment of consideration fees by those in possession of the documents. Lands Minister Jean Kapata also announced that the issuance of title deeds will soon be done from the Lusaka Showgrounds, where the National Titling Centre is being constructed. “ Ms Kapata said she could not immediately know how much money in consideration fees the 35,000 plots translated into, but reiterated that it was a lot of money. Ms Kapata said before revoking the offer letters, the ministry usually wrote to the recipients and gave a 90-day period

to pay. She said the delays to pay the consideration fees, was negatively affecting the implementation of the national titling programme.

Ms Kapata, however, said the national titling programme was on course and that the ministry had engaged a company through a public private partnership arrangement to help in implementing the activity. The aim of the national titling programme was to ensure that all Zambians that owned land had title deeds which they could use as collateral when applying for loans besides it enabling the Government earn revenue through collection of ground rates.

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www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Nigerian State of Sokoto introduces new incentives to encourage farmers

By Oscar Nkala

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The Nigerian State of Sokoto has introduced new incentives to encourage farmers to increase the area under wheat, sesame, garlic and onion cultivation.

State Governor Aminu Wazir Tambuwal said the additional support will be include loans and grants as well as the training of farmers and extension workers in modern farming techniques.

The government will also provide farmers with free and improved seed varieties, fertilisers, pesticides and the lease of equipment like tractors to boost production.

Tambuwal said the new support package was the culmination of a government review of agricultural policies and the economic benefit of the particular crops in the local and export market. ‘‘Our support for wheat, garlic, sesame and onions farmers has been doubled to enable Sokoto State to maintain its position as the leading producers of these crops in the Nigerian federation,’ ’ he said.

He said the State government will continue to encourage private sector participation and partnerships in the development and growth of commercial agriculture in the state.

Hail and sunburn impact the exportable 2018 South African crop

By Brian Berkman

H

ail damage, drought and high summer temperatures are expected to impact the 2018 Tru-Cape apple and pear crop by about 10% in volume with a greater number of small fruit which might lead to a drop in export income.

This, according to Tru-Cape marketing director Conrad Fick, means the company has been negotiating purchase programmes with customers to maximise the value of their growers’ whole bin and to return maximum value to allow them to further invest in crop planting.

Andre Cloete, a Tru-Cape grower at Klein Ezeljacht Farm in the Overberg, near Greyton, said that hail had damaged 35% of his crop of red apples while Golden Delicious, still the favourite apple on the African continent, was decimated by 55%. “We saw sunburn damage from temperatures as high as 44 degrees centigrade for two consecutive days, followed by 75ml of rain in two hours during a drought period which led to flooding. Hail stones, the size of my thumb nail, came next”, Cloete says, “we are experiencing one extreme in climate to the next.”

Cloete says they typically have between 1000ml and 1200ml of winter rain in the year but this last year have had to reduce their apple and pear crop irrigation, typically between September and May, by 60% which means that the trees are only getting 40% of the water they want.

“This is already the third year that we are dealing with

drier winters and thanks to investment in monitoring and irrigation technologies that includes scheduling we are using neutron probes to accurately measure soil moisture and transpiration.” he says.

Fick says for Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the largest exporter of South African apples and pears, their ability to supply apples and pears in volume for 12 months of the year is one of the company’s strategic advantages. “Part of our procurement strategy is to have fruit available from a number of different climatic regions so that when climate impacts fruit from one region we are able to source fruit from another region”, he says explaining that Tru-Cape has growers in the Elgin, Grabouw, Villiersdorp and Vyeboom valleys as well as more than 140 km away

6

in Ceres and the Witzenberg Valleys and then, on the edge of the Western Cape, 600 km east, in the Langkloof area.

“Tru-Cape packs in 147 000 different permutations when we consider the variety, size, colour, spec and brand into which we pack. Even though we are South Africa’s largest exporter South Africa is just about one percent of global apple and pear production with China growing around half of all the apples and pears in the world. Like all South African exporters we are competing with growers and marketers in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and even in Europe although we benefit from being counter-seasonal so are able to supply our customers in Europe, and other northern hemisphere areas, when they cannot produce.”

Fick ends.

Both Fick and Cloete agree that legs or the staying quality of fruit impacted by the drought will play a role in reducing income from the current crop. “Areas that will take five or more weeks for our product to land on shelf such as at our Northern American and Canadian customers and some customers in the Far East are most at risk of fruit arriving at less than optimum quality because of the impact of drought and high temperatures. Our technical teams are, however, working around the clock doing maturity testing and other examinations of fruit to ensure we are able to supply the very best product despite the challenges.” Fick ends. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS

Broad-Based Support Helps Black Farmers Deliver More

By Wandile Sihlobo

By Wandile Sihlobo

T

he dark clouds of policy uncertainty and climate change are a form that does not put a smile on farmers’ faces.

However, there are some silver linings along the journey of South African agricultural sector that are worth highlighting.

While going through my old photos recently, one shot taken four years ago caught my attention. In it, I was posing with the then Grain SA vicechairman, Victor Mongoato, looking over the maize fields on the outskirts of Matatiele in the Eastern Cape province. I had been on a visit to a group of thriving black farmers.

Back then, black farmers in the area were producing 6 000 tonnes of maize in an area of roughly 1 200 hectares and they had just commenced training with an organised agriculture group. By the 2016/17 production season, the area planted to maize had increased to 4 000 hectares and the harvest was roughly 28 000 tonnes, according to data from Matatiele Grainco.

These numbers show that the improvement in production was not only because of an increase area planted, but also better farming practices as the yields improved from an average of 5 tonnes per hectares in the 2014/15 production season to around 7 tonnes per hectare in 2016/17.

From a national perspective this harvest may seem insignificant, but it is almost a third of the Eastern Cape’s commercial maize and the yield is higher than the national average.

A number of these farmers benefited from the support of

The Good Story of South African Apples

organised agriculture groups and private investors such as Grain SA, Grain Farmer Development Association and Masisizane Fund, amongst others. Grain SA has been actively involved in the province through its Farmer Development Program, which focuses on training and skills development. The Masisizane Fund invested about R46 million in farming areas around Matatiele in 2016. In fact, over the past four years, the Masisizane Fund invested about R100 million in farming areas of Alfred Nzo and Harry Gwala municipalities.

The Grain Farmer Development Association has also been assisting emerging farmers with finance to rehabilitate and prepare farm land for grain production purposes across the Eastern Cape province. The aforementioned improvement in maize yields is a result of the combined effort of these initiatives.

I have previously reported on the emergence of new black agricultural firms in the Eastern Cape province.

The most notable ones are the Matatiele Grainco which focuses on agricultural mechanisation and transportation of grain across the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces.

Another of these is Afgrain, also a black-owned food group which focuses on farmer development and value chain activities in the Eastern Cape.

The grain farming experience in the Eastern Cape is used an example from my own background, but such developments are not limited to grain farming. Other entities

such as wool growers in communal areas are also making good strides with increasing quality and volumes delivered to the market. There is also great work being done in the citrus and many other industries.

The common theme is that these successful examples are underpinned by support from both organised agriculture and government.

These initiatives are refreshing, and I hope that we can reflect on during our transformation and economic development debates within the agricultural sector. Importantly, we must strive to find ways to enhance these new developments and replicate them in other areas.

I must highlight however that it is not all rosy in the farming areas of Matatiele as farmers face a number of challenges that hinder agricultural production.

These include, among others, poor infrastructure (roads and silos) across agriculturalproduction zones, as well as the issue of communal land tenure which limits their ability to access additional finance from commercial financial institutions that typically require collateral for larger loans.

While most of these challenges can be addressed through policy interventions, organised agriculture can also assist by increasing its presence in many parts of the country, especially in imparting knowledge and sharing skills.

7

S

outh Africa produces on average about 850 000 tonnes of apples a year. This has grown significantly from levels of just under 650 000 tonnes in the early 2000’s. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, South Africa is ranked the fourth largest apple producer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Similar to other deciduous fruits, some of the key drivers behind this have partially been the expansion in the area planted and technological innovation, which in turn was supported by an uptick in both domestic and global demand.

While the 2017/18 production could decline by 6 percent from the previous season owing to drier weather conditions in the Western Cape – a key producing province accounting for over 80 percent of the crop – the long-term outlook is positive.

As the saying goes ‘an apple a day keeps a doctor away’, South African apples sure have been keeping doctors away in many countries over the past few years. In the past six seasons, South Africa exported on average about 44 percent of its apple production. In 2016, South Africa was the sixth world’s largest exporter of apples with a share of 6 percent, according to data from Trade Map. The leading buyers included the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Russia and Kenya amongst others. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS History of Maize Production in South Africa

By Wandile Sihlobo

Zimbabwe government leaves un-insured farmers in the cold

By Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimbabwe

O

ne interesting remark from someone on Twitter following my blogpost about South Africa’s sorghum production was that the crop is of African origin, but is now being displaced by other crops such as maize, which originated elsewhere. While this is factual, maize also has a long and rich history on the African continent that dates back to the 16th century which I will share with you.

Maize was domesticated in central Mexico around 1500 BC. It was then brought to the African continent around 1500 AD where it quickly spread to all corners of the continent in a relatively short period of 500 years. It is now Africa’s most important grain crop.

In South Africa, maize was first introduced in 1655, and has since become one of dominant food crops.

Maize is produced in all the provinces of South Africa, but the most significant producing regions are the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the North-West provinces. On average, between 2.5 and 2.8 million hectares of commercial maize are planted in the country each year.

Maize managed to surpass sorghum and other small grains in dominance in Africa because maize is higher yielding and less labour intensive.

However, the small grains still have their place in African agriculture, especially because they are generally more nutritious and more drought tolerant.

T

he Zimbabwe government, under the New Dispensation tagline pledged to revive the agricultural sector, a linchpin of the nation’s economy that collapsed catastrophically after the land seizures.

In his inaugural address in November 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa placed the focus on agriculture as the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.

“Our economic policy will be predicated on our agriculture, which is the mainstay and will create conditions for investment-led economic recovery that puts a premium on job creation” he said.

However, that envisaged revival could be drawn back by reports that farmers who lose their crops or property to natural disasters and veld fires should not expect any form of compensation from Government.

Government officials say compensation is not its prerogative.

Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri told parliament that farmers are responsible for insurance cover to mitigate risks associated with harsh weather patterns.

“All farmers in Zimbabwe are responsible for the insurance of their properties against natural disasters” said Shiri as recorded by the parliamentary Hansard.

“The prerogative lies with the individual farmer. So, some farmers are insured and others are not insured. We do not normally look at the statistics or ask for them,”.

Farmers across the country have lost their crops due to prolonged dry spells experienced at the beginning of the 2017/2018 farming season.

Armyworm invasion also destroyed vast tracks of cropped land.

Agricultural experts have long called for a small-holder farmer insurance cover for crops.

However, most small scale farmers have not cushioned themselves from potential losses through insurance cover, due to insufficient resources and dishonesty by some insurance companies.

Farmers complain that contracting companies lie to them that the insurance is covered but fail to honour their side of the bargain in cases of fire and hailstorm, despite deducting the insurance fee.

8

They have lost confidence in insurance firms who take advantage of gullible communal farmers by not fully explaining the fine print to them.

In February this year, economist Tinashe Kaduwo said agriculture is a high-risk economic activity and investment in that sector without insurance is an added risk factor.

He said insurance can play an important role in securing farmers’ livelihoods and boosting the efficiency of the agricultural sector.

“Access to agricultural insurance remains low, which calls for proper government planning and support.

“Commendably, the government has been assisting agriculture through subsidies and input credit under the Command Agriculture programme. However, credit without insurance is an added risk factor which calls for strong government support in making insurance accessible to all farmers” he is quoted saying.

Kaduwo said considering the new dispensation’s focus on agriculture, agricultural insurance should be part of the country’s agricultural policy and any other government intervention in the agricultural sector.

Government should take the strategic lead for insurance especially for rural agricultural communities.

But pronouncements by Shiri could be interpreted as government dumping farmers. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Errant farmers in resettlement areas in Zimbabwe risk losing their Government allocated land

By Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s major cotton seed producer Quton releases new cotton hybrid seed

By Nita Karume

Z

I

n a statement on Wednesday, 25 April, Lands and Agriculture and Rural Settlement Minister Perrance Shiri expressed concern on farmers who are violating policy guidelines.

Tobacco farmers where singled out in the statement as ‘problem farmers’ for “wanton cutting down of trees“.

“Flue cured tobacco farmers are encouraged to use coal and not cut down trees as they are currently doing.

The country will turn into a desert in no time at all should this practice be allowed to continue“ said Shiri.

Years of deforestation by tobacco farmers seeking wood for their barns have taken a serious toll on the country’s indigenous forests.

The situation continues to get worse as few new trees are being grown where the old are being cut down by an increasing number of farmers turning to tobacco farming.

According to the Forestry Commission, every year the country is losing more than 300 000 hectares of forests to deforestation.

At least 15 percent of the destruction is attributable to tobacco farmers.

Previously, tobacco farmers would mainly cure their crop using coal, but wood has be-

come the cheapest and readily available fuel for the army of farmers who have migrated to tobacco.

Under these circumstances, finding a lasting solution to the increasing deforestation is near impossible hence a warning

by Shiri.

“Farmers who continue to be a problem risk having their offer letters withdrawn so as to enable production to continue with unnecessary interruptions from them.

“We encourage farmers to report to our extension staff and to the police such problem farmers,”.

However, tobacco farmers have repeatedly said they have very little choice but to rely on the indigenous forest for fuel wood.

In the same statement, Shiri said while the Government is noticing some improvement in the resettlement areas, “it is its wish to see more being done in order to improve both production and productivity in these areas.

“On its part Government will continue to give enabling policy guidelines and the necessary technical and extension support services in order to facilitate the efforts of the farmers and other stakeholders to bring about productivity,”

imbabwe’s major cotton seed producer Quton, has released new cotton hybrid seed. The seed, which generally requires less water, boasts of a higher yield potential compared to current non hybrid varieties. This is in a move that is set to revive the country’s cotton sector that has been on the decline for years.

Quton managing director Edworks Mhandu, speaking at the launch of the new cotton seed hybrids in Harare, said the release comes after conducting successful trials in partnership with the Cotton Research Institute in various parts of the country. He also spoke about the possibility of breeders introducing new varieties in 6 to 7 years instead of 15 years.

Quton, as the country’s sole cotton seed producer in collaboration with the Cotton Research Institute, conducted trials over the last two cropping seasons to develop highly adaptable and high-yielding cotton varieties to enhance the country’s competitiveness on the world market.

According to media reports, the company released

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its C567, C571 and C608 cotton hybrid varieties, which broadly have large bolls, very high oil and protein content as well as good fibre quality compared to the QM301 open variety. With good agronomic conditions and practices, the C571 and C567 varieties can yield about 5 500kg per hectare while the drought tolerant C608 can yield some 4 000kg per hectare.

Quton breeders say the hybrid varieties have a potential for 60 bolls per plant. Currently, the company has already started training thousands of farmers in major cotton growing regions of the country on how to grow the new varieties. Training was also done during trials to help build the capacity of farmers to grow cotton hybrid seeds.

The use of less water tolerant seeds will help deal with challenges related to unpredictable rainfall patterns resulting from climate change. Furthermore, the new varieties have a potential to transform cotton production through improved viability for farmers, increased cotton in terms of hectares as well as national cotton output.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Ghana’s Cargill Inc set to Botswana government to retain expand its processing capacity to ownership of the Botswana Meat producer countries Commission (BMC) abattoir.

By Nita Karume

By Oscar Nkala

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hana’s Cargill Inc, is aiming to expand its processing capacity in producer countries.

The company, which is a leading producer and distributor of agricultural products in West Africa is taking the balance of the cocoa market as a green light for expansion.

Francesca Kleemans, Cargill’s commercial director for cocoa named Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, as the world’s number one and two producers of cocoa, respectively. Ms Kleemans pegged the more balanced market in 2017/18 on a combination of smaller crops in West Africa and more global demand, partly due to lower prices.

She further added that early indications also signal there may be a broadly balanced market in 2018/19 as well. However, she was quick to add that it is still too early to gauge main crop development.

Cargill currently grinds about 800,000 tonnes of cocoa per year. Globally, processing in producer countries is set to hit two million tonnes this year. This, according to Ms

Kleemans, amounts to about 46 per cent of grinding.

According to media reports the expansion into origin countries will allow the likes of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to gain additional skills and diversify their incomes.

Cargill continues to maintain higher cocoa yields on less land. This, Kleemans says, is key to improving farmer incomes. Furthermore, tackling the illegal encroachment into forests must be halted to curb oversupply.

Cargill Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Cargill Inc, operates as a cocoa processing company at the Free Zone Enclave in Tema Industrial Area. Cargill has been sourcing cocoa from Ghana for over 40 years and in 2008 opened its state-of-the-art cocoa processing facility in Tema.

Today the company has around 400 permanent and contracted employees processing cocoa products to service food and confectionary customers locally and around the world.

he government of Botswana has decided against privatisation and opted to retain ownership of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir in Maun.

Agricultural Production and Food Security minister Patrick Ralotsia said after widespread consultations to gather views and recommendations from beef industry stakeholders, government has decided to convert the BMC Maun into a limited liability company to improve its viability.

Commercialisation is planned for the long-term, after a stabilisation of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) that has excluded cattle farmers in the northern Ngamiland region excluded from supplying the BMC with first grade cattle for meat exports to the European Union (EU).

Ralotsia said government, which is under pressure to privatise several loss-making parastatals that include BMC, will keep ownership of the Maun abattoir to ensure that there remains a market for cattle from the FMD-prone

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Ngamiland region.

The move is also designed to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD)disease, which has hit the Ngamiland recurrently since 2013, by ensuring that no cattle from the quarantined region are sold in markets beyond.

“The Maun abattoir will be retained as a government property, and be supported with an annual budget. This step is meant to ensure a market for cattle in Ngamiland and guard against the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) into the green (disease-free) zones. Such support can be reviewed, and commercialisation will be explored once the FMD status of the region has been improved in a sustained way,” Ralotsia said.

The government has also proposed the setting up of Livestock and Meat Industry Regulator to control the livestock industry. A raft of amendments are also lined up for certain livestock industry laws in order to improve the regulatory framework.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS Rwanda’s declining cassava production

By Oscar Nkala

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he Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) says declining cassava production affected the export volumes of roots and tubers in 2017.

RAB Head of Crop Production and Food Security Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye said export earnings from roots

and tubers declined by 40% from US$7.9 million in 2016 to US$4.7 million in 2017.

He attributed the decline in productivity and export volumes to an outbreak of the cassava brown streak virus, which has destroyed many plantations across the country since 2014.

However, Dr Ndabamenye said the situation could improve this year because the disease is now under control.

“We have been fighting cassava brown streak virus disease since 2014, but its over now. The biggest challenge we had was getting new seeds for

propagation. We have enough planting materials for this year, and we expect a bumper cassava harvest by mid-next year,” he said.

The cassava brown streak has affected 90% of the crop grown across Rwanda in

the past 3 years. Apart from local consumption, Rwanda produces cassava for export, mainly to neighbours including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

It also exports cassava and cassava flour to France.

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2018/03/06 16:51

NEWS

President of Zimbabwe visits Case IH distributor Agricon

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ase IH distributor AGRICON Equipment Zimbabwe received President Emmerson Mnangagwa at its headquarters in Harare for a visit of its facilities.

The Head of State was welcomed by Faizul Materia, Chief Executive Officer and Jason Smith, Chief Operating Officer, who presented the full range of innovative solutions and services Agricon provides farmers with the backing of Case IH, global leader in agricultural equipment.

The facilities at Agricon headquarters, which cover

approximately 10,000 square metres, include the management and sales offices, the call centre, the assembly plant, and the Service Centre with its workshops, spare parts warehouse and Training area for salespeople, technicians and customer operators. During the visit Faizul Materia and Jason Smith explained to President Mnangagwa the key features of some of the Case IH machines that are most popular in

Case IH distributor explains to President Emmerson Mnangagwa how it is supporting the mechanization of the country’s agricultural sector

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Zimbabwe, highlighting how they can help farmers improve their productivity. The viewed machines included Case IH tractors ranging from the best-selling utility JXT and versatile Farmall A, to the multi-purpose Puma; Axial-FlowŽ140 series combines featuring Case IH’s advanced single rotor technology and designed for mid-sized arable operations; and Nutri-tillers to manage crop residue, enhance soil condition and improve fertiliser placement for maximum nutrient efficiency. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS The ultimate outdoor buying platform for agriculture professionals goes to Kenya

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At the end of the 90-minute visit President Mnangagwa pronounced himself impressed with the agricultural technology and innovation solutions offered by Agricon.

Jason Smith said: “It was im-

portant for His Excellency the President to see what services and support are available in Zimbabwe for the agricultural industry. At Agricon we take pride in supporting this sector with affordable machinery

Case IH is the professionals’ choice, drawing on more than 170 years of heritage and experience in the agricultural industry. A powerful range of tractors, combines and balers supported by a global network of highly professional dealers dedicated to providing our customers with

the superior support and performance solutions required to be productive and effective in the 21st century.

More information on Case IH products and services can be found online at www.caseih. com.

Case IH is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a World

and, most importantly, efficient and professional backup and service. This is key to making agriculture in Zimbabwe more productive. We are proud to be a part of rebuilding the country. leader in Capital Goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of the Borsa Italiana (MI: CNHI). More information about CNH Industrial can be found online at www. cnhindustrial.com.

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t’s with much excitement that the organisers of Agritech Expo Zambia get ready to host Farm-Tech Expo Kenya in less than 16 weeks, bringing a live outdoor and interactive buying platform to the agriculture professionals of Kenya.

Agritech Expo Zambia has been a key tool for the evolution of Zambia’s farming community over the past 5 years and its set on the same course for Kenya - bringing key stakeholders from the agri value chain together at one place to do business with the world’s leading agri solutions providers. And that’s you.

Farm-Tech Expo Kenya is a live outdoor expo and farmers visit the expo where they can see, touch and experience your products, solutions and service range first hand. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your products live in action to a target driven audience of farming professionals.

This is NOT a family day out or carnival…this is a serious agriculture event for serious agriculture players.

With over 4000+ farming professionals coming through the gates in two days, this is your 2018 opportunity to boost your market share and network with new and existing customers from across the agri value chain globally. If you’re serious about making a claim in the Kenyan agri sector, there is an opportunity for your company to get involved. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

NEWS

Fibertex South Africa appoints Terrain Group distributors East Africa

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ibertex SA has appointed the Terrain Group as distributors for the company’s range of geosynthetic products in East Africa.

“Through this distributorship agreement, the Terrain Group will supply Fibertex woven and nonwoven materials in Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan (GOSS) and Rwanda.

The local Terrain team will also provide a technical advisory, installation and support service to various industries in these countries, with a particular focus on civil engineering and building, the oil industry and on infrastructure projects,” says Lionel Kistan, export manager, Fibertex SA. “An important advantage for the market in East Africa, is greater accessibility to quality branded Fibertex geosynthetic products, through the Terrain Group’s branch network.

“The Terrain Group’s wellestablished position in construction plant, equipment and materials, is enhanced with the addition of the extensive range of Fibertex materials, which is manufactured according to stringent quality specifications.

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

Fibertex UV stabilised

Celebrating this agreement are Steven Kisekka, managing director, Terrain Plant Ltd (left) and Clive Hitchcock, CEO, Fibertex SA virgin PP needle punched materials, with a strong elastic bonding between the fibres, are used in building and construction works for separation, filtration, drainage, protection, stabilisation and reinforcement,

as well as in the automotive, furniture and filtration markets.

Virgin PP has specific application in areas where the textile may be in contact with alkaline conditions, for example in slimes dams, waste sites and coral based soils. These PP geotextiles have advantages in installations where the cost of failure may be extreme, in both financial and environmental terms, as they have a high

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level of chemical stability under a wide range of environmental conditions.

In addition to the wide range of products made from virgin PP, Fibertex also has a range of products based on recycled Polyester (rPET).

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

Global support from the holding company in Denmark guarantees the edge on product design, impeccable manufacturing standards, cost efficiency, safety and reliability of every Fibertex material.

Together, Fibertex and the Terrain Group offer a technical support service, to ensure correct specification of durable and safe materials for high efficiency and durability, in every project.

Fibertex SA has appointed the Terrain Group as distributors for the company’s range of geosynthetic products in East Africa.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

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8/12/15 10:56:48 AM

TIPS

Starting a successful farming business ‘from subsistence to commercial farming’

By Innocent Mhangarai

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raditionally in the African context households have been practicing farming as a way of ensuring that the family is well fed, well-nourished and happy always. From generation to generation the family has been a strong pillar behind a successful farming season that is characterized by greater yields. If the family didn’t work there was no food on the table, having many children was regarded to as a source of cheap labor. After everything was harvested it was made sure that the family had enough and the little surplus was sold or exchanged.

It is often said success does not just happen; the power is in one’s hands for things to happen as hard work should

It is important for farmers to increase production levels and practice farming as a business as this is a viable business not only for the local market but international market. be the culture if one really desire to succeed. If one of your desires is to run a successful farming business and leave behind a lasting legacy for your family then you must be deliberate about it. It all begins with a desire then actions complete everything and this is where most individuals lose it as most of their dreams are kept inside for a very long time until they are totally forgotten and out of the picture. Think it then

companies like Nokia to go into extinction, and also the introduction of computers made companies that were producing typewriters to go into extinction. It is therefore important to invest in a family business that will survive the tests of time, in this manner with agriculture you never go wrong because we need farmers every day for us to have meals. It is important for farmers to increase production levels and practice farming as a business as this is a viable business not only for the local market but international market.

ink it, if it’s in your head it’s a dream, if it is put on paper it becomes a plan. If we are to look at family businesses that grew to becoming an empire we realize that there are certain common attributes they adhered to in building their agribusinesses to that level.

Choose the right agribusiness Making the right choice is the most important thing that any individual has to do before embarking on a journey. There are some businesses that from mere projections, you are able to determine if the business is capable of surviving beyond a decade or it can only survive for less than a year.

For example the introduction of the android system made

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Have a clear vision.

It is important to have a vision as this gives a direction to everyone on where you coming from and where you are going. Without a clear vision, one will accept anything that comes their way that is to say if and individual fails to plan properly, they will be planning not to achieve their goals.

Therefore crafting a clear cut vision statement for the farm business and ensuring everyone understands the dream is a very important practice that should be adopted by those who want to venture into successful farming business.

The vision should not only be written on a strategic place but it should be on the back of everyone’s mind as they should know why they are part of the team and what is expected from them. For one to succeed in farming as a business it all begins with a vision. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

Enforce discipline and team spirit Lack of discipline has been one of the major challenges on the establishment of a successful family business. If discipline is not enforced at an early stage it becomes a challenge to deal with some occurrences in the long run. It is important in a family farming business for team members to know what is expected of them and what they are not supposed to do for example if the business is on broiler or egg production.

The success of the business is based on output therefore no one is expected to slaughter the birds or consumes the eggs as they wish. It is the role of the leader or overseer of the family business to ensure that there are rules to regulate the behavior of the subordinates taking for example if one fails to observe the rules it leads to a disciplinary action or suspension. Farming as a business needs discipline and team spirit as these will open doors for efficiency and effectiveness.

Insist on record keeping and accountability Record keeping is one of the fundamental aspects for the success of any farming busi-

ness. Many at times farmers complain that they are incurring losses yet they do not take into consideration that having a record of the inputs used is important before even talking about yield. This is important in both crop and livestock production farmers are encouraged to record their herd inflows from birth, purchases as well as gifts. The same thing should be done on outflows like death, slaughter, sales, and theft and so on. By so doing it shows transparency and anyone with a desire to invest in the business will have no doubt on the farm operations.

Invest in education and empowerment As you will be working on the business as a family, it is important that each and every member is well trained and empowered. The dynamics of running a viable business keeps on evolving with time and it takes those who invest in empowering themselves to survive storms that come from time to time. If the farming business is to succeed it should be noted that education sharpens the mind and it is the key to success therefore staff

development sessions should be done as well as attending refresher courses and trainings that are done from time to time. If you desire to run a successful farming business the secret lies in spending money investing in the education of your family as well as team members.

In conclusion, a successful farming business is one that is positioned in such a way that the button stick of leadership is passed from one generation to another. For example the father giving the son the mandate to ensure that the farming business lives in the future. The farming business should adopt an effective succession plan so that all this becomes a possibility. Investing in agriculture does not only create jobs and increase yields, it also annihilates poverty and extreme hunger A percentage increase in agricultural activities is followed by improved livelihoods. To be precise and more accurate, increased outputs from agricultural activities ensue reduced prices as there will be surplus in the market allowing households to have more spending power.

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Zambia lifts ban on SA’s ready-toeat food products

By Oscar Nkala

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he Zambian government has lifted the ban on the importation of ready-to-eat food products from South Africa after exhaustive medical tests and investigations which concluded that there was no listeria threat in the country.

However foods and food products from Enterprise Foods Limited and Rainbow Enterprises Company – the two companies named as the sources of the listeria infection – remain banned from Zambia.

The blanket ban was imposed as part of public health safety precautions following the outbreak of listeria in South Africa. Like many African countries, Zambia imports more than half of its processed food requirements from South Africa.

Health minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya said investigations have since determined that there were no listeria-causing monocytogenes in the food samples tested at governmentcommissioned laboratories.

“We therefore have decided to lift the ban on the importation of foods from South Africa with the exception of the risky foods from Enterprise Food Ltd and Rainbow Enterprises Company.”

In the meantime, existing disease surveillance measures will remain in place to guarantee public health and food safety. Zambia is one of several African countries which banned the importation of South African food products following the deadly listeria outbreak. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

TIPS

Proper Maize Post-harvest practices

By Nita Karume

include lack of resources, inadequate access to better processing facilities, bad weather, poor production practices/ planning, bad transportation facilities and lack of infrastructure, premature harvesting, lack of access to good quality packaging materials and technology and inadequate market systems.

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hortages and high prices continue to characterize Kenya’s food security status. As a country, Kenya is still reeling from the effects of food shortage in 2016 food shortage and a deficit gap that was met by maize imports.

Last year, maize worth approximately Sh32 billion was lost due to post-harvest losses, slow reaction, poor coordination and communication between State Departments of Agriculture at the county level. Post-harvest losses, poor coordination and input

market distortions have been hampering government efforts towards ensuring food security.

Moreover, this is not only a problem in Kenya, but other East African counties such as Uganda.

Major losses of the yields in both this and lasy year has been attributed to the fall armyworm infestation and postharvest losses. Fall armyworm reduced the potential area under maize production in the country by about 200,000ha and this may increase during the short season period.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, post-harvest losses arising from maize production account for 12 per cent of the total output.

Causes of post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers

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Maize harvesting Maize can store for a considerable period in unprocessed form without undergoing deterioration. This is because its shelf life greatly depends on the weather as well as inherent moisture pests and diseases. As such, the recommended post-harvest handling and managing operations involve the manipulation of the above factors in order to obtain high quality maize grains. The optimum time of harvesting maize is when the stalks have dried and moisture of grain as about 20-17%.

The maize is harvested as soon as it is dry. This is because overstay in the field could lead to attack by weevils. The grains should also be kept as clean as possible.

Post harvesting activities After harvesting, farmers should clean all the materials used in the process of harvesting and store them properly. This is because the same materials may be needed later for purposes such as the transportation of cobs or grains into storage. Failure to clean properly could lead to contamination of the grains, which could be a source of pest infestation. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

Kenya’s Pepper exporters suffer huge losses from pest attacks

By Nita Karume

Drying & Shelling The grains must be dried as soon as possible after harvesting to avoid creating a conducive environment for the breeding of pests. Farmers should also avoid drying grains on the ground to avoid absorption of moisture and pick up dirt and insects.

Shelling is commonly done by beating maize cobs with stick in a sack or a confined floor space. It is better to use a maize shelter, since beating maize will result in physical damage. This will make the grains more vulnerable to pests and moulds. It could as well damage the germ.

Storage The principal objective in any maize grain storage system is to maintain the stored grains in good condition so as to avoid deterioration both in quantity and quality. During storage, the grain must remain dry and clean. Grain storage can be extended for up to 2 years without any significant reduction in quantity and quality.

Unfortunately, majority of farmers sells off their maize grains cheaply soon after harvesting due to anticipated losses in storage and later buy food at exorbitant prices.

There are improved storage structures that can prolong the storage duration until market prices for grains are favorable.

A good storage structure should provide protection from common storage loss agents. It should also maintain an even, cool and dry storage environment. The maize should be placed above the floor to avoid cold conditions that may lead to moulds.

The store should be located on a raised site with good drainage to ensure that there is no stagnant water in its store. Furthermore, exposing it to the main wind direction creates balanced temperature conditions.

Losses due to poor storage Microbial infection (mould) in storage occurs due to inadequate drying of produce.

The situation is made worse when there are large numbers of insects present or when the stored crop is exposed to high humidity or actual wetting due to poor storage management. Fungal infection results into rots and development of aflatoxins, which are poisonous compounds to live stock and cause cancer in humans.

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enya’s pepper exporters have suffered a huge losses following the escalation of False Codling Moth pest attack.

Consequently, the European Union market has imposed tough regulations on the produce of chilli and other crop crops affected by the notorious pest.

The False Codling Moth, which is known to attack pepper and citrus fruits, became a notifiable pest in the EU and UK markets as of early 2018.

This has led to imposition of strict export regulations for all chilli and capsicum exports from Kenya. As a result the fresh farm produce must first be certified to have been produced in the pest-free zone before they are allowed to into EU market shelves.

Last year, 17 out of 29 interceptions made by the EU market involved capsicum due to the moth. This is according to Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA), the industry regulator. HCDA reports further show that between April 2016 and May 2017, Kenya’s exports suffered a total of 46 such interceptions.

Erick Ogumo, a food safety expert and the chairman of Society of Crop Agribusiness Advisers of Kenya (SOCAA),

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notes that the situation now calls for government intervention in terms of research and development of farmers’ capacity to tackle the rising pest.

According to Mr. Ogumo, FCM is not a new pest in the Sub-Sahara Africa or Kenya.

It was common in countries like South Africa where it was notorious for attacking citrus fruits. The South African government however came up with a number of interventions to mitigate the pest that included investment on proper research and technologies. In Kenya, however, farmers have been left on their own. This is because the government, through Kenya Plant health inspectorate Service, mainly focuses on policing.

He further added that lack of knowledge and technology has them at a disadvantage as they are unable to police.

Unfortunately, should this progress, The SOCCA chair fears that Kenya could lose the lucrative EU market. This, he said, could be attributed to lack of capacity amongst local farmers to comply with strict requirements.

Besides pepper, the pest is also known to attack avocados, beans, coffee, cotton, grapes, macadamias, maize, tomatoes and flowers. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

FEATURE

Fall armyworm invasion, a wake-up call for Africa T Michelle Adelman, is an advocate for plant-based protein food and founder of Accite Holdings, which focuses on technologyled, sustainable agriculture projects in Africa.

he outbreak of the fall armyworm (FAW) in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa has left a trail of crop devastation in its wake, threatening to add further strain to food security and leading to possible import bans of agricultural products in the near future. The impacts of this could be catastrophic for Africa, the poorest and most underdeveloped continent in the world. This invasion is definitely a wake-up call for Africa and the rest of the world.

Originally from America and regarded as a quarantine pest, the fall armyworm is an insect that transforms into a moth. It was first detected in central and western Africa in 2016 and quickly spread across almost all of sub-Saharan Africa due to its strong flying ability. It can fly nearly 1,000 miles in just 30 hours and can easily migrate to neighbouring countries. The female moth can lay up to a total of 1,000 eggs in her lifetime, and in its larvae stage, can cause significant damage to crops if not managed appropriately. It loves maize but also feeds on more than 80 species of plants including rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. In sub-Saharan Africa, over 200 million people depend on maize for food security as it is a staple cereal crop grown by farmers.

The FAW has already caused more than $13 billion in crop losses and is estimated to cost a further $6 billion

a year if not contained. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations revealed that by February 2018, only three out of 54 African States had not reported infestations.

In September 2017, the UK Aid published a report called “Fall Armyworm: Impacts and Implications for Africa”, which was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development.

It found that the pest could potentially cause maize yield losses in a range of 8.3 million to 20.6 million tonnes in 12 of Africa’s countries per annum.

Value of losses was estimated between $2,481 million and $6,187 million. At the time of the report’s publication, only 28 countries in Africa had confirmed the invasion.

Even prior to the arrival of the pest, food security in Africa was a headache. In 2014, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that some 233 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were suffering from hunger. Soaring food prices compounded food insecurity along with climate change and drastically changing farming activities. Last year, the crippling El-Nino drought scorched much of the region, hitting crop production and leaving millions in need of food aid, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the farming areas in Cape Town, South Africa, continues to experience a widespread drought, which began in 2015. Water rationing was implemented when dam

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levels declined to critically low levels, and the City announced plans for “Day Zero”, when water supply will largely be shut off.

With all these factors, food security in Africa should be at the top of the agenda for all African policy makers because a ban on Africa’s agricultural produce could be on the cards if the infestation is not dealt with immediately.

The fall armyworm is classified as a quarantine pest that has caused extensive crop damage, particularly to the region’s staple food which most African nations depend on. Such a ban could leave Africa paralysed in terms of food aid and create massive implications for the economic growth of the continent.

So far, the invasion of the fall armyworm has resulted in some containment measures being undertaken, but none are long-term or sustainable.

The FAO said that measures like insecticide applications were costly and may not work due to resistance, poor application techniques or lowquality pesticides which could negatively affect the insects natural enemies.

So while towns rapidly grow and Africa’s population continues to boom, technology and innovation may just be the key in finding small solutions that can help mitigate the risk of decreasing food security.

The value of small innovations means that farmers can start tackling the issue one small step at a time, before it’s too

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

late. Already taking the first step is Nesta, on behalf of Feed the Future, Land O’ Lakes International Development (LOL) and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). They have launched a competition targeting innovators from around the globe which focuses on digital solutions and approaches that provide timely, context-specific information that will enable smallholder farmers and those who support them to identify, treat, and track incidence of the fall armyworm in Africa.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), together LOL and FFAR have contributed $400,000 in prize awards, and the winners will have a chance to develop their prototypes.

Feed the Future works hand in hand with partner countries to develop their agriculture sectors and break the cycle of poverty and hunger. In particular, it hopes to increase agricultural activity, boost harvests and incomes for rural smallholder farmers, generate opportunities for economic growth and trade in developing countries.

USAID’s Digital Inclu-

sion team believes that with advances in digital communications, social networks, satellite imagery, electronic data collection and sharing, sensing technologies, crowdsourcing, and the global movement to share open data, more information than ever can be efficiently

In this regard, you can help find a solution to this FAW problem by entering your innovative idea to the Challenge Prize competition. The entry period is from 28 March to 14 May. Go

The FAW has already caused more than $13 billion in crop losses and is estimated to cost a further $6 billion a year if not contained. communicated and made relevant for farmers. While digital tools are not the only solutions to FAW, technological solutions can help serve as

to fallarmywormtech. challenges.org for more details to learn more about fall armyworm and how to apply for the competition.

The Fall Armyworm Tech Prize is run by

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a force multiplier to an already strained advisory service.

And although the FAW invasion is a wake-up call for Africa and the rest of the world, steps can be taken from now to help farmers alleviate the burden.

Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, which uses prizes as a tool to stimulate innovative solutions to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

FEATURE

Farmers Crippled by Fall Armyworm Outbreak Are Selling Off Farms Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, is an organic farmer and thought leader in agriculture

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he fall armyworm infestation in Africa is bankrupting farmers who cannot afford expensive insecticides to protect their crops. Struggling farmers are now resorting to selling off their land to the highest bidder.

Farmers say the pest, which was first detected in central and western Africa in 2016, has become a thorn in their sides that they just can’t get rid of. They have only a handful of successful harvests and sell the produce for very little, which does not even cover the costs of growing the plant. The pest has compounded their problem ten-fold.

Farmer Joseph Nampajji

from Buwaya, Uganda, said he was forced to start bartering his vegetation to pay for the tuition of his eight children.

“It’s really hard being a farmer in these times. Many people I know are running away from farming. They are giving the land to businessmen, this is increasing everywhere,” he said.

“Farmers are not making enough money because they are selling their harvests for a low cost, and it costs a lot more to grow the crops. With me, I use harvests to pay in kind, for tuition payment.”

The 44-year-old, although a teacher by profession, will not let his farm go. He loved farming since a kid and despite the

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hardship with the pest on his 2 acre farm, he continues to grow maize, beans, and sweet potato.

“Last season the worm affected me a lot because we were not prepared for it. Right now, it affects a few stocks only. If you identify the worm early-enough you can prevent it from spreading. You have to keep checking the plants to see how they are doing and if they are infected,” he said.

When he finds crops that are affected, he uproots them and uses them as mulch. Those that can be saved are sprayed with insecticide. But not all plants get the insecticide.

“I apply according to my means,” said Nampajji, who

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along with his wife are the breadwinners of the family.

“Not all get insecticide.”

The armyworm flies nearly 1,000 miles in just 30 hours and can easily migrate to neighbouring countries. The female moth can lay up to a total of 1,000 eggs in her lifetime, and in its larvae stage, can cause significant damage to crops if not managed appropriately. It has a taste for maize but also feeds on more than 80 species of plants including rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. In sub-Saharan Africa, over 200 million people depend on maize for food security as it is a staple cereal crop grown by farmers.

So far, the invasion of the fall armyworm has resulted in some containment measures being undertaken, but none are long-term or sustainable.

Innovation and technology

may be crucial to finding small solutions that can help mitigate the risk of decreasing food security in Africa. The value of small innovations means that farmers can start tackling the issue before it’s too late.

In this regard, Nesta, on behalf of Feed the Future, Land O’ Lakes International Development (LOL) and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) have launched a competition targeting innovators from around the globe. It focuses on digital solutions and approaches that provide timely, context-specific information that will enable smallholder farmers and those who support them to identify, treat, and track incidence of the fall armyworm in Africa.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), together LOL and FFAR have contributed $400,000 in prize awards, and the winners will

have a chance to develop their prototypes.

Feed the Future hopes to increase agricultural activity, boost harvests and incomes for rural smallholder farmers, generate opportunities for economic growth and trade in developing countries.

USAID’s Digital Inclusion team believes that with advances in digital communications, social networks, satellite imagery, electronic data collection and sharing, sensing technologies, crowdsourcing, and the global movement to share open data, more information than ever can be efficiently communicated and made relevant for farmers. While digital tools are not the only solutions to fall armyworm, technological solutions can help serve as a force multiplier to an already strained advisory service.

If you have an idea for a digital solution to the fall armyworm problem, you can enter the Fall Armyworm Tech Prize competition. The entry period is from 28 March to 14 May. Go to fallarmywormtech. challenges.org for more details to learn more about fall armyworm and how to apply for the competition.

The Fall Armyworm Tech Prize is run by Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, which uses prizes as a tool to stimulate innovative solutions to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.

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FEATURE

Buschhoff Feed Mills:

High quality “Mill and Mix� at larger agricultural African farms

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ompany Buschhoff from Germany offers not only for smaller and medium sized farms but also for large scale farms and smaller commercial feed mills a very interesting and economical reasonable application. Instead of using the Tower principle (as concentrated feed plants), the plant is built on the floor. So often existing buildings can be used, or at least do not require complex building construction with various levels. The flow of the materials and the processes are clearly visible; also all plant components are easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance work. Such plants are used mainly for the production of cattle, pig or poultry feed, but can also be used for other species if required.

The output of these plants can range between 1 to 20 t/hr depend-

ing on the equipment specifications.

The efficiency of this system has been well proven in a range of small, medium and larger sized plants. Such Feed Mills usually consist of Raw materials storage; Mills for grinding the grain; the Mixer producing a well mixed homogenous feed, with materials delivered by the associated dosing and conveying equipment.

The first stage is the intake of the cereals and proteins into the plant, options include a range of robust bucket elevators and trough chain conveyors (capacities: 40 - 150t/hr).

Cleaning units can also be integrated into the intake. The storage of raw materials is mostly done in round silos (external use) or smooth surface (internal silos).

All components which are to be ground are conveyed via the dosing auger to the Hammer Mill. The delivery is controlled by a frequency

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control linked to an electronic load control to ensure optimum loading on the Mill and to save energy.

During the grinding process the grain is cracked open, this improves both the utilisation by the animal and the digestibility. The BHOS mill power options range between 11 to 90 Kw according to the required performance. Those mills are equipped with tungsten tipped hammers.

Giving a service life of at least 5000t.

That means reducing operator maintenance requirements, less heating of the grist and a steady feed structure over the time. Another advantage of those mills is the easily and quickly changing of these screens helping to reduce downtime for the mill plant operator. Located directly next to the grinder, a filter system provides cooling for the meal and also keeps the mill under vacuum to reduce dust. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

Quality – Made in Germany The core process of the feed production is the mixing of the individual components into a single homogenous mix.

Large vertical Mixers are the preferred option. These have as GM industrial version a capacity of between 4 to 7 t. A large slow moving central auger located within the central vertical tube, combines the advantages of a gentle action with a fast mixing of the feed. These mixers have the advantages that they can produce large batches, with low power requirements and are very robust. The mixing accuracy has been well tested and meets the specification of 1:100,000.

The discharge of finished feed within these “Mill and Mix” Plants in done by Buschhoff elevators, trough chain conveyors and trough augers. The location and distance to the finished feed silos, with 60° hoppers is done fully automated by the control system and full indicators within the silos prevent from overfilling.

For longer distance conveying of finished feed up to 250 m, there is the option of a specially designed Buschhoff pneumatic Meal Blower (SG50/SG80).

These different processes are controlled full-automatic by the Computer system WIDOMIX® PRO, which checks, adjusts and records all the processes in the system. The diets, components and discharge targets can be quickly accessed and reported, with simple user-friendly input by the operator.

The feed production for animal feed consists mainly of the interplay between milling, dosing and mixing. Especially for medium and large scale livestock farms in Africa Buschhoff has developed a suitable solution. The interaction of high facility quality, customer-specific approaches, greatest possible facility flexibility and low maintenance costs results has shown as very positive for these customers. In this way plants can be designed with manageable capital expenditure and maintenance costs, which can produce fully-automated high-quality feed for pigs, cattle and poultry according to the customer-specific requirements. For an ease of operation and for an exact documentation of the produced feed the WIDOMIX® PRO control has been specially developed.

 Turnkey feed mills (up to 20 t/h)

 Mobile feed mills (up to 12 t/h)

Th. Buschhoff GmbH & Co. info@buschhoff.de  www.buschhoff.de

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FEATURE

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Organised by Grain SA, the trendsetting agricultural, NAMPO Harvest Day will take place on the 15th18th of May 2018, 19km north of Bothaville.

he four-day trade show provides a unique opportunity to all manufacturers and distributors of agricultural machinery, products and services to exhibit and demonstrate a vast range of products to targeted customers.

South Africa’s agricultural producers’ openness to new technology is one of the main reasons why the country can claim to provide sustainable food production. “Efficiency with technology” is this year’s theme, and it is very popular among producers,’ says Mr Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA. Interactive tractor & implement demonstrations are a unique feature of the show which allows farmers to view interactive demonstrations of an exhaustive range of machinery and implements.

NAMPO Harvest Day also offers an exclusive women’s programme and ample opportunities are available for other smaller exhibitors to take part

in the event. Bothaville as a town comes alive with markets and stalls for all and any and provides accommodation and supporting services to visitors and exhibitors alike.

As one of the largest privately organised and owned exhibitions in the world, NAMPO attracts over 75 000 visitors each year, comprising prominent local and regional players in the agricultural sector. The trade show includes more than 672 exhibitors, is spread over 24 hectares and covers a wide range of agricultural and related industries.

The NAMPO Harvest Day also offers producers the opportunity to obtain knowledge from experts in their various agricultural fields by means of debating and discussion panels.

A unique aspect of the NAMPO Harvest Day is that it is a multifaceted presentation that offers a wide spectrum to the producer, whilst other exhibitions normally only focus on specific areas of agriculture.

Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day is dynamic and each

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year the organisers strive to keep pace with the changing needs, requirements and expectations of producers and role players in the agricultural sector. Where the original focus was only on maize producers, the Harvest Day today focuses on the complete agricultural sector. The Harvest Day is also regarded by Grain SA as one of the best contributors to ensure sustained food production in South as well as Southern Africa.

NAMPO’s main objective is to connect farmers and suppliers, but the importance of networking and the forming of partnerships and relations is a key factor, without which the agricultural industry cannot survive.

The growing number of exhibitors at the NAMPO Agricultural Trade Show can be attributed to a number of factors. Foremost is the positive sales reaction experienced at the Show.

Another is the unique demonstration programme that allows interactive demonwww.farmersreviewafrica.com

strations on stands in addition to the static exhibits. All known sectors of the agricultural input suppliers are represented.

These range from tractor and implement manufacturers, the chemical industry, fertiliser companies and financial institutions to feed manufacturers, extension services as well as commercial sectors, agricultural cooperatives and utilities such as Eskom – the national electricity supplier.

Several other industries, not related to agriculture, exhibit their products albeit in limited numbers. Because of the diversified nature of summer grain farming, the livestock industry is very well represented. In total 31 breeds of cattle, 10 breeds of sheep as well as 3 breeds of horses and 6 breeds of goats are exhibited.

Smith Power to unveil the new Kubota U15-3 compact excavator

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AMPO has a particularly strong appeal to Smith Power because of our agricultural roots and our approach to providing a one-stop shop for quality equipment solutions to the industry.

This year’s edition is our 17th NAMPO we have attended!

While the exhibition has always been regarded as the launch pad of new agricultural

equipment, this year we are going beyond that, and for the first time in generations, we are transfiguring the local outdoor power tool market with the launch of the innovative EGO Power+ system, a cordless, smarter way to get the better of gardening and landscaping tasks.

Added to that is the unveiling of the new Kubota U15-3, a 1,5-tonne compact excavator that punches

above its weight with greater power, required control and smooth performance in space-restricted working environments.

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PRIMALS - fresh and frozen pork products, including carcasses, boxed meat and offal.

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COLD STORAGE - a newly commissioned cold storage facility that allows us to offer multi-principle cold storage warehousing and logistical solutions to a range of clients.

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT LYNCA MEATS, TODAY Call +27 016 360 4600

www.lyncameats.co.za

51631/SAC/2

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FEATURE

NAMPO’S aim set on efficiency with technology The NAMPO Harvest Day 2018 engine is roaring at the starting line in anticipation for this trendsetting agricultural show that will be presented outside Bothaville on 15 to 18 May.

W

ith roughly 740 exhibitors and an expected attendance figure that could exceed last year’s 78 648 visitors, Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day is regarded as the heartbeat of agriculture in South Africa.

It offers producers a unique platform to network with the agricultural industry’s top role players, strengthen friendships and relationships and come and enjoy what NAMPO offers in a peaceful farming atmosphere.

‘South Africa’s agricultural producers’ openness to new technology is one of the main reasons why the country can claim to provide sustainable food production. “Efficiency with technology” is this year’s theme, and it is very popular among producers,’ says Mr Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA. NAMPO 2018 offers a diversified exhibition with a variety of new technology, products and services on one site. Producers can make comparisons and informed decisions with a view to sustainable productivity and profitability. ‘Grain SA’s focus on a better rather than a big28

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ger NAMPO Harvest Day will also be pursued continuously to uphold and promote this agricultural family experience,’ De Villiers says.

Agricultural and trade and investment companies from, among other places, Israel, Poland, England, America, Argentina, India, France, Italy, Denmark, China, Turkey and Russia will participate in the Harvest Day. Exhibitors from Russia are part of the brand new Russian pavilion and the Italian delegation boasts more exhibitors than in previous years. The British Department if International trade is back this year with a bigger contingent of exhibitors.

Grain SA’s reception venue for important guests was enlarged because of an increasing need for facilities to host official meetings and discussions. NAMPO is the one event where role players like commercial and emerging farmers, product and service providers, politicians and other policy makers, civil servants, foreigners, media and the general public can rub shoulders

in a unique atmosphere of goodwill. A large number of visitors and delegations from Africa will also be received at the Harvest Day. Grain SA members Paid-up members of Grain SA receive their free access tickets electronically beforehand.

They are proudly welcomed to NAMPO Park’s exclusive members’ parking area and transported to the members’ hall with golf carts. The hall provides early-morning coffee and a welcome resting place during the heat of the afternoon, refreshment for dry throats and a wonderful stoep for exchanging valuable production knowledge.

For an update on the grain markets, live Safex screens and Grain SA’s economists are on hand. Also visit the members’ benefit kiosk to check your registration for the Grain SA app. At the Grain SA and NAMPO Experience Centre the organisation’s activities and focus areas are showcased, with staff on hand to handle enquiries.

Non-members and visitors are not left out, however.

The expanded show grounds have led to a considerable increase in the number of seats where tired legs can rest.

Non-profit organisations in the community will also handle the restaurants and food stalls once again. This ploughs essential funding back into the community.

•

• Other highlights of NAMPO 2018: • In the new Wildlife Ranching SA Hall close to the 4x4 track, game and game-related exhibitors will be housed.

• The Standard Bank 4x4 track and the Maxxis Adventure Track for motorcycles promise an unforgettable experience for adrenalin junkies.

• A total of three new vehicles will be introduced to the public by manufacturers at NAMPO 2018.

• At the stock exhibits ten sheep breeds, five goat breeds (including indigenous field goats) and

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•

•

28 cattle breeds will be on show. The Saddlebred Society will exhibit saddle horses, the Pig Breeders Society will be on standby and a Youth Show will be presented daily.

The Grain SA/Omnia Farmer Patent Competition is celebrating 30 years of innovative plans and farmer inventors.

The discussion of the role and contribution of agriculture in deepening our democracy and strengthening the economy promises to once again stimulate interesting debates during this year’s Nation in Conversation.

Our Ladies’ Programme boasts performances by the artists Marion Holm and Rocco de Villiers, while the food editors Herman Lensing and Arina du Plessis will come to show off their cooking skills.

NAMPO branded clothing and promotional items will be offered for sale in the NAMPO Hall.

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PRODUCT

Maer high-pressure washers for agriculture on show at NAMPO 2018 The premium Italian-manufactured Maer range of professional highpressure washers will be displayed prominently by Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE), part of the Goscor Group, at Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day from 15 to 18 May 2018 at Bothaville, in the Free State.

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griculture has traditionally been a significant market for high-pressure washers, as farmers need to ensure that costly machinery such as combine harvesters, crop sprayers, and tractors are maintained properly by removing any dirt particulates, dust, and general grime on a daily basis in wash bays, GCE National Sales Director Peter Esterhuizen explains.

High-pressure washers are also a necessity for animal pens such as pig sties, chicken coups, and cow sheds in order to ensure compliance with local and international hygiene and cleanliness standards.

“The application determines the specifications in terms of pressure and flow rate. Other factors that need to be taken into account are the power supply and water availability,” Esterhuizen comments.

“We offer custom solutions to meet specific customer requirements. For example, GCE can trailer mount an engine driven pressure cleaner with a water tank for cleaning in remote areas, where there is a lack of power or water connections,” Esterhuizen adds. The Maer range includes

electric-, petrol- and dieseldriven versions from 220 V to 380 V, and pressure ratings of anywhere from 100 bar to 500 bar.

NAMPO attracts over 75 000 visitors each year, comprising prominent local and regional players in the agricultural sector. This is one of the main reasons the show is held in such high esteem in the sector. GCE intends to leverage off the exposure that its brands, and Maer in particular, will receive as a result in this

Farmers use highpressure washers to ensure that costly machinery such as tractors are kept clean. important market segment.

GCE provides the highest level of product and service excellence due to its extensive branch and dealership network throughout South Africa.

At NAMPO, high-pressure washer specialist Juan du Toit will be on hand to offer visitors’ questions and provide detailed technical specifications.

Special offers will be avail-

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able exclusively to attendees who visit our stand. We look forward to welcoming old friends to our stand and making many new ones during the course of NAMPO 2018,” Esterhuizen concludes.

Visit Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE), part of the Goscor Group, at Stand 21 in the Zest WEG Hall at NAMPO 2018.

For more information go to http://www.grainsa.co.za/pages/ nampo/nampo-home. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

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PRODUCT

BI to showcase latest agricultural hub bearings at NAMPO 2018 Bearings International (BI) will showcase the latest design of its agricultural hub bearings at NAMPO 2018. In addition, it will also launch a new bearing hub for planters, and display its full product range for the agricultural industry.

T

he leading supplier offers its agricultural customers a total solution for their specific requirements and conditions. “We continuously strive to develop new products for the farming community,” BI Business Unit Head Ross Trevelyan notes.

“We believe that the agricultural industry is of utmost importance to food security, and therefore to the economic development of our country. We strive to offer excellence to our customers in both service and product provision,” he comments.

With the agricultural sector under increasing pressure to cut costs and improve productivity, BI has both the experience and expertise, backed up by some of the best products available on the market, to assist farming customers in reducing their downtime and boosting productivity significantly.

BI’s diverse product line-up for the agricultural industry runs the gamut from supplying bearings and chain to couplings and transmission products for arduous farming applications such

BI Business Unit Head Ross Trevelyan.

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as ploughing, planting, harvesting, and baling. It carries a comprehensive stockholding of critical spares, in addition to chain and V-belt drives, that can be dispatched to customers’ sites at short notice.

Main brands on display at NAMPO 2018 will be KML bearings and transmission components, Loctite adhesives, sealants and surface treatment, Bauer electric motors, Citronol environment-friendly hand cleaners and degreas-

Visit BI in the NAMPO Hall at Stands 45 and 46 at Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day from 15 to 18 May 2018 at Bothaville in the Free State.

For more information, go to http://bit. ly/1kRvCR5.

ers, Makita power tools, Rocol lubricants, Dodge housed bearings and shaft mounted gearboxes, Jonnesway hand tools, and power take-off (PTO) units and variable speed drives (VSDs).

Trevelyan concludes that various product managers and branch representatives will be on the stand to field any technical enquiries, while various promotions and competitions will be on offer to stand visitors.

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PRODUCT Case IH and its South African distributor, Northmec, to showcase its full product range at Nampo 2018 The new 2000 Series Planter featuring its advanced Early Riser® system for faster germination will make its official debut / Case IH will showcase its Axial-Flow® combines and wide offering of tractors, ranging from the JXT utility models all the way to the legendary Quadtrac 600 / The new AIM Command FLEX® advanced spray technology for the Patriot range will make its first public appearance

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ase IH and its South African distributor, Northmec, will showcase the brand’s full line of agricultural solutions at Nampo 2018, one of the most important equipment exhibitions in Africa, now in its 52nd edition. The show will see the first public appearance of the brand new 2000 Series Early Riser® planter and the new AIM Command FLEX® advanced spray technology for the Patriot sprayer range.

Daniel Bordabossana, Marketing Manager for Case

IH Middle East and Africa, said: “The Nampo show is the perfect platform to give our new 2000 Series Early Riser planter great exposure.

This is a unique product, which has already shown its value in the tests we ran last year, where it really distinguished itself from the competition.

At Nampo we will be able to share with the attending visitors all the advantages of this excellent new product as well as our wide offering of farming solutions.”

High precision and productivity with the new 2000 Series Early Riser® planter The Case IH planter is the first to factory-integrate industry-leading seed placement technologies from Precision Planting® into a completely new system featuring a best-in-class, all-new, rugged row unit. This new planter is not only extremely accurate, it’s also robust enough to deliver precise placement across all terrains, crop types and speeds for faster, more

37

uniform emergence. Designed for modern seed types, treatments, populations and conditions, the new planter can be easily customized to a range of soil types, terrain, fertilizer/chemical application needs and varying crop residue management practices.

Plus, a streamlined design and tool-free crop changes and adjustments result in simpler maintenance.

The 2000 Series Early Riser planter proved its worth in field tests conducted in 2017, which revealed that its

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

PRODUCT The AFS AccuGuide system is also available as standard, simplifying wheat, barley, canola and soya bean harvesting.

seed placement accuracy resulted in early emergence one to three days faster than with other planter row units.

Case IH’s extensive tractor offering on display The wide range of Case IH tractors will be showcased at Nampo – from the very popular JX45T Compact (36kW) utility tractor all the way up to the mighty Steiger

600 (447 kW) and tracked Quadtrac 600 (447 kW). Also on display will be the Limited edition Puma, created last year to mark the 175th anniversary of the brand.

Axial-Flow® 140 Series and 240 Series combines Case IH will display its 140 Series and 240 Series combines featuring the brand’s proven Axial-Flow® single ro-

tor technology that revolutionised combine harvesting for its simplicity, grain quality, grain savings and crop adaptability.

The Axial-Flow 240 Series now features the brand’s telematics system as standard, enabling the customer to monitor the machine and its working functions from their mobile devices, laptop or PC, increasing the overall efficiency of the harvesting operation.

Patriot self-propelled sprayer range offers a model for every need The SPX Patriot® 250 Extreme sprayer which was introduced to the market at Nampo 2017 is making again its appearance at the show. It is fitted with a 2500 litre plastic tank, 27 metre boom, full Auto-Pilot and section control.

The new AIM Command FLEX® advanced spray technology, which will make its debut at the show, enables operators to deliver consistent, flexible and accurate application, regardless of speed and terrain.

Also in the range are the SPX Patriot®3230, featuring a 3078 litre Stainless steel tank, the new AIM Command FLEX® with a 30m boom (market leader in its segment); the SPX Patriot®3330 with a 3800 litre stainless steel tank, AIM Command FLEX® with a 30m boom; and the SPX Patriot®44430 fitted with a 4500 litre stainless steel tank, AIM Command FLEX® with a 36m boom.

NORTHMEC is the Case IH distributor for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, selling and supporting the full range of Case IH agricultural equipment through 13 branches and 37 dealers, within those territories.

Dedicated to farming and agricultural growth in these countries, it supports farmers in reaping the benefits of Case IH agricultural equipment, forming a solid foundation for long-term growth and production.

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MASCHINE DES JAHRES 2015

MORE POWER FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS. THE MAGNUM SERIES. READY FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD. First launched in 1987, the Magnum Series has evolved over 28 years to become the first choice of large scale farmers and contractors who demand the best. The new Magnum series features the proven Full Powershift and CVT Transmissions with Automatic Productivity Management (APM)

that automatically reduces engine speed to match power and to maximise fuel efficiency. These transmissions are sized for high horsepower demands, to achieve maximum reliability and durability. Choose from a wide selection of five models ranging from 250 to 380 hp.

www.caseih.com

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ADVERTORIAL

©PETKUS GROUP

Moveable seed plants: think inside a box

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ometimes, an entire seed world fits into a box. For this, it takes creativity, knowhow and a clever engineering concept.

The preassembled seed plant unit on container frames are a special PETKUS solution, which offer semi-mobile seed cleaning and/or coating plants with all the comforts of a full seed conditioning line.

The seed plant can be packed up and be moved on somewhere else. It offers a high degree of flexibility as well as cost savings without compromising plant performance. Based on two shipping containers, the units can be simply stacked one on top of the other and operated by plug and play. It is easy. It is fast and it is ready for complete operation. It is around eight days work for two men and one crane.

“This gives a huge saving in both mechanical and electrical installation costs”, says Roger Cook, Technology Manager for Asia and Australia at PETKUS Technologie GmbH. He introduced the system’s solution into Australia and was super-

vising and managing the initial installation. Since then, this moveable plant runs 365 days per year with, amongst others, oat, barley, wheat, maize, chickpea and mung bean. The units can be delivered anywhere in the world.

“Simply unload and position on site for instant plug and play operation”, says Cook.

They are pre-wired with PLC including remote support and WiFi connectivity. Within a certain range, the technical equipment can be chosen. Basically, a seed processing line or a seed coating line or a seed processing line with downstream coating system can be installed. Those units are fully equipped with deawner, air screen cleaner, indented

cylinders, gravity table and/ or treater with aspiration and mixing tanks as well as respective conveying technologies.

Who thinks that the moveable plant system is just machines in a box is far from it.

“It requires special fitting technologies from a size as well as performance perspective which offer some degree of flexibility and configuration options”, says Thomas Leonhardt, Sales and Services at PETKUS Technologie GmbH. “Thus, the PETKUS P12 air screen cleaner is an excellent example for such a technology”.

The very compact, closed, bolted and with a machine integrated fan can not only be used for pre-cleaning but also for intensive cleaning and

©PETKUS GROUP

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seed cleaning. In addition, the dynamic forces are very low due to two different screen boxes that oscillate against one another.

Furthermore, the indented cylinders’ configuration for long and short grain separation needs to be switched from one another, depending on the grains that must be sorted. Therefore, simply installing standard indents may not be expedient.

Moreover, the machines themselves and the entire plant must be operator friendly and convenient enough to be handled. Access to all levels and areas is important and is guaranteed for the PETKUS systems by a circular walkway system. Harmonizing appropriate technologies and combining it with proper engineering is the secret behind the PETKUS moveable plants.

“Yes, also once you have to think inside a box to create innovative solutions”, says Mark Scholze, CEO PETKUS Technologie GmbH, with a smile. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

TEchnologY | InnovaTIon | EngInEERIng | SERvIcE

The PETKUS MultiCoater CM Series

THINK

Inside

theBOX!

PETKUS Moveable Seed Plants Easy. Fast. Ready.

Units are preassembled on container frames, pre-wired with PLC, remote support & WiFi connection and equipped with all you need for seed conditioning.

Plug & play: unload, position and operate > pack up and move somewhere else!

Mechanics & electrics: save costs, time and manpower > 8 days, 2 guys and 1 crane!

Stack & link: clean, sort and/or treat > no compromises in plant performance!

Strong Seed.

Member of the PETKUS Group

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Healthy Grain.

PETKUS.

PRODUCT

NTN-SNR structures its commercial offering for agricultural machinery

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A comprehensive offering ranging from standard products to the latest innovations NTN-SNR offers 80 listed products in its catalogue for towed machines, including its very latest innovations, making it an essential and acknowledged expert in this field. It includes mower bearings, sold for several decades, the latest innovations in seals, integral hubs, insert bearings and lubricating pumps. All the proposed listed products can be delivered within 48 hours throughout the area concerned.

Furthermore, specific packaging is used for small orders, thereby enabling new customers to carry out prototyping.

Finally, NTN-SNR’s technical teams can adapt products to customize them.

TN-SNR opens up its expertise and experience in agricultural machines for all manufacturers in the sector by structuring a dedicated commercial offering of 80 products including bearings, bearing units, sealing and maintenance solutions. Having worked with the biggest and most demanding manufacturers in the world for several decades, NTNSNR is an acknowledged expert in tillage and harvesting.

It offers extremely robust and reliable products that ensure optimal use of machines in difficult environments. Whether for spreaders, mowers or balers, NTN-SNR has developed a range of specific products that meets the needs of implements manufacturers.

NTN-SNR is rolling out this offer for OEM manufacturers throughout Europe, and aims to roll it out on this market with ambitious growth targets.

NTN-SNR products acknowledged by leading manufacturers of agricultural machines Expertise serving all manufacturers in the sector NTN-SNR has worked for several decades with the leading European and American manufacturers of agricultural machines, supplying them with bearings and bearing units, including technical expertise, specially designed for the entire agricultural cycle.

NTN-SNR thus addresses all manufacturers on European markets to enable them to incorporate the most robust and reliable parts into their machines without needing to go through costly develop-

Technologies developed for all requirements Tillage

ment phases. A relationship of trust and confidence has been existing with Kuhn, a world leader in agricultural machinery for 40 years. “The longer service life and the consistent quality of the supplied bearings are for us a valuable asset”, says Bernard Jacob, lead buyer at KUHN. “Similarly, in terms of innovation, the sustained technical and commercial relations between the project teams of our two companies, the reactivity and quality of these relations enable us to progress and finalize our projects”, he adds.

NTN-SNR has designed the Agrihub (integral hub for disc machines) comprising a highperformance bearing with a double row ball bearing.

The side exposed to pollution is fitted with an 8-lip sealing system that protects the bearing throughout its lifetime.

This solution also stands out because of its robustness and high impact resistance thanks to its housing in ductile cast iron fitted with a bearing that provides the highest load capacity on the market. For rotary harrow, NTN-SNR also offers tapered roller bearings with improved precision for rapid assembly, and for seeding, 4-point angular contact ball bearings for precise guiding.

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Performance and sealing

NTN-SNR has already demonstrated the extreme reliability and performance of its bearings for mowers. Their ball bearing technology (single or double row) and lifelong lubrication ensure very high rotation speed. For balers and harvesters, NTN-SNR’s range of seals is suitable for all types of environments. The LLU seal delivers optimal performance; L3 seals (3 nitrile lips) and L4 seals (3 nitrile lips and a labyrinth ring seal) are designed for highly polluted and wet land. The latest AGR seal consists of a 3-lip nitrile rubber seal plus a pressed metal shield assembled on the inner ring, which prevents build-up of dirt and which is robust enough to provide optimal protection against stones.

Easier maintenance for optimal operation of machines NTN-SNR offers lubrication solutions that simplify maintenance and guarantee optimal equipment service life. In particular, it offers a re-lubricating pump, programmable by smartphone/tablet. This versatile pump can be used both for multi-line systems or progressive distributors. Its size allows it to be installed on any on-board machines.

With this new commercial offering aimed at all manufacturers of implement machines, NTNSNR strengthens its presence on the industry’s different markets. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

BERTUZZI FOOD PROCESSING Srl, founded in 1936, is one of the major world players in the design and supply of machines and complete plants to transform any type of vegetable and fruit into juices, concentrates, baby food, jams, ready-made drinks etc.

BERTUZZI FOOD PROCESSING Srl, fondée en 1936, est l'un des principaux acteurs mondiaux dans la conception et la fourniture de machines et d'installations complètes pour la transformation de tout type de végétales et de fruits en jus, concentrés, aliments pour bébé, confitures, boissons prêtes à l'emploi, etc.

www.bertuzzi.it

PRODUCT

BMG boer-slim/smart farming high-efficiencies

Slogging hammer

BMG’s focus at Nampo 2018 (Santam Hall, at stands 15 and 16), will highlight the importance of the investment in quality equipment and components for high efficiencies and optimum productivity in the agricultural sector.

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he leading supplier offers its agricultural customers a total solution for their specific requirements and conditions.

“We continuously strive to develop new products for the farming community,” BI Business Unit Head Ross Trevelyan notes.

“We believe that the agricultural industry is of utmost importance to food security, and therefore to the economic development of our country.

We strive to offer excellence to our customers in both service and product provision,” he comments.

With the agricultural sector under increasing pressure

to cut costs and improve productivity, BI has both the experience and expertise, backed up by some of the best products available on the market, to assist farming customers in reducing their downtime and boosting productivity significantly.

BI’s diverse product line-up for the agricultural industry

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runs the gamut from supplying bearings and chain to couplings and transmission products for arduous farming applications such as ploughing, planting, harvesting, and baling.

It carries a comprehensive stockholding of critical spares, in addition to chain and V-belt drives, that can Dual direction multi-purwww.farmersreviewafrica.com

Wheel slogger for heavy equipment

Agriculture ironware

Gearboxes

45

pose gearboxes, PTO clutches and components and specially designed heavy-duty coulter bearings are also new to the range.

BMG’s high-quality replacement agricultural components are engineered to improve productivity in the farming sector, to operate efficiently for extended periods, with minimal maintenance requirements and to reduce costs in the long term.

Immediate availability of a comprehensive range of quality branded products, technical support and total solutions service, sets the company apart in the agricultural community.

The company’s 2018 agricultural catalogue is a practical guide for agricultural OEM’s, re-sellers and farmers, that focuses on all wear parts and components available from BMG. There are illustrations and easy-to-follow charts to assist famers in the correct identification and selection of the appropriate component for every application.

BMG provides solutions to all key players in the agricultural sector, including local manufacturers of equipment and implements, as well as agricultural re-sellers and the farmer.

Agriculture linkage, PTO’s, chain and gearboxes www.farmersreviewafrica.com

PRODUCT

Banding & ID Solutions Africa aims for organic growth in agriculture Banding & Identification (ID) Solutions Africa, exclusive local distributor for Band-It of the US, has its sights set firmly on increased market penetration into the Southern African agricultural industry.

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he company offers a wide product range that is highly applicable to this sector. “There is a great deal of opportunity here. We are working hard to increase our brand awareness, and to expand our footprint,” Banding & ID Solutions Africa Sales Representative Matthew Campbell comments.

For example, Band-It bandand-buckle systems are ideal for hose assemblies and cable management on farms, where a major focus is to prevent water loss through pipe leakages. The exact same product is flexible enough to even be used to secure farm fencing, so as to provide for secure perimeters.

Band-It strapping solutions can also be used to install security hardware such as alarms and CCTV camera systems.

Ancillary products such as the Band-It Easy Read Kit, which consists of a complete range of individual letters, numbers and symbols that are legible in dim light in inaccessible places, can be used to ‘tag’ farming equipment and implements so as to ensure traceability.

Banding & ID Solutions Africa has already established a strong presence in the major

Banding ID Solutions Africa Sales Representative Matthew Campbell

citrus, vegetable, and grain production region of Brits in the North West Province, which it hopes to use as a springboard into other similar areas, including neighbouring countries, in conjunction with its distribution partners.

“We are a well-respected brand in the Brits area, having played a major role here for over a decade,” Banding & ID Solutions South Africa Sales Director Rosa Dos Remendos highlights. This is testament to the adaptability of the Band-It product range to the agricultural industry.

Another major factor is the durability of the Band-It bandand-buckle systems, which are

46

made from Grade 304 stainless steel, and therefore able to withstand harsh operating conditions. In addition, the fastening tools required are operated manually, which is a major benefit due to the power constraints found on many farms.

“Our strapping tools are easy-to-use, and require minimal training to be operated effectively. Many are multipurpose systems ideal for a variety of applications, such as Ball-Lokt™ ties, which can be used for everything from cable and hose bundling and attachment, through to maintenance and even signage,” Dos Remendos concludes.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

PRODUCT

SANY compact equipment for agriculture on show at NAMPO 2018 A range of SANY compact equipment ideal for a range of agricultural applications will be showcased by Goscor Earth Moving (GEM) at Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day from 15 to 18 May 2018 at Bothaville in the Free State.

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art of the Goscor Group, GEM will highlight, for example, the 14 t SY140, a versatile excavator ideal for any farmer. It is fitted with reliable and inexpensive Isuzu motors for rugged dependability, Andre Steenkamp, General Manager of the SANY range under GEM, points out. This lightweight excavator can be transported easily around a farm for maximum productivity.

In addition, the SYL 956H1 front end loader will be on display. This machine is built tough, with a bucket capacity from 2.7 m3 to 4.5 m3 to ensure it is well-suited for the agricultural sector. The highlyefficient drive system features a rotary automatic gearbox

All SANY excavators feature high operating efficiency, low fuel consumption, easy maintenance and a high-comfort cabin.

that boosts travel speed by 10%, and increases towing force by over 6%. The rated load is 5 000 kg, rated power is 162 kW, and the maximum lifting force is 172 kN. SANY is a Chinese manufacturer of plant and mining equipment, from excavators to graders, rigid dump trucks,

front-end loaders, rollers, pavers, cranes, port machinery, pile driving, and concrete pumps.

The advantage for customers in dealing with GEM is that it has a large footprint in South Africa, and therefore is able to support customers through its countrywide network. While GEM is a fairly new addition to Goscor, the group has been in the compact-equipment segment for a number of years.

“Therefore the SANY range can piggyback easily on the network that has already been established. Goscor has invested significantly in this leading brand from China, which means our parts and

48

general back-up are on par with any of the larger OEMs,” Steenkamp highlights.

The Goscor Group, itself part of Industrial Services Holdings (InServe), will have a substantial presence at NAMPO 2018. Bobcat Equipment South Africa, Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE), GEM (representing SANY), Goscor Power Products (GPP), Goscor Lift Truck Company, Goscor Access Solutions, and Goscor Compressed Air Systems will collectively showcase a range of total solutions and equipment aimed at meeting the specific requirements of the agricultural industry.

Visit the Goscor Group at Stand C17, and Goscor Cleaning Equipment at Stand 21 in the Zest WEG Hall at NAMPO 2018.

For more information, go to http://www.grainsa.co.za/ pages/nampo/nampo-home.

SANY is a Chinese manufacturer of a range of equipment, from excavators to front-end loaders. www.farmersreviewafrica.com

FROM REDUCING TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP TO MEETING GROWING FOOD DEMAND TOGETHER IT’S POSSIBLE Innovative solutions that save time and money.

As the industry of farming modernises, finding smarter ways to work is essential for your business.

Our technical specialists combine their expertise, industry knowledge and services like Shell LubeAnalyst to help extend oil drain intervals, find optimal lubricant solutions to reduce maintenance and help increase the lifetime of farming equipment. To find how we can help you grow your business, go to shell.com/lubricants

SHELL LUBRICANTS TOGETHER ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

PRODUCT

Goscor Power Products to showcase full Weima range at NAMPO 2018 Goscor Power Products (GPP), part of the Goscor Group, will showcase the full extent of its Weima product range at Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day from 15 to 18 May at Bothaville in the Free State.

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ast year’s unveiling of the Weima diesel-engine range from 4 hp to 13 hp will be supplemented with the latest launch of a brand-new high-pressure firefighter with a 4 hp diesel engine. “This will demonstrate the full extent of the Weima diesel range for the farming community,” GPP Mark Bester comments.

The Weima firefighters have a pressure rating from 35 bar to 50 bar, a flow rate of 20 ℓ/min to 41 ℓ/min, and tank sizes from 620 ℓ to 1 000 ℓ. Customers can buy modular components as and when required, while a double hose reel version is also available.

“We already have a petroldriven version, and decided to introduce a new diesel unit specifically for the agricultural community, which uses diesel mainly, particularly in on-site fuel bowsers. Apart from reducing fuel costs, this option is also inherently safer,” Bester explains.

GPP rolled out the first batch of its Weima firefighters at its Blackheath assembly plant in the Western Cape in November last year, aimed specifically at assisting farmers with fire-prevention and protection in the drought-ravaged province.

“We are already actively marketing our Weima firefighters through Kaap Agri,

one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the Western Cape. Placing these products centre-stage at NAMPO 2018, one of the largest expos of its kind in the world, will serve to introduce it to the broader agricultural industry both locally and in Africa,” Bester comments.

It will also not only affirm GPP’s position as a premium product supplier to the farming community, but also emphasise its flexibility in responding to specific customer requirements, and larger contingencies such as the current drought impacting heavily on the Western Cape in particular.

“Not only do we offer high-quality products from

some of the most reputable global brands, but we are highly price-competitive as well. We understand that the farming community in particular has been going through tough times of late, and therefore we believe our product range represents the most affordable option for farmers,” Bester highlights.

This will be the third consecutive year that GPP is a proud exhibitor at NAMPO. “We are excited to be in attendance at this important event yet again, reflecting our long-standing involvement with the agricultural industry for over 30 years. Our stand always draws good numbers, which not only generates new business opportunities for us,

50

but strengthens our ties with our numerous existing clients,” Bester notes.

With several product specialists in attendance at NAMPO 2018, GPP will be able to highlight its customised solutions for specific client requirements, as well as demonstrating how brands such as Weima offer the lowest total cost of ownership.

“Our product specialists not only know all the ins-andouts of our full range, but are also very knowledgeable about the agricultural industry as a whole. We will also be inviting some of our independent dealers in the Free State to have their sales representatives at our stand, in order to show the extent of the entire GPP family,” Bester remarks.

GPP is the official exclusive authorised Southern African distributor of five major brands, namely Weima, Rato, Lutian, H-Power and Meiwa, which will all be on display at NAMPO 2018. Products range from engines to gensets, water pumps, fertiliser pumps, and even high-pressure washers.

Visit Goscor Power Products (GPP) at Stand C17 at NAMPO 2018. For more information, go to http://www. grainsa.co.za/pages/nampo/ nampo-home.

www.farmersreviewafrica.com

PROJECT

Bosch Projects:

New short retention time (SRT) refined sugar conditioning silo commissioned

B

Bosch Projects, in conjunction with its technology partners in Thailand, has developed a new short retention time (SRT) refined sugar conditioning silo, designed to significantly reduce conditioning time and capital investment expenditure

osch Projects focuses on multi-disciplinary projects - integrating engineering technology and project management - to provide specially tailored solutions for diverse industries, including sugar, power utilities and materials handling, as well as commercial and industrial projects.

The company, with over 55 years of service in the global sugar sector, offers a comprehensive service encompassing strategic planning and feasibility studies, sugar technology development, project structuring and funding, plant design and engineering, design and supply of sugar processing equipment, project delivery, operational support and training.

“An important part of the company’s service to the sugar industry is in equipment design. The Bosch Projects team - which works closely with sugar growers, millers and refiners around the world - has a thorough understanding of current trends in the industry and is able to identify exactly where opportunities exist, for future improvements in mechanical design,” explains Neil du Plessis, business manager, Sugar Equipment, Bosch Projects, part of the Bosch

52

Holdings Group. “The company has developed advanced equipment designs by combining the latest technologies and manufacturing trends, whilst retaining the “tried and tested/ proven technology” principles favoured by the sugar industry.

“By modernising the design of equipment to optimise efficiencies and enhance performance, the cost of sugar processing is reduced, productivity is improved, maintenance requirements minimised and the service life of every system is significantly extended.”

A recent milestone for Bosch Projects, in conjunction with its technology partners in Thailand, was the development of a new short retention time (SRT) refined sugar conditioning silo, designed to significantly reduce conditioning time and capital investment expenditure.

The first installation of the Bosch Projects SRT silo which commenced mid-2017 in the western cane growing region of Thailand and was commissioned at the beginning of 2018 – has been designed to process 35 tons of refined sugar per hour.

Granular white sugar leaving a refinery requires conditioning to prevent lumping and caking in the final packaged product. The major advantage www.farmersreviewafrica.com

PROJECT of this new SRT silo process over conventional conditioning of refined sugar, is the reduced residence time of 16 hours, compared to the standard period of between 65 and 72 hours.

This new SRT silo, which is completely automated for continuous output of conditioned sugar to the packing station, comprises a sugar infeed conveyor system, dual air conditioning plant and blowers, four silos, a silo discharge elevator and a system for dust extraction.

The short retention time conditioning process, which operates in a batch sequence, makes use of three or four equally sized smaller silos. As one silo is being filled, one will be discharged and simultaneously, two silos will be undergoing conditioning phases that are staggered by eight hours.

With the correct scheduling, this arrangement permits the silo to operate continuously, with two conditioning phases and two material transfer phases active at any one time.

The key to SRT success is in the humidity and volume of air, which is introduced during

the conditioning phase. The air passes through a filtration system before being dehumidified to a specific value and then transfers into the duty blowers. Downstream of the blowers, the air is cooled before being independently introduced into the two silos which are in the conditioning phase.

Bosch Projects provides a wide range of sugar equipment designs through its international partners in South

The first installation of the Bosch Projects SRT silo which commenced mid-2017 in the western cane growing region of Thailand and was commissioned at the beginning of 2018 – has been designed to process 35 tons of refined sugar per hour.

East Asia, the USA, India, Brazil and directly to its clients for various prestigious projects in global sugar producing regions.

Bosch Projects designs and supplies a full range of equipment, from the front-end cane

preparation and juice extraction, through to processing, refining and packaging.

The Bosch Projects team works closely with its technology partners and various fabricators, to ensure manufacture of all equipment adheres to stringent international quality standards and exact design specifications. The company has an extensive network of offices in Africa, South and Central America and the United Kingdom.

ICT INTERNATIONAL

Collect data in real-time for decision making

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www.farmersreviewafrica.com

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences offers the following qua 4-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Science -with three Specialisations

3-year Diploma in Ornamental Horticulture

3-yea

Option 1: Agricultural Business and Management Option 2: Animal Science Option 3: Plant Science

Ornamental Horticulture combines both the horticulture and landscaping industries. The horticulture side focuses on all the requirements for propagating and growing plants commercially in the wholesale and retail industry, while landscaping focuses on using and maintaining plants and other related elements in artistic and environmentally friendly ways.

The ai base r work-i qualific health the wo expert will als comm scienti Africa.

Major subjects Option 1: Agricultural Production, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Finance, Agribusiness and Food Security Option 2: Animal Physiology, Animal Nutrition, Animal Breeding and Animal Production Option 3: Biotechnology, Crop Physiology, Plant Production and Plant Protection

Possible career opportunities • • • • • • • •

Plant Scientist Agricultural Economist Animal Scientist Agricultural Researcher Agricultural Educator Farm Manager Agricultural Advisor Agricultural Development Officer

To fulfil the requirements for the Diploma in Ornamental Horticulture, a student must complete Work Integrated Learning (WIL) modules while working in the horticulture industry.

The WIL modules are important for students to receive specific in-service training in order to apply theory in practice. WIL can be done with more than one organisation and should be done under the guidance of a qualified supervisor (or mentor) according to the syllabus.

Possible career opportunities • • • • • • • • • • • •

Garden centre assistant or manager Herbalist Horticulture consultant Horticulturist Hydroponics expert Landscape architect Ornamental horticultural farmer Plant pathologist Plant propagator Retail nursery assistant, owner or manager Turfgrass manager Crop production manager

The ai Anima in app manag of anim veterin

Poss • • • • • • • • • •

A R L F M A A S i O O

owing qualifications:

ly

tal ed

ve

e

3-year Diploma in Animal Health

3-year National Diploma in Agricultural Management

The aim of the qualification is to develop a skills base registered animal health technicians with work-integrated experience in Southern Africa. The qualification will enable graduates in the field of animal health to respond to the needs and challenges of the working environment by developing professional expertise in their field of employment. Graduates will also be able to bridge the gap between rural communities and farmers, and veterinarians and the scientific world in the field of animal health in South Africa.

The aim is to train students in the application of appropriate agricultural technologies and strategies and to encourage the application of environmentalfriendly production procedures in order to maintain a viable, profitable and sustainable agricultural industry.

The aim of the Diploma is to qualify the learner as an Animal Health Technician who would be competent in applying animal health care, disease control and management techniques in the prevention and control of animal diseases in order to support animal and veterinary public health.

• •

Animal health technician Researcher Laboratory technician Farmer or farm manager Meat inspector Agricultural advisor Agricultural extension officer Sales representative in pharmaceutical industry Officer in the Department of Agriculture Officer at the State Veterinary Office

• • • • • •

Farm Manager or Farmer Agricultural Advisor Agricultural Marketing Specialist Agricultural Development Officer Agricultural training officer Agricultural researcher

Contact Details: College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Science Campus, Florida

Possible career opportunities • • • • • • • •

Possible career opportunities

Tel: +27 (0) 11 670 935 Email: CAESenquiries@unisa.ac.za

Web: www.unisa.ac.za

Upcoming Events 15 MAY 18 - 16 MAY 18 - NAIROBI, KENYA AGRITEC AFRICA: 20 JUN 18 - 22 JUN 18- NAIROBI, KENYA AFRICA’S BIG 7: 24 JUN 18 - 26 JUN 18 - JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA AGRI TRADE CONGRESS AFRICA 26 JUN 18 - 27 JUN 18 - JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA AVIANA KENYA 2018 12 JUL 18 - 13 JUL 18 - NAIROBI, KENYA VALUE ADDED AGRICULTURE EXPO 02 AUG 18 - 04 AUG 18 - ACCRA, GHANA FARM-TECH EXPO KENYA

....................................................................................................

AFRICA CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE SUMMIT

08 AUG 18 - 09 AUG 18 - NAIVASHA, KENYA HARARE AGRICULTURE SHOW: 27 AUGUST NAIVASHA HORTICULTURAL FAIR 2018 21 SEP 18 - 2 SEP 18 - NAIVASHA, KENYA AGRIKERP: 26-28 SEPT LAGOS NIGERIA 6TH ADDIS AGROFOOD & PACK 10 OCT 18 - 13 OCT 18 - ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA IAOM MEA CONFERENCE & EXPO 22 OCT 18 - 25 OCT 18 - NAIROBI, KENYA AGRENA: 25-27 OCT - CAIRO EGYPT AFRICAN AGRI INVESTMENT INDABA 26 NOV 18 - 28 NOV 18 - CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Advertisers’ index Agrico...................................................................OBC

Petkus.........................................................................41

Agritech...................................................................IFC

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Bertuzzi Food Processing.................................43

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Buschhoff..................................................................25

SAWPA.....................................................................15

Case IH......................................................................39

Shell Lubricants......................................................49

Dunlop..........................................................................1

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TSGC..........................................................................49

KSB Pumps...............................................................39

Tully’s Plastics..........................................................21

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Vantage.........................................................................2

Neptun....................................................................IBC

Valley Irrigation......................................................47

FARMERS

REVIEW AFRICA

FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA is Africa’s premier farming magazine which provides the updates of news and analysis in topical issues of national and international importance in agriculture. It is a publication which links the technology applied in the Agricultural sector to the field experience of professionals of this area. All aspects of the Agricultural cycle, from tilling the land to transporting, fall within the realm on the interest of the journal.

The journal, by design, offers advertisers unparalleled exposure to a captive audience.

TO ADVERTISE IN FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA CALL: +27 11 044 8986 Email: sales@farmersreviewafrica.com

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More than 100 years’ service

Sales and Service with branches across Southern Africa: Aliwal North | Bellville | Bethlehem | Bloemfontein | Caledon | Ceres | Christiana | Cradock | Estcourt | George | Hartswater | Humansdorp | Kakamas | Kimberley | Kroonstad Lichtenburg | Lusaka | Mukushi | Nelspruit | Nigel | Nylstroom | Pietermaritzburg | Piketberg | Rawsonville | Tzaneen | Upington | Vredendal | Wellington