F A R ME R S
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I S S UE
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Volume 3. Issue 12. November - December 2017
AGCO- Combine and forage harvesters Page 84
t Please visi te si b e the w
FARMERS
AFRICAN DAIRY FARMERS NEED TO BECOME CLIMATE SMART. P10
rica
africa.com
eview iewaf farmersrev .com
www.farmersr
REVIEW AFRICA
A SOLUTION TO POOR FARMERS' PROBLEMS. P48
REALTIME ANIMAL FEEDS AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS. P60
www.poltek.co.za
quotes@custommoulders.co.za sales@custommoulders.co.za
www.shrinavkar.com
shrinavkar@shrinavkar.com
Contents 24
8
48
News
Events
9 Tanzania farmers adopts vegetable farming to improve nutrition
93 R130 000 is raised for local schools and old-age facilities by Tru-Cape
16 Will new regime revive agriculture in Zimbabwe
New Product & Services
Insights
82 How much fuel are you losing to thieves? 84 Combine and forage harvesters
18 Climate smart crops
Cropping
20 New guide to help ensure health and safety of workers in banana sector
59 Naturally balanced nutrition 62 Don't wasteit, roast it
Tech & Innovation Supplement
52 IoT can transform agriculture
40 Heavy duty power transmission oil for agricultural machinery
56 Multispectral sensors and analytics
37 Soil moisture transmitters for irrigation control
Livestock
34 Agricultural grain dryers
60 Realtime animal feeds and nutritional analysis
68 Equipment for fruit and vegetable grading and sorting
62 Don’t waste it, roast it
62
50 November - December 2017
[4]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
86 www.farmersreviewafrica.com
F A R ME R S
RE VI E W AF RI CA
I S S UE
1 2
Volume 3. Issue 12. November - December 2017
Editor’s note It's no secret we work in a cyclical industry. ere's planting in the spring, harvest
AGCO- Combine and forage harvesters
preparation in the summer and the busy harvest season in the fall. It can be quite a busy,
Page 72
jet-lag inducing time, but it's also bene cial to get out of the farm, or mill or elevator — every once in a while and get exposed to new ideas, ways of doing things and seeing things that are just plain and neat. Please visit the website
FARMERS
a
com
viewafric farmersrereviewafrica. .com
www.farmers
REVIEW AFRICA
AFRICAN DAIRY FARMERS NEED TO BECOME CLIMATE SMART. P8
A SOLUTION TO POOR FARMERS' PROBLEMS. P42
REALTIME ANIMAL FEEDS AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS. P52
Farming is getting more and more sectoral all the time. e kids, who grow up on grain farms, rarely set foot in swine or chicken barns, or know about beef genetics or fruit
Grain harvesters Courtesy of www.AGCOcorp.com
harvest quality.
Executive Editor Lee Daniels
Farming is evolving faster than any of us realize, with farmers solidly in charge. To see
lee.daniels@farmersreviewafrica.com
how, just read the stories in our latest issue and apply their messages to an entire industry.
Writers
Farmers stand out in today's culture for their ability to make actual decisions, not just
Bertha M. Contributers Silimina Derick derrick.silimina@gmail.com Advertising Executive
choices. Now the rewards for choosing which decisions to make are about to multiply. In our last issue of Farmers Review Africa as we conclude the year 2017, we bring you a lot of insights, machinery and technology guide in the agricultural sector.
Russou Billiard russoub@farmersreviewafrica.com
We have an interesting piece written by David Davies, CEO & Co-founder of AgUnity
Cleopas M.
which talks about AgriLedger, a solution to poor farmers.
cleopasm@farmersreviewafrica.com Mkhululi K.
e solution is to get 50-100 farmers together to collaborate and share, but a lack of clear
info@farmersreviewafrica.com
records and trust stops them from doing that. AgriLedger is the simplest use of block
Project Manager
chain, it's really a record keeping system that works smartphone to smartphone and writes
Victor Ndlovu
to block chain so it can never be altered.
sales@farmersreviewafrica.com Correspondents
We also give you an interesting insight on how farmers in Tanzania are encouraged to
Isabel Banda zambia@farmersreviewafrica.com +260 97 740 4388 Himanot Kelemu
grow elite varieties of vegetables, enriched with high-value nutritional content, in order to ght malnutrition, hunger and double agricultural productivity and income of smallholders.
eastafrica@farmersreviewafrica.com Sales professor@farmersreviewafrica.com Mthokozisi M mthokozisim@farmersreviewafrica.com
Fodder production is providing a lifeline to drought stricken famers in Kenya as it is an important traditional part of the present cropping system both for conserved feed and fertility enhancement and maintenance.
Marketing Mandla M. mandlam@farmersreviewafrica.com Graphic Design & Layout
leading trade fair for agricultural machinery with 2,900 exhibitors from 52 countries.
Que Gibson
Xarvio solutions open farmers the opportunity to optimise the potential of their
gibson.q@farmersreviewafrica.com
individual elds and eld zones.
Bayer launched the new digital farming brand, Xarvio at this year's Agritechnica, the
Published by Mailing Times Media
Are we getting it right? As always, don't hesitate to let us know. Email us at
+27 11 044 8986
sales@farmersreviewafrica.com or visit our website www.farmersreviewafrica.com
sales@farmersreviewafrica.com
Bertha M. Editor 15
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[5]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
News
Kenya
Fodder farming provides lifeline to drought stricken Kenya Fodder production is an important traditional
Agricultural and Livestock Research
part of the present cropping system both for
Organization.
conserved feed and fertility enhancement and maintenance.
and treatment for pests, he said. He sells grass bales to herders for 200 Kenyan
Joseph Mureithi, director of the organization,
shillings ($2) each, and makes up to 200,000
said that “rain-fed staple farming is becoming
Kenyan shillings ($1,930) per season.
Up to 10% of the agricultural lands are cultivated
increasingly difficult in Kenya due to poor
with fodder crops. Lack of quality fodder
rainfall, whereas growing fodder can help
'especially during winter' is one of the major
farmers withstand prolonged drought.”
constraints to improve livestock production.
Wild grass like Brachiaria is drought-resistant, nutritious and reduces the need for fertilisers, says the International Center for Tropical Agriculture.
For two years Peter Mutisya has been growing Cattle are fed both on rangelands and in the
Rhodes grass to supplement his income.
Mutisya said the growing demand for fodder from
sheds. In winter all livestock are fed indoors and
“I have made 300 Kenyan shillings ($3) by
herders in times of drought is what makes it such
rely on crop residues and conserved fodder.
selling these today,” said Mutisya in interview
an attractive proposition for subsistence farmers
Many animals are underfed and weak in spring.
with Reuters, a large smile spread across his face.
like him.
Worsening drought and erratic rainfall across
Mutisya was not always so cheerful. He used to
“Pastoralists are realizing that in dry weather it is
Kenya have affected harvests and livestock,
grow maize and beans, but irregular and
better to buy fodder for their livestock instead of
prompting farmers to look for alternative
insufficient rainfall meant he harvested very
walking long distances in search of pastures, and
sources of income.
little – ve bags of maize at most per season,
risk their animals dying along the way,” he
which earned him 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($96)
explained.
A growing number of Kenyans living in arid
at the market.
Paul Melita, an elder from Sonorua village in a
areas are swapping staple crops for livestock
neig hb or ing count y, s aid his v i l l age is
fodder like Rhodes or Brachiaria grass, which
It takes him three hours to plant the grass and,
require less water to grow, according to the Kenya
unlike maize, does not need regular weeding
November - December 2017
[6]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
experiencing one of its worst droughts in years.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Fodder farming provides lifeline to drought stricken Kenya
“It's simple: when there is no rain there is no
which he says allow him to keep his livestock fed
fodder. Our livestock die,” he said, pointing to the
and alive, even in dry weather.
News
“Pastoralists see ownership of livestock as enhancing a man's status in society,” he said. “So
village path littered with rotting animal
they are reluctant to give their animals up.”
carcasses.
He has had to manage his budget carefully, however. “If I sell one cow, I can raise enough
Trading manure for fodder is another option for
He is not as worried as others, however. Late last
money to buy fodder to feed my other 20 cows
herders who would rather not part from their
year he went to Machakos, a nearby town, to buy
for a month,” he said.
animals, say experts.
grain for his family. “But I got more than that,” he said.
But most herders refuse to sell their stock, said
“Pastoralists rely on fodder grown by farmers. But
Joseph Nkanoni, a project officer at Dupoto-e-
farmers too need products like manure from
Farmers were selling hay bales at the open-air
Maa. e herders' group has been encouraging
pastoralists to farm grass,” said Joseph Ngondi,
market – which came as a surprise as he had
people to sell some of their animals during
coordinator at the Climate Change Network of
never seen fodder sold before.
drought, to buy fodder or pay for family food or
Kenya, a network of organizations tackling
school fees.
climate change.
Melita now buys about 60 hay bales every month,
www.allpower.co.za
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[7]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
info@allpower.co.za
November - December 2017
News
Kenya
African youth go digital to keep climate-smart farming alive Mobile applications and online forums help
According to Amanda Namayi from CSAYN
Young people are also using online forums to
young Africans make a living from farming amid
Kenya, the internet has helped the youth form
share experiences and educate one another,
changing weather, delegates hear on the sidelines
alliances across 28 countries to promote
Mwangi said. “We need to rethink the way we
of climate talks in Bonn. African campaigners are promoting digital tools
sustainable farming. “is initiative started in
engage the youth in farming… e online forums
Africa but it is now spreading to other parts of
have given us an insight into what challenges the
the world,” she said.
youth faces and the solutions.”
to keep young people involved in farming and prevent migration, delegates heard on the
CSAYN is promoting activities associated with
e other problem that African youth in
sidelines of climate talks in Bonn, Germany.
farming such as marketing, accounting and
agriculture face is a lack of land rights. is,
Youth unemployment averages 10.8% across
manufacturing to help the youth realise that
according to the African Union Commission
sub-Saharan Africa, while nearly seven out of 10
agriculture can also be done by those with
(AUC) advisor in climate change and agriculture,
young people earn less than $3.10 a day. Climate
university quali cations.
Ayalneh Bogale, is caused by the complexity of
change impacts like drought and ooding are making it harder for farmers to get by, with large
land tenure systems in African countries. “e youth is more engaged in social media and
numbers making a risky journey to seek better
they're into technology, which are the tools
“e AUC is helping African governments to
opportunities in Europe.
they're using to get involved in farming,” said
come up with policies to make land more
Catherine Mwangi, a researcher from Kenya.
accessible to those who want to use it for farming,”
In response to this challenge, the Climate Smart
at includes creating mobile applications to
he said.
Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN) is bringing
inform farmers about weather patterns and help
young people together through digital and
them make decisions on what to plant and
He also encouraged the youth to engage in
conventional means to share knowledge about
when.
rehabilitating damaged land, which may be
climate-smart agriculture. November - December 2017
eligible for climate nance. [8]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
News
Tanzania
Tanzania farmers adopts vegetable farming to improve nutrition e farmers in Tanzania are encouraged to grow
than 6,000 smallholder farmers in seven
elite varieties of vegetables, enriched with high-
districts across Tanzania to promote vegetable
value nutritional content, in order to
farming as a complementary agricultural
ght
project intervention area. “Data from the project sites in Babati, Kongwa
malnutrition, hunger and double agricultural
activity in the largely maize-dominated farming
and Kiteto districts show that from 2014 to 2016,
productivity and income of smallholders
systems.
farmers increased tomato production, on average,
e Africa RISING project focuses on the need
e result has revealed that many of the small-
production from 8 to 14.4 tonnes per ha and
to take urgent action in achieving Sustainable
scale farmers in the Sub-Saharan African region
Amaranth production from 8.6 to 12.2 tonnes per
from 10.7 to 17.2 tonnes per ha, African eggplant
Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to end to
are showing an increasing trend to turn to
ha following community sensitisation, use of
hunger and undernutrition to African farmers.
farming of the leafy greens. Vegetable farming
quality elite vegetable variety seeds and training in
In sub-Saharan African region, lack of dietary
has become a feasible alternative of agri-
healthy seedling production,” said Justus
diversity is one of the most important factors of
business with high potential for income
Ochieng, a WorldVeg scientist.
malnutrition as majority of the population
generation.
consume staples as their main food, which are low in micronutrients and vitamins.
e project also aims to enable the region's According to the project data, the combined use
smallholder farming households to identify better
of healthy seedlings with good agronomic
methodologies for storing increased quantities of
In order to reduce this lack of dietary gap and
practices has increased the production of
food produced and accessing viable markets, thus
encourage the farmers to produce crops with rich
tomato by 3.4 times and production of African
helping them to extend income generation
nutritional content, project is targeting more
eggplant and Amaranth by 2.8 times each in the
opportunities for them.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[9]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
News
Africa
African dairy farmers need to become climate smart e African dairy industry was facing its worst
production, while decreasing GHGs in
reducing milk losses in post farm-gate stages,”
challenges as a result of climate change. As
Ethiopia.
Ndambi explained.
such, adaptation and mitigation were needed to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
It was found that most GHG emissions were
Moreover, improving manure management by
that contributed to climate change.
caused by feed production and enteric
promoting animal manure as fertiliser, as well as
fermentation. e study then calculated the
promoting the sale of manure as a fertiliser for
is was according to Asaah Ndambi, senior
effect of multiple cost-efficient interventions.
use on urban and peri-urban farms, prevented
international animal production specialist at
“Emissions vary along the chain depending on
the accumulation of manure, and also assisted in
the Wageningen University and Research
production intensity; about 60% of on-farm
limiting GHG emissions.
Centre (Wageningen) in the Netherlands.
emissions are from enteric fermentation. Feed
Ndambi was speaking at the 13th Africa Dairy
production [also] contributes greatly to dairy
Farmers could also adapt their operations by
Conference and Exhibition recently held in
emissions, [with] manure also an important
increasing system resilience through enhancing
Johannesburg.
contributor,” Ndambi said.
production systems; for example, implementing effective water capturing methods, irrigation,
Ndambi explained that improving farm
Climate-smart dairy production was crucial in
herd management, sequential cropping, genetic
productivity was the best way to mitigate dairy
the effort to reduce GHG emissions.
improvement, and manure management.
sector GHG emissions.
“[Climate-smart dairy production involves]
“Expanding the activities on the farm, such as
reducing the number of animals and
mixed farming and cropping, and exploring other
In 2015 and 2017, eun Vellinga, senior
remaining productive by managing herds
possibilities outside the farm, such as ecotourism,
reseacher at Wageningen's Livestock Research
properly by replacing oxen and unproductive
feed production, and biogas production, [can help
Institute, conducted a study to assess cost-
female animals, increasing crossbreeding
in reducing GHG emissions]” Ndambi said.
effective interventions that could increase
through improved arti cial insemination and
November - December 2017
[10]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
News
Kenya
Farm Africa: A growing future for Africa World leaders gathered in Germany this month
in how to overcome such challenges via its
attendant problems of ooding, while other
to examine the impact of global warming on
Growing Futures project. “Growing Futures is
areas get progressively more arid. By 2030 crop yields could be in freefall, says Farm Africa.
vulnerable communities need look no further
about investing in communities and giving
than rural Kenya.
farmers the foundation skills needed to build a sustainable horticultural business and turn
e Trans Nzoia project was launched in 2016
International NGO Farm Africa is warning that
themselves into wealth creators,” says Oliver
and provides 400 young farmers with training
extreme weather is already impacting
King, Aldi MD of corporate responsibility.
and technical assistance, helping them increase
ere is now a text messaging system in place
markets. “Many of the people we work with were
impoverished Kenyan farmers.
yields or change focus as well as access new
“Excessive rainfall has destroyed crops and so
to encourage farmers to pay close attention to
farming maize,” says project coordinator Mary
has frost,” says Penny Ruszczynski, head of
weather forecasts. At Oloitokitok, a town in a
Nyale. “Maize production takes about nine
corporate partnerships at the charity. “Many of
semi-arid area of eastern Kenya, farmers are
months and smaller farmers don't make much.
the crops were also covered in blight, which
now successfully managing climate extremes.
By contrast, French beans take just 45 days to
occurs during very cold weather. Farmers had
“e farmers from Trans Nzoia visited and
grow, so you harvest them and have cash coming
to stop planting in August and September.”
looked at how raised vegetable beds can drain
in.”
off excessive water and how crop Previously this might have spelled disaster for
diversi cation helps avoid loss from one crop,”
Growing Futures plans to expand to a further
both the farmers and the country. Many of its
Ruszczynski adds. “ey're also very careful to
2,000 young men and women in neighbouring
farms sit in the Trans Nzoia region, oen
manage the crop during the dry season,
county Elgeyo Marakwet, although there is a
known as the 'bread basket' of Kenya, home to
minimising water use and irrigation expenses
pressing need for more funds. From now until
much of the contry's 17% of farmable land.
while helping maximise plant population for
14 January all donations will be doubled by the
Agriculture accounts for 26% of national GDP
maximum yield production per kilo of seed
British government through its Aid Match
and employs over 80% of the Kenyan
planted.”
scheme. To put this in context, just £6 will
population, making it a vital industry.
Farmers have done the least to cause climate
provide a farmer with a training session. For the
change but are among the rst to experience
farmers, for Kenya and for the food supply to the
But boosted by investment from Aldi, Farm
its adverse effects. Rainfall has been increasing
wider world, the stakes have never been higher.
Africa is now able to educate younger farmers
across East Africa since 1960, with the
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[11] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
News
West Africa
By ending deforestation in West Africa we can turn cocoa farmers into climate heroes World Cocoa Foundation chairman Barry
the world's cocoa. e key here is having the
ere are hundreds of thousands of people
Parkin says the unprecedented deal signed by 21
governments and industry working on this.
living in those protected forests and we need to
cocoa companies with Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire
at is unique. I don't think it has really
develop a plan that tackles environmental and
at COP23 this week will introduce climate-smart
happened in any other commodity, so we are
social issues together
farming practices and li hundreds of thousands
breaking new ground here.”
Central to the frameworks is a commitment to no
e Cocoa & Forests Initiative is the result of a
production and stronger enforcement of national
from poverty.
further conversion of any forest land for cocoa
A g rou n d - bre a k i n g a g re e m e nt t o e n d
meeting convened by the Prince of Wales in
forest policies. It will also restore forests that have
deforestation in West Africa has been signed at
March, where 12 companies in the cocoa supply
been degraded from illegal cocoa planting as well
the COP23 climate talks in Bonn this week.
chain, including Cargill, Olam, Ferrero,
as from other commodities such as palm oil and
Mondelē z Inter nat iona l, e Hershe y
mining, which has caused Cote D'Ivoire's forest
Barry Parkin, who is chief sustainability officer of
Company and Nestlé, met with government
cover to fall from 12m hectares to less than 3m ha
Mars, Inc, and chairman of the World Cocoa
ministers from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and
since 1960.
Foundation, said in an interview with Ethical
signed a statement of intent to come up with a
Corporation that the agreement, signed between
framework for action in time for this week's
One of the biggest challenges will be developing
21 companies and the world's biggest cocoa-
climate summit in Bonn. Signatories to the
alternative livelihoods for affected smallholder
producing countries, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, is
Cocoa & Forests Initiative have since grown to
farmers, Parkin said.
unprecedented.
35 companies, representing more than 80% of
environmental issue. It's a social, economic and
the world's cocoa users, though only 21 have so
environmental issue rolled into one. It will be
“ose two countries account for around 60% of
far signed the frameworks.
extremely challenging to solve, because there are
November - December 2017
[12] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
“is is not just an
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
By ending deforesta on in West Africa we can turn cocoa farmers into climate heroes
hundreds of thousands of people living in
change. Rather than seeing smallholder farmers
News
As well as the promoting agro-forestry practices,
communities in those protected forests, and we
as the bad guys who went into the forest and
the chocolate and cocoa industry will put in place
need to develop a plan that tackles both the
chopped down trees to grow crops and denuded
veri able monitoring systems for traceability
environmental and social issues together.”
the soil of nutrients, the opportunity is to see
from farm to the rst purchase point for their own
smallholder farmers as the heroes of climate
purchases of cocoa, working with the
Promoting SDG2
action.”
governments to ensure an effective national
is is an approach that is already yielding
supply chain.
framework for traceability for all traders in the
e frameworks signed with both countries both call for what the World Cocoa Foundation describes as the sustainable intensi cation of
results in Côte D'Ivoire, where Mars is working
cocoa production, doubling the amount of cocoa
with its supplier Barry Callebout through the
is is a huge opportunity to bring sustainable
that will be grown on each hectare of land. At the
Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming to end
development to the forest frontier
same time, single-crop cocoa plantations will be
cocoa monoculture and at least double the
Civil society groups hailed the agreements and
replaced with a model that intercrops cocoa with
incomes of smallholder farmers. Mars is
promised their support. Nigel Sizer, president of
a mix of shade crops, hardwood trees, and other
focusing on the one million smallholders who
the Rainforest Alliance, said certi cation
cash crops, providing smallholder farmers a
produce its ingredients in its $1bn Sustainable in
programmes by Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, and the
second source of income, boosting food security
a Generation sustainability plan, which aims to
Fairtrade Foundation will be able to help verify
and nutrition for communities, and improving
cut two-thirds of the CO2 in its entire value
the cocoa industr y's progress on ending
the health of the soil so that it sequesters carbon,
chain by 2050.
deforestation and give con dence to consumers. “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and with our
Parkin said. is addresses the second Sustainable Development Goal, on ending
“I was in Côte D'Ivoire two weeks ago and saw
team on the ground help with the challenging
hunger and improving nutrition, head on.
one of our rst programmes in this area. We've
work ahead with communities, farmers and
had 600 farmers plant half a hectare of land at a
companies.”
Rather than see smallholder farmers as the bad
time with this mixed agriculture, and it's
guys who chop down trees, the opportunity is
fantastic. We saw maize growing 2 metres high,
Marco Albani, director of the Tropical Forest
to see smallholder farmers as the heroes of
cocoa planted in absolutely straight rows instead
Alliance 2020, said his organisation also stood
climate action
of a monocrop of out-of-control dense canopy.
ready to support the effort: “Sustainable
Importantly for the world, there are also
… ese farmers are now sequestering carbon
intensi cation of smallholders' estate crops like
signi cant climate bene ts. “ere is three times
both in improved management of the soil and in
cocoa is a huge opportunity for delivering
as much carbon protected in agricultural soil as
the trees that they are planting.”
sustainable development at the forest frontier, and a collaboration between business, government
the air,” Parkin said. “is is a massive vehicle of
and civil society is critical for capturing it at scale.”
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[13]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
News
Zambia Zambia Grappling with 70% Fish Deficit Fishing in Zambia's vast sheries once seemed
we don't have enough and we
inexhaustible but this has led to serious depletion
are forced to import,” Mr
of sh stock.
Ngoma said.
While agriculture is the most important source
Asked the modalities that
of livelihood, Zambia has 15 million hectares of
government has put in place to
water in the form of rivers, lakes and swamps,
scale up sh farming especially
which provide the basis for extensive freshwater
among local sh farmers in the
sheries. Everyone in Zambia, irrespective of socio-economic status, enjoys sh.
country in order to cushion the current 70 percent stock de cit,
However, demand for domestic
sh for
consumption still outstrips production.
Mr Ngoma states that a number of
nancial measures are in
Government is aware of the direct bene ts of sh
place to boost production.
as a source of food of high nutritional value,
“One of them is through the Citizens Economic
the next three years.
especially for vulnerable groups, so the sector is
Empowerment Commission (CEEC) Loan
not underrated.
facility. Right now, the Commission is giving out
“We have a de cit and we are importing sh that is why we are putting in place measures to curb bad shing. We are going around the country to sensitise the communities on good sh practices and other stakeholders. We have the potential and resources in all provinces, we are even encouraging backyard shing,” Mr. Katambo said.
e sector, because of its mostly rural setting,
loans to potential sh farmers and those who are
continues to contribute signi cantly to rural
serious, they can simply apply to CEEC but the
development in terms of employment and
tricky part is they don't usually give to
income generation and reducing poverty.
individuals as they need a cooperative as it is
It is estimated that the sector supports more than
easier to fund a group rather than an individual,”
300 000 people deriving their livelihood directly
he noted.
as
“Also, the other modality is the 2017 budget
shers and
sh farmers, or indirectly as
traders, processors and other service providers,
allocation where Finance minister Felix Mutati
according to the Food and Agriculture
mentioned that there is quite a chunk of money
Organization (FAO).
that has been reser ved speci cally for
And according to the Ministry of Fisheries and
aquaculture. So, these two are the measures that
Livestock, there are nine major
government has put in place to avert sh de cit
sheries in
Zambia namely Kariba, Tanganyika, Itezhi-tezhi,
in the country.”
Bangwelu, Mweru Luapula, Mweru Wantipa,
Earlier this year, government acquired a US$50
Kafue and Zambezi Rivers and Lukanga
Million loan from the African Development
Swamps.
Bank (AfDB) to boost its sh industry. Half of
Chirundu Fisheries Department Assistant
the loan will help 12,000 women and young
research officer Taurai Ngoma says aquaculture
small scale sh farmers.
industry in Zambia is not growing to the
And Livestock and Fisheries minister Michael
expected level due to innumerable challenges
Katambo recently con rmed that Zambia has
facing the sector hence the escalating sh de cit
stock de cit hence depending on imports to
now at 70 percent.
sustain local demand.
Mr Ngoma notes that currently, government is
“As a country, we have a de cit of sh but with sh farmers and projects that are being implemented with the loans from African Development Bank (AfDB) and other measures from Government, the graph is rising, we are managing. We have about 85, 000 metric tonnes, now we are talking about 50, 000 to 60, 000 metric tonnes de cit which means the graph is rising,” he said.
even unable to ban the importation of sh mainly from China on the local market. “...the aquaculture sector is growing at a snail's pace. Although we are growing, we are not growing as fast as we want to grow. ere hasn't been enough sh that has been produced in the country as at now! We still have sh de cit and that is why government is unable to ban the ooded local market with imported
sh. So
maybe in due course, we will be restricting the amount of sh coming into the country because November - December 2017
Mr. Katambo said in an interview that Zambia would become a net exporter of sh once Government implemented all the projects. He said the target is to meet the sh de cit within
[14] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
Meanwhile, Mr Ngoma notes that the sector is still facing teething challenges as it requires enough capital in terms of funding as well as the lack of seed or ngerlings. “Aquaculture is big business. We may tell people to venture into it but the income injection that is required for one to just venture into full production is just too huge. at's the tricky part of it but once you have all the facilities in place, it's easier but for you to start just digging the ponds requires more funds,” he observed. “en the other challenge that is limiting the production of sh in the country is the source of ngerlings, (the seed). ere isn't many companies that are able to produce seed in Zambia because rst things rst, you need to have seed just like growing maize is. For instance, on the crop production side, we have a lot of seed companies such as SeedCo, ZamSeed, and MRI seed companies among others but on the sh side, we have a situation whereby those people who are growing sh are more than those who are producing ngerlings.” As government endeavours to promote sh farming, it should go a step further to raise the scale of operations by attracting corporate investment into the sector as a way of realizing its full potential and as well as strengthen the sheries department's policy and legal framework if socio-economic emancipation is to be realised. By Derrick Silimina
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
News
Zambia
Against All Odds, Dairy Farmer Flourish
Since market liberalization of Zambia's economy
for the commodity is
in the 1990s, the Dairy sector has made
affecting the Dairy
tremendous strides.
industry in the
Although production has been steadily
country.
increasing, dairy farmers and processors are
Eugene Haakalima
unable to meet the growing demand for milk and
65, a small scale dairy
dairy products.
farmer of Mapepe
Dairy farming offers a huge investment
area in Chilanga
opportunity in Zambia due to the country's
district said in an
abundant water, a good climate for crop
inter view that his
production and pasture for animal feed.
desire to join the
In the past, milking a cow was done at a
sector is due to his
subsistence level and it involved a stool, a bucket
passion for the
and patient hands for domestic consumption.
industry.
Today, dairy farming is a viable business venture
Mr. Ha a k a l i m a , a
and farmers have mechanical aids to help speed
trustee of Mapepe
up the process of milking and animal care.
Dairy Cooperative
e dairy sector requires enough resources and
Society since its
capital if it is to realise tangible returns to
i n c e p t i o n
farmers. ese include adequate land for keeping
commenced milk
the desired number of animals with enough
production with one
pasture to feed the animals.
animal but is now a
Since the rains are over, planning is important for
proud owner of four
a pro table dairy business by procuring animal
dairy animals.
feed requirements on time.
“I j oi ne d Map e p e
e farmer is also expected to preserve excess
Dairy Cooperative
fodder or silage and also budget well to ensure
Society in 2005 and i
there is enough money to buy concentrates,
started with only one
mineral licks, vitamins and drugs to maintain the
dairy animal but now
animal's health.
am milking four
According to the Ministry of Livestock, it is
animals. In terms of
estimates that 450 million litres of milk is
milk production, the four animals that I am
feeding, most small scale farmers depends on the
produced by small scale farmers annually but
currently milking give me 25 litres of milk per
income realised from the sale of milk. Lack of
only about 50 million litres gets to the market
day,” Mr. Haakalima said.
good management skills has also been a
while the rest goes to waste.
However, Mr. Haakalima noted that he is not
stumbling block to realise the growth of the
And the Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ)
satis ed with his current production rate citing
sector,” he added.
says milk production in the country is far below
lack of adequate pasture in the area.
And Mr Haakalima has since appealed for an
the installed capacity of 182 million litres per
“It's not a good production at all because I have
upward adjustment of prices milk buyers being
annum.
not been feeding my animals well. Maize bran
offered to farmers as the current rate is too low for
But during the rainy season, milk production
and molasses hasn't been enough to feed my
them to break even.
normally reaches peak levels more especially
animals hence i need to invest more in feed so
“Looking at the current price (Milk processors) is
among small scale farmers.
that i produce more litres of raw milk,” he stated.
giving us, is quite lower but from their
However, it is observed that during this high
Meanwhile, Mr. Haakalima added that the dairy
explanation, I get an impression that it is fair
production, most farmers fail to maintain the
industry has a number of challenges which
because we don't produce as much as the
milk quality levels oen reached during off
needs conceited effort from both government
commercial farmers produce. But if they
season as the high moisture and temperature
and the private sector to resolve if the sector is to
increased a bit to K5 per litre or so, it will help us
conditions favour high bacteria production.
grow.
meet the high cost of production,” Mr. Haakalima
On the other hand, issues such as lack of support
“e major challenges we face as farmers is the
stated.
for locally produced milk and lower market price
high death rate of animals and also in terms of
By Derrick Silimina
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[15]
FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
News
Zimbabwe
Will new regime revive agriculture in Zimbabwe Under the Mugabe regime, Zimbabwe's
However, he added that new leadership could
someone who would advance a more liberal
agriculture industry has been deteriorating for
result in a new vision for the sector, and could be
integration of Zimbabwe's economy into the
many years. is was partly due to chaotic land
the start of a new dispensation that rede ned
global market.
reform, a lack of private property rights, and
agriculture in Zimbabwe.
[On the other hand], reports have [also presented]
poorly targeted and partisan-based subsidy
Kapuya also said that to revive the sector,
him as a gure that has advanced a command
programmes.
Zimbabwe needed to rst strengthen property
agriculture [socialist] policy narrative. While
rights in the country, and allow for the private
both are diametrically opposite, the latter could be
ownership of land.
interpreted as a positional play that was deeply
country's agriculture sector needs.
“is would not only promote investment, but
Kapuya also said that white farmers had an
also improve land management as well,” said
important role to play in the revival of commercial
According to Tinashe Kapuya, an agribusiness
Kapuya.
agriculture in the country, and that several
e current military siege of power in Zimbabwe could be the beginning of the transformation the
etched in factional politics,” said Kapuya.
economist, the agriculture sector in Zimbabwe
Current reports suggested that Zimbabwe's
politicians in ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe's ruling
never recovered from the land reform policy
former vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa,
political party, believed this.
initiated in 2000, and has remained subdued over
would lead the transitional government.
the past 15 years.
“I think Mnangagwa will embrace white However, Kapuya said that Mnangagwa's
commercial farmers, but that will obviously need
For this reason, Kapuya said that the military
policies have thus far been de ned by
a new narrative that departs from Mugabe's
capture of the state was unlikely to have an
contradiction.
bigotry and racist politics,” Kapuya said.
immediate effect on the sector.
“On the one hand, he has reportedly shown [an] openness to markets, and was seen to be
November - December 2017
[16] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Insights
Agricultural Policy Research In Africa Official Launched In Addis Ababa e Agricultural Policy Research in Africa
highlighted the AU's agenda for agricultural
(APRA) programme was officially launched at
transformation at the launch. APRA's research will spread across three work
the ongoing land policy conference in Addis Ababa.
inequality.
A key objective of the AU is to reverse food
streams, compromising of panel studies-
insecurity and increase agricultural
examining people's choices and outcomes and
APRA is a ve-year research programme aiming
productivity, based on the demand for a
longitudinal studies –analysing pathways to
to analyse pathways to agricultural
modernised agriculture system in Africa.
agriculture commercialisation over long periods
commercialisation and their differential impacts
In line with the AU's values, APRA's work will
of time and in different settings.
on empowerment of women and girls, poverty
provide much-needed research in identifying
reduction, and food and nutrition security and in
pro - p o or, g e n d e r e qu it a b l e rout e s t o
Panel studies will include business investment in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
commercialisation.
agricultural commercialisation; growth corridors
e research will address key 'evidence gaps' by
farmers; BRICS interventions and mechanisation;
and commercialisation; rise of medium-scale
It is run by the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) and funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID). Wit h a d i re c tor ate at t h e Ins t itute of
undertaking in-depth studies on the impact of
livestock commercialisation in pastoralist areas;
ongoing and emerging processes of
and young people and agricultural
commercialisation in African agriculture.
commercialisation.
Looking at a mix of large, medium, small-scaled
e APRA programme aims to produce high-
Development Studies (IDS) in the United Kingdom, APRA currently works in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya,
estates and outgrowers or contract models,
quality evidence to inform national and regional
Malawi and Mozambique.
APRA is investigating
policies and investments in commercial
ve crucial outcome
Janet Edeme, Head of Rural Economy Division,
areas: agricultural commercialisations;
agriculture as well as provide a much better
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture
empowerment of women and girls; employment
understanding of the political economy behind
at the African Union Commission and Chair of
rates and conditions; food and nutrition
decision-making on agricultural
the APRA International Advisory Group,
security; assets, poverty, income and patterns of
commercialisation in Africa.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[17] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Insights
Climate smart crops: A necessity for future food and nutrition security Climate change is taking a severe toll on farmers,
current rates of climate change, it is likely that
grow staple crops like maize, millet, and
as they watch their livelihoods disappear with the
global food production will decline by two
sorghum could be lost due to the eects of
onslaught of
higher temperatures, drought, and aridity.
oods, droughts and rising sea
percent every decade until at least 2050, just as
levels and temperatures. With agriculture
the world's population is expected to reach 9.7
currently employing over 1.3 billion people
billion people.
Decreased nutritional quality of crops
throughout the world, or close to 40 percent of the global workforce, it is imperative that we
At the same time, increased levels of CO2 in the As a result of these factors, people may be
atmosphere are already decreasing the
incorporate climate resilience into all aspects of
forced to eat fewer fruits, vegetables, and red
nutritional quality of crops - lowering their
crop breeding and food innovation.
meat products because their availability may
concentrations of vital micronutrients like zinc
Developing ways to improve staple crops so that
be scarce and prices may rise accordingly.
and iron. In a 2014 study on CO2 and crop
they can withstand some of the adverse eects of
Access to food may also be limited by climate-
nutrition, Samuel Myers of Harvard University
climate change will ensure food security and
related vulnerabilities in transportation,
and his colleagues determined that the CO2
agricultural livelihood for generations to come.
storage, and processing.
levels in the second half of this century would
Decline in food production
Projection models from the World Bank
in wheat, rice, peas, and soybeans.
A recent report from the International Food
likewise show that by the 2030s-2040s,
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) found that at
between 40 to 80 percent of cropland used to
likely reduce the levels of zinc, iron, and protein
November - December 2017
[18] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
Some two billion people live in countries where www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Climate smart crops: A necessity for future food and nutri on security
citizens receive more than 60 percent of their
our global partners recognise the necessity of
Insights
150 varieties of the 12 staple crops we and our
zinc or iron from these foods. Many already
climate resilience and our scientists, plant
partners have developed. We run extensive tests to
suffer from diets that lack enough of these
breeders, and country teams are working daily
ensure crops will be successful, from stress tests in
important minerals, and increased de ciencies
to scale out more climate-resilient crops.
the eld mimicking intense climate conditions to
devastating health consequences.
At the International Center for Tropical
conditions, we generate an environment for
Agriculture in Palmira, Colombia, researchers
testing which allows breeding for climate smart,
A new technology known as bioforti cation - the
are developing beans that can "beat the heat."
robust varieties with high micronutrient and high
of these vital nutrients would have even more
studies in laboratories. Under repeatable stress
process of increasing the nutrient content of
Oen referred to as "the meat of the poor," beans
yield stability. e traits bred into our crops are
staple food crops - is a promising tool in the
offer a crucial source of vitamins and protein as
virus, disease and pest resistance, as well as
well as income for millions of people,
drought and heat tolerance. ese selective plant
particularly in Africa and Latin America.
breeding techniques are just one means of
being felt. Increased drought and aridity are now
But climate modeling suggests that, over the
change, but we have to do more.
a reality in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, leading
coming decades, higher temperatures will
g lob a l effor t to mit igate t hes e t rends.
securing agriculture in areas vulnerable to climate
Many of the effects of climate change are already
to widespread harvest losses and livestock death.
threaten bean production, reducing yields and
As climate change continues to play a dominant
As a result, malnutrition levels in the area have
quality. Moreover, heat stress could diminish the
role in agriculture and food security, we have to
skyrocketed. In Somalia alone, the UN says more
area for growing beans by up to 50% in eastern
remain committed to continued research to be
than six million people are in need of urgent help.
and central Africa by the year 2050. By
sure people in rural communities receive the most
identifying elite lines of beans that show strong
nutritious and resilient crop varieties available.
Focusing on crop adaptation strategies
tolerance to heat - up to 30 degrees Celsius -
With ongoing crises of famine in ve countries
ough climate change continues to progress at
breeders can develop more productive,
stretching from Africa to the Middle East, farmers
an advanced pace, researchers and policymakers
nutritionally improved beans that are resilient
and vulnerable populations are relying on
can help offset some of the negative impacts on
even in harsh growing conditions.
policymakers, scientists and aid workers to
Indeed, climate resistant traits are integral to all
and prevent additional harvest losses.
provide the necessary tools to mitigate hunger
farmers by focusing on crop adaptation strategies. Organisations like HarvestPlus and
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[19] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Insights
New guide to help ensure health and safety of workers in banana sector Bananas are the most exported fresh fruit in the world - both in terms of volume and economic value - and serves as an essential source of employment and income for thousands of rural households in developing countries. At the third Conference of the World Banana Forum in Geneva, FAO and the Government of Ecuador have presented a practical guide aimed at making conditions healthier and safer for workers in the banana sector. While initially aimed at workers in Ecuador, the manual can be adapted for use around the world. A great step forward in defence of workers' rights, safety e publication contains a series of recommendations addressed to trainers and November - December 2017
workers in the sector on how to manage risks on banana farms and how to carry out work more safely. It includes a wide range of guidelines covering topics including the proper handling, storage and use of agrochemicals/pesticides, measures for adequate personal protection - including rst aid in emergency situations - hygiene standards, information on ergonomic risks, ways to stop gender-related violence and other human rights abuses. "is handbook is a great step forward in defence of workers' rights. is pioneering initiative should be replicated in other banana-producing countries," said Ecuador's Minister of Labour, Raúl [20] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
Clemente Ledesma Huerta, speaking at the conference in Geneva, which brought together over 300 representatives from the banana sector and other stakeholders, including retailers, importers, producers, exporters, consumer associations, governments, academic institutions, United Nations agencies, trade unions and civil society organisations. Social, environmental and health risks in banana production Bananas, aer cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa, is the most traded agricultural product in the world, and attempts to lower production costs oen leads to disastrous consequences on the rights of workers and on the environment. For example, banana plantations use 10 times www.farmersreviewafrica.com
New guide to help ensure health and safety of workers in banana sector
Insights
more pesticides than conventional plantations in developed countries. Elevated exposure to these agrochemicals can cause serious health problems for workers and neighbouring communities - one of the topics addressed in the manual. e manual also serves as a guide to identify risks and also as a source of information regarding current legislation to report on work-related accidents. Fruit of a cross-sectoral partnership Of the almost 100 million tonnes of bananas consumed each year in the world, around 20 million are exported. Of these, almost six million come from Ecuador, the world's largest exporter and the country chosen by the Banana Initiative for Occupational Health and Safety (BOHESI) - coordinated by the FAO-led World Banana Forum and the non-governmental organisations Solidaridad and Bananalink - as a priority country for the development of the manual. e guide, aimed at both trainers and workers, is the result of an unprecedented consensus between the public and private sectors and civil society and includes all current legislation applicable to the sector in Ecuador. It is expected to be useful for some 250,000 direct workers and from 2 to 2.5 million workers related to banana exports in the country. Given that banana farming is carried out in a similar way throughout the world - from Latin America to Asia and the Paci c - the initiative can be adapted and replicated in banana producing countries around the world, incorporating their own legislation. e FAO World Banana Forum Secretariat is the neutral facilitator responsible for coordination among the members of this huge industry and aims to actively promote the adoption of the handbook globally.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
mktg@radeecal.in
www.agritecafrica.com
[21] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
kenya@agritecafrica.com
www.adeecal.in
November - December 2017
Insights
Let's develop agriculture and kick hunger out of Africa e rainy season is once again upon us and with
region is likely to receive below normal rainfall
given that some parts of the region are still reeling from a drought that hit the region in 2016.
Southern Africa facing prospects of normal to
from October to December this year and normal
below normal rainfall in November and
to above normal rains from January to March
December, and normal to above normal rains
2018.
And with the effects of climate change likely to
between January and March next year, we urge
cause havoc not only in the region but around the
member countries to seriously invest in
e SADC climate scientists have also predicted
world, we believe it is time for leaders in the region
agriculture so as to avert hunger.
that some parts of the region would be hit by
to think outside the box and come up with sound
Given that most countries in the SADC region
another drought and oods this year.
measures against the effects of droughts, oods
According to SADC experts, the rst phase of
We believe the region can adequately plan for
are heavily dependent on agriculture, good rains would be a boon for their economies while poor
and pest invasions.
rains spells doom for the people of the region.
below normal to normal rains could result in
droughts if there is political will by governments
But as we have said before, it is time countries in
some countries suffering a devastating drought
to invest in dams and irrigation systems that
the region moved away from heavily relying on
while the second phase could result in other
would ensure countries do not have to wait for the
rain-fed agriculture.
member states facing a humanitarian disaster
rainy seasons, but can plant crops year round.
due to oods caused by abnormal rains. ere is need for serious investment in dams and irrigation infrastructure to mitigate the effects of
Examples abound elsewhere where arid countries erefore, they said this calls for member states
have gone on to develop their agricultural systems
climate change which have seen intermittent
to plan carefully and ensure that there were
such that they do not feel the effects of droughts.
droughts sweeping across Africa.
measures in place to deal with issues of security
Climate experts who met in Gaborone,
and disaster in the event of ash ooding.
If a country like Israel, which is largely desert, can
Botswana, in September predicted that the
is does not augur well for Southern Africa
develop its agriculture to a point of being a net
November - December 2017
[22] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Let's develop agriculture and kick hunger out of Africa
exporter of food, what stops countries in
but also for the export market and in turn, lead
Southern Africa from doing the same?
economic growth.
e region is endowed with good climate and has
Insights
the populace. It is also time for SADC countries to be on high
fairly large rivers which could be dammed for
e region is endowed with good soils and a
alert for pests, and take corrective measures
agricultural purposes.
splendid climate for sound agricultural
before these deal a devastating blow to crops.
production. We see no reason why year in and year out,
While not much can be done by regional
Last year, a new pest, the fall armyworm which is
countries watch millions of cubic metres of water
countries to prevent oods, as happened last
believed to have originated from the Americas,
year, we believe rebuilding infrastructure
dealt a huge blow on crop yields in the region.
owing to the Indian and Atlantic oceans, but sit and mourn about poor rains.
destroyed by oods should take priority.
It's sad that even countries like Zambia and Zimbabwe that have invested a lot of money in
We urge agricultural experts to be on high alert for We also believe in an early warning system to
such pests and come up with lasting solutions as to
developing dams still rely on rain-fed agriculture
warn about impending disasters and where
how these should be controlled.
when they could develop irrigation systems to
possible, efforts should be taken to make sure
grow crops all year around.
people are not settled in ood prone areas.
Agriculture plays a pivotal role not only in
We believe it is time for the region's leaders to put
As we have reported before, the region is going
therefore calls for concerted efforts to develop it so that we kick hunger and poverty out of Africa.
Southern Africa, but the entire continent and this their shoulders to the wheel and develop a
to experience more such climate calamities due
sophisticated agriculture system that will not
to the climate change and this therefore calls for
only result in food security in Southern Africa,
redoubling of efforts to mitigate the effects on
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[23] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Insights
African agriculture needs young farmers and strong cooperatives Pierre van Hedel, director of Rabobank
Rabobanks in the Netherlands – has long held
Pierre van Hedel, 'e advantages for members
Foundation, believes that well-run farming
that cooperatives of various kinds offer new
of these cooperatives are improved knowhow,
cooperatives and young farmers can help Africa
opportunities for farmers and strengthen their
more market opportunities, higher incomes and
to produce more food across the continent. e
position. African farmers who join forces in
better opportunities for the future. I like to think
Rabobank Foundation supports small African
cooperatives can collectively purchase sowing
of our efforts in Africa as a replication of what
farms in establishing cooperatives to strengthen the position of the farmers. Small family farms with no more than a few hectares of land supply the bulk of the food to the more than one billion people who inhabit the African continent. Van Hedel states that more professional operations and small investments on these farms can make a signi cant difference. e output can be increased substantially by improved care for crops and animals, good quality of sowing seeds and fertilisers and superior storage facilities to preserve the quality of harvested rice, cassava or cocoa. Setting up cooperatives e Rabobank Foundation – which is funded primarily through the contributions of local November - December 2017
seeds, fertiliser and animals, as well as fund the
we once did in the Netherlands and at which we
cost of soil investigations and sharing their
have become experts.'
knowhow. In addition, they can also use
'e advantages for members of the cooperatives
cooperatives to improve their position in
a r e i m p r o v e d k n o w h o w, m o r e m a r k e t
terms of the sale of products such as coffee,
opportunities, higher incomes and better
rice, cassava, cocoa and milk. Establishing
opportunities for the future.'
savings and loan cooperatives will help
Pierre van Hedel, director of Rabobank
farmers to provide a part of the required
Foundation
funding themselves. And collectively the farmers have improved access to external
Strong and reliable cooperatives
funding. Oen Rabobank Foundation is also
However, these collective efforts alone will not
willing to take the rst risk.
suffice in giving African agriculture and food
e Rabobank Foundation provides advice
supply the push it needs. Pierre van Hedel feels
mainly across the eastern and western parts of
that supporting farmers' cooperatives by making
the continent, as well as providing support in
sure they are run properly is one of the priorities
strengthening farmers' cooperatives and
when it comes to further developing African
backing these efforts nancially. e
farming. 'e key is effective governance: how do
Foundation reaches a total of 1.2 million
you ensure that cooperative boards are properly
farmers across the continent. According to
trained and that their members are reliable and
[24] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
African agriculture needs young farmers and strong coopera ves
Insights
have the expertise required? How do you
currently hovers between 50 and 55. 'Young
Improving their market position
continue to involve members and make sure
people nd the idea of selling mobile phones in
According to Van Hedel, there is essentially a
business interests and arrangements are
large cities much more modern and appealing,
world of opportunities out there for African farmers. Improving the position of small family
prioritised over family connections? Moreover,
but that market is already pretty much saturated.
how can a cooperative be transparent about who
ere should be more incentive for the younger
farms will make a difference beyond the local
is involved in what, where, and how?'. Van Hedel
generations to pursue a career in farming, and
food supply alone. 'If family farms have the access,
this requires that they can purchase and sell
knowhow and funding needed to improve seeds
cites the example of a cooperative where a truck was not used to safely and efficiently transport the rice produced by the farmers affiliated with the cooperative, but rather to get the director of the cooperative from A to B. Besides costing money, this also prevented the members from
their products through a cooperative. ere also
or fertiliser, for example, they can also enhance
must be sufficient land for their farm and the
the quantity and quality of their output. Once
farm should generate sufficient income. If their
farmers begin joining their supplies, major buyers
farms are slightly larger, they can substitute
will start doing business with them. A single sack
machines for manual labour and start using
of coffee beans is not going to be of any use to
more modern technologies, including more
these larger buyers, but they will be interested in
making any genuine progress in terms of quality
accurate weather forecasts, superior sowing
purchasing larger batches produced on a
and sales.
seeds and cattle species, and soil investigation.
cooperative basis. However, this does require that
ese kinds of improvements require funding.
farmers agree on the terms of the quality of these
Limited interest among young people
Rabobank Foundation can support, but we also
products, and this quality must be monitored as
Cooperatives can play a key role in encouraging
advice farmers to set up savings and loan
well. In fact, cooperatives can play a key role in
young Africans to become farmers. Van Hedel
cooperatives.'
this process. anks to Rabobank's ties with
estimates that the average age of farmers
major international food companies, we are able to connect to farming cooperatives across Africa.'
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[25] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Insights Zambia
Displaced rural dwellers in Serenje district of Central Province
Forced to Leave: Commercial Farms Evict Rural Inhabitants e Human Rights Watch has revealed that rural residents in Serenje district of central province have been displaced by large commercial farms.
lawyers.
economy and reduce rural poverty but it has been
e 101-p age rep or t st ates t hat s ome commercial farmers have acquired thousands of
e renowned international Human Rights
hectares of land while ignoring legal provisions
organization disclosed this in a recent report
meant to protect the environment and ensure
so negligent in enforcing laws on land acquisition and regulating these ventures that some rural communities have suffered severe harm, Human Rights Watch said.
titled, “Forced to Leave: Commercial Farming
local communities are compensated if their land
Government officials say all farm block land in
and Displacement in Zambia.” on the impact of
is taken.
Serenje district was long ago converted from
commercial farms on residents' rights to health, housing, livelihood, food and water security, and education. e report examines how women have been disproportionately affected and oen excluded from negotiations with commercial farmers.
e report further states that some commercial farms have forcibly evicted residents whose families have farmed the land for generations. “Families that have lived and farmed for generat ions on land now a l lo cate d to commercial farms are being displaced without
Based on more than 130 interviews with rural
due process or compensation. Families have
residents affected by commercial farming, the
been le hungry and homeless,” said Juliana
report examines the human rights record of six
Nnoko-Mewanu, researcher on women and
commercial farms that exemplify much larger
land at Human Rights Watch and author of the
failures of rights protection and governance.
report.
It also draws on interviews with government
e Zambian government is promoting large-
officials, commercial farmers, advocates, and
scale agricultural investments to diversify the
November - December 2017
[26] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
customary to state control. Some advocates and traditional authorities say the processes were so faulty that the conversions should be considered void. However, Zambian law gives government officials and investors speci c responsibilities over these investments. Commercial farms need to consult affected communities, provide appropriate compensation, adhere to resettlement standards, assess environmental impacts, and comply with relevant laws. Traditional leaders must also consult affected communities before agreeing to land transfers. www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Forced to Leave: Commercial Farms Evict Rural Inhabitants
Government officials should ensure that
“Government officials and many commercial
investment projects comply with the law.
farmers charged ahead with large-scale farms on
But rural residents in Serenje district told Human Rights Watch that the reality was nothing like that. Many said no one informed them about the new commercial farms nor made any effort to protect their rights. Some said farmers arriving to survey and measure the land were the rst noti cation they had about commercial farms coming to their communities. Others had earlier warnings and, in some cases, a degree of consultation and compensation.
occupied rural lands, with zero respect for residents' human rights.” Women in the displaced communities have suffered distinctive and disproportionate harmful impacts due to their social roles and status, and had the least opportunity to negotiate and assert their rights. Women described enormous struggles to sustain their families aer losing safe water for drinking and household use, access to fertile land for cultivating food crops, and hunting or foraging grounds. Some complained about a lack of nutritious meals because they could no
Residents displaced by commercial farms said they lost access to food, water, shelter, and schools.
longer grow sufficient food. International standards establish that business enterprises, including commercial farms, have a
Many families had to move to areas with poor
responsibility to identify, prevent, mitigate, and
quality soil and could no longer grow sufficient
remedy human rights abuses linked to their
food. ey were pushed further away from water
operations.
sources, burdening women and girls in particular with spending far more time gathering water from distant streams. Many children had to drop out of school because their new homes
International and regional human rights law also prohibits forced evictions, and recognizes the rights to food, water, education, and health. e African Charter on Human and Peoples'
school.
Rights protects the right to a healthy environment. Zambia has rati ed human rights treaties and
enforcement of legal requirements over
adopted laws and policies that ought to protect
commercial farms. It has failed to enforce laws
rural residents and guide the process of
and regulations that require farms to assess and
resettlement and compensation.
their operations, and is not monitoring whether commercial farming ventures are complying with the law.
Laws and policies regulate how land can be converted from “customary” to “state” status, or otherwise acquired for farm blocks or other economic development projects. Customary lands are administered by traditional leaders and state lands are under government authority. Commercial farms investing in Serenje district range in size from 150 hectares to more than 5,000 hectares of land. ese ventures are headed up by a broad spectrum of investors, from corporations to family-run farms whose owners live on and work the land directly. Human Rights Watch called on the Zambian government to safeguard the rights of rural residents in commercial farming areas and rigorously enforce all relevant laws and policies, including on resettlement and compensation.
adequate staffing, resources, and training to enforce laws and monitor the activities of commercial farms, and improve transparency. e Human Rights Watch further recommends that government should adopt a long-awaited customary land administration bill and update its national land policy.
has exercised exceedingly poor oversight and
mitigate the social and environmental impacts of
multiple farms.
It also called for government agencies to have
were too far away and the new area did not have a
e report claims that the government of Zambia
Insights
But commercial farmers in Serenje district told Human Rights Watch that they receive con icting information from government
“e government needs to take dramatic and rapid action to ramp up enforcement of its own laws and regulations,” said Nnoko-Mewanu. “ey need to stop forced evictions, and ensure that displaced families are able to secure a remedy for human rights abuses.”
authorities on their legal obligations toward
e Human Rights Watch is a nonpro t,
Dozens of residents forcibly evicted by one
residents, and government officials admitted
nongovernmental human rights organization
commercial farmer in 2013 have spent four years
that the situation in Serenje has been poorly
made up of roughly 400 staff members around the
in tents or shoddy housing in a forest area where
handled.
they have little access to water, and say they have been told not to cultivate crops. Government officials provided the tents and paltry food assistance in the
rst year, but have largely
ignored this community since then.
globe. Its staff consists of human rights
One commercial farm examined by Human Rights Watch took a different approach, relocating one family and deciding to
professionals including country experts, lawyers, journalists, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
implement a “livelihood improvement plan” for
Established in 1978, Human Rights Watch is
dozens of other families remaining on the land
known for its accurate fact- nding, impartial
but impacted by the farm's operations. It had a
reporting, effective use of media, and targeted
fading hopes that the government will resettle
better record of consultations and efforts to
advocacy, oen in partnership with local human
them onto new land.
remedy problems for residents. But even that
rights groups. Each year, Human Rights Watch
farm would bene t from greater government
publishes more than 100 reports and brie ngs on
e residents said they are stuck in limbo, with
“Rural residents in Serenje were blindsided by commercial agriculture,” said Patrick Musole,
human rights conditions in some 90 countries,
oversight.
programmes manager at the Zambia Land
Many commercial farms operate on “farm
Alliance, a group of organizations working for
blocks,” large swaths of land where the
fair land policies and laws that take into account
government has promised to build roads,
the interests of the poor.
irrigation, and other infrastructure to serve
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[27] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
generating extensive coverage in local and international media. By Derrick Silimina
November - December 2017
Insights Zambia that will in turn increase the levels of employment to about more than 40,000 Zambians as these farmers will employ other people to work on their farms,” Mr Mukumbuta said. And Premiercon Starch Company limited (PSCL), one of the bene ciaries of funding from CEEC intends to establish a starch manufacturing company in the country. PSCL chief executive officer Lubasi Yuyi said his company with support from the CEEC intends to establish the plant at a cost of US$3.5 Million. In a bid to commercialise the crop, Zambia breweries also recently expressed interest to embark on an initiative to source cassava from farmers for the production of Eagle lager, thus providing readily available market for the crop. According to a media statement issued recently, the company has already started buying cassava from farmers through its agent GroAfrica. “e initiative by the brewing company to source cassava from small-scale farmers is part of its effort to support the development of the cassava value
Cassava: Key to Industrialization
chain with a focus on the commercialization of the crop, as well as
Cassava is a root crop that is rich in carbohydrate present in form of starch and its leaves locally known as 'Katapa' are widely eaten as a vegetable. It is extensively grown in Zambia especially in the Luapula, Northern and Western provinces and is eaten by many people in different regions of the country. It is estimated that Zambia produces over 4.5 Million tonnes of raw cassava per year, making it the second largest crop in the country aer maize. Ministry of agriculture permanent secretary Julius Shawa recently said that the current excess cassava production in the country has attracted mining rms to use cassava starch in its processing plants as well as the beverage industry for beer production. “e raising cassava productivity in Zambia should meet the rising
increasing local market linkages with the farmers,” said Zambia Breweries corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele. “Our dream is to bring people together for a better community and country. We believe that the sustainable growth of the business is tied to the prosperity of our people. Once our people prosper, then can our business manage to grow and register pro ts.” It is envisaged that the production of various products from cassava under the industrial chain such as the manufacturing of starch, glue, industrial chemicals, fuel, and b eer among others under the cassava commercialization programme will de nitely bolster industrialization in the country which will spur economic growth. By Derrick Silimina
demand in food Industry hence the country needs to do more to make use of this excess and access the many cassava markets,” Mr Shawa said. However, the high cost of rural transport, coupled with long distances between production and consumption centres and high number of intermediaries in the supply chain raises the cost of delivery to the market and depress the farm price, a move that lead to farmers losing out on pro t. It is for this reason that some locally based companies have positioned themselves to invest in the crop via ethanol production from cassava which will be sourced from small holder farmers countrywide. Ethanol is used to manufacture alcoholic drinks, fuel, solvent for paint, as uid in thermometers, vanish and drugs among others. e Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) is a statutory body under the ministry of commerce, trade and industry which was enacted by Parliament in 2006 under the CEEC Act No. 9 of 2006 whose mandate is to provide broad based economic empowerment to Zambians
Agriculture Not for Retirees – IAPRI
through various measures such as providing nancial support through the Citizens Financial Economic Fund among others.
Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) chief executive
e Commission is geared to spend K60 million on its cassava
officer Chance Kabaghe says agriculture is big business which should not be
commercialization programme in the country.
associated with retirees or poor people in society.
e project which is initially targeted in Lusaka, Copperbelt, Luapula and
And Mr Kabaghe states that there is need to make agriculture attractive to
Northern provinces is the third initiative under the commission's three
the young professionals for them appreciate its value to the country's socio-
value chain programmes.
economic development.
CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta recently disclosed that
He notes that the public perception of always associating agriculture with
12,000 micro-entrepreneurs who are cassava farmers will be funded at the
poor people, retirees and the uneducated in society should come to an end
initial stage.
if real growth in the sector is to be realised.
“e programme will put into direct employment about 12,000 farmers
“...in terms of employment, agriculture is one of the major sectors in the
November - December 2017
[28] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Zambia
country that contribute to job creation but we need to polish it up especially in the value chain. People always associate agriculture with poor people,
Insights
will transform agriculture and raise farmer productivity as well as realising diversi cation within the sector.
people who are not educated, retirees and so on. No! Farming is a business,” Mr Kabaghe said. Mr. Kabaghe further says it is high time agriculture is included in the curriculum if people are to take it seriously without tagging it as a sector for the poor and retirees. “Agriculture is not for people who are retiring so that they go back to the
is is a welcome move because many farmers in Zambia still depend on hand tools which are time consuming, laborious and inefficient. In addition, farm mechanization will help realise the Malabo declaration of sending the “Hoe to the museum,” and also ease the empowerment of small holder farmers with tillers.
land. It's more strenuous to go and do agriculture when you are tired and retired,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Kabaghe explains that there is need to make agriculture to what he termed as 'sexy' in a bid to make young professionals in the sector appreciate its value to the country. “I have seen young people with University degrees in economics, in agriculture and so on are now running their own farms and i think this trajectory that's the way to go. So, we indeed can create employment, we can
Mr Mutati further says Government has obtained nancing of US$40 million from EXIM Bank of India that will be used for agriculture mechanisation. e nance minister adds that in transforming agriculture, diversi cation remains key hence government's call to implement measures aimed at raising farmer productivity as well as realising diversi cation within the sector.
raise a lot of foreign exchange because of the exports hence the need not to undermine agriculture,” he added. “So let us encourage our young people for them to help bring new technologies in terms of innovations in agriculture. Once we do that, you will see our young people move into the Mkushi farm block, Chinsali and Shangombo among other districts to grow for the country as well as the region,” he said. In terms of how agriculture marketing season is faring in the country, Mr
He says one such measure is the introduction and development of a farm block model of which three will come on board in 2018. ese are in Copperbelt, Muchinga and Northern provinces. “is model is anchored on a core venture, agro processing facilities and small holder farmers. is will further allow small holder and emergent farmers to bene t from technology transfer and have access to ready markets,” Mr Mutati said.
Kabaghe says production of agricultural produce without a rm marketing framework is meaningless. “You see! You cannot be producing without having a reliable market. Production follows the market and if the market collapses, the marketing will automatically collapse. e fact that you are going into agriculture does not mean that you are going to make money. You have to be efficient in the entire value chain of the sector,” he said. By Derrick Silimina
Enhancing mechanization of agriculture can make Zambia, a once food basket of the southern African region to revive its status and become a springboard for the penetration of neibhoring markets. Farm Mechanization at its Best Ministry of defence permanent secretary Sturdy Mwale recently hinted that plans are underway to have Belarus Tractors set up a tractor assembly plant in Zambia. Mr Mwale affirms that for many years, Zambia has been dependant on copper mining and now it is time to develop the agriculture sector. “We have put order in our country and we want to promote mechanization. e range of Belarus equipment includes everything we need, from small tractors which can replace grabbing hoes in the near future to more powerful tractors,” Mr Mwale said. Among the agriculture equipment that can potentially in uence the future of agriculture in Zambia, a tractor is one of the most exciting. e fact that tractors are prominent and widely used especially among commercial farmers countrywide is an indication of its potential and importance of the technology in a bid to boost national food security.
Farm Mechanization Vital
However, aer considering the importance of farm mechanisation in the sector, the question is, how affordable will these paraphernalia be to most
“Government is facilitating a US$100 million public private sector investment into a tractor and agricultural equipment assembly plant in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone and the plant will be operational by end of 2018,” says Finance minister Felix Mutati. Speaking when he recently presented a total of K71.6 billion 2018 National Budget under the theme: “Accelerating Fiscal Fitness for Sustained Inclusive Growth without Leaving Anyone Behind,” Mr Mutati said the investment
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small scale farmers in the country? What modalities has government put in place to enable small scale farmers buy the tractors at a subsidised rate? ere is therefore need for government to come up with a consistent policy framework on farm mechanization agenda in order for it stand the taste of time and help diversify the economy. By Derrick Silimina
[29] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement
Milling and Grinding in African Farms e basis for all of animal agriculture is a
the farmers to accurately formulate feed for a
chamber for introducing steam (heat and
dynamic feed production that provides the
speci c species.
moisture addition) to the feed meal, and the ring-
nutrients essential for animal growth and
Animal feed can be divided into
die and roller assembly. Grinding or particle-size reduction is a major
reproduction. ve main
function of feed manufacturing. Many
Due to increased mechanization of agricultural
ingredients require size reduction before they
production in mid of 19th century, breeding and
categories: poultry, swine, beef, dairy, and
can be processed into feed. e size reduction
the creation of productive races, rst horses, then
aquaculture; and these can be further subdivided
provides increased surface area, leading to
cattle, and particularly pigs and poultry increases
into several classi cations: animals that supply
greater nutrient utilization, delivering increased
the demands for a higher feed quality. Along with
meat-milk-eggs, and animals for reproduction
animal performance. Size reduction may also be
this, it exceeds from pasture feeding to manure
(breeders). e users of animal feed expect that it
a requirement for further processes such as
feeding, which is considered as one of the most
is nutritionally complete, delivers desired animal
pelleting. e cost of size reduction is
important changes in livestock production.
performance, and is safe for animals and
determined by the type of material undergoing
humans. e ultimate end-users of animal feed
reduction, the physical characteristics of the
Over time, research in the
are the people who buy and consume animal
material, the size resulting from the reduction
nutrition progress thus and enabled more precise
products.
and of course the type of machine used.
eld of animal
de nition of the composition of the meal, mixing all ingredients in a mixture became common.
Commercial and also own farm feed mills
e hammer mill remains the industry standard
worldwide use four basic processes to produce
for size reduction. It is capable of reducing the
animal feed: receiving raw ingredients from
particle size (grinding) of any friable material.
Mix” at larger agricultural African farms
suppliers; creating together with a nutritionists a
Major points of emphasis include the number of
e Company Buschhoff from Germany offers
feed formula; mixing ingredients together to
h a m m e r s / Kw o f m o t o r p o w e r, t h e i r
not only for smaller and medium sized farms but
Buschhoff Feed Mills: High quality “Mill and
make a complete feed; and using it for own
arrangement on the rotor, and screen area
also for large scale farms and smaller commercial
demand or packaging feed to be shipped for
cm2/Kw of motor power.
feed mills a very interesting and economical
commercial or retail purposes.
Sometimes also pelleting of the feed is required.
reasonable application. Instead of using the Tower
Receiving raw ingredients from suppliers is a
Pelleting is a process that provides some
principle (as concentrated feed plants), the plant
ver y imp or t ant pro cess. Up on ar r iva l,
physical and nutritional bene ts, but results in
is built on the oor. So oen existing buildings can
ingredients can be weighed, tested and analyzed
higher costs of the feed. Today´s pellet mills
be used, or at least do not require complex
for various nutrients to ensure their quality and
share the common features of a variable speed
building construction with various levels. e
safety. is process allows e.g. the nutritionists of
feeder mechanism, tubular conditioning
ow of the materials and the processes are clearly
November - December 2017
[30] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Milling and Grinding in African Farms
Supplement
visible; also all plant components are easily accessible for cleaning and
quickly accessed and reported, with simple user-friendly input by the
maintenance work. Such plants are used mainly for the production of cattle,
operator.
pig or poultry feed, but can also be used for other species if required. e feed production for animal feed consists mainly of the interplay e output of these meal or pellet plants can range between 1 to 20 t/hr
between milling, dosing and mixing. Especially for medium and large scale
depending on the equipment speci cations. e efficiency of this system
livestock farms in Africa Buschhoff has developed a suitable solution. e
has been well proven in a range of small, medium and larger sized plants.
interaction of high facility quality, customer-speci c approaches, greatest
Such Feed Mills usually consist of Raw materials storage; Mills for grinding
possible facility exibility and low maintenance costs results has shown as
the grain; the Mixer producing a well mixed homogenous feed, with
very positive for these customers. In this way plants can be designed with
materials delivered by the associated dosing and conveying equipment.
manageable capital expenditure and maintenance costs, which can
e rst stage is the intake of the cereals and proteins into the plant, options
according to the customer-speci c requirements. For an ease of operation
include a range of robust bucket elevators and trough chain conveyors
and for an exact documentation of the produced feed the WIDOMIX® PRO
(capacities: 40 - 150t/hr). Cleaning units can also be integrated into the
control has been specially developed.
produce fully-automated high-quality feed for pigs, cattle and poultry
intake. e 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. e delivery is controlled by a frequency 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. e BHOS mill power options range between 11 to 90 Kw according to the required performance. ose mills are equipped with tungsten tipped hammers. Giving a service life of at least 5000t. at 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 lter system provides cooling for the meal and also keeps the mill under vacuum to reduce dust. e 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. ese 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. ese mixers have the advantages that they can produce large batches, with low power requirements and are very robust. e mixing accuracy has been well tested and meets the speci cation of 1:100,000. e discharge of nished feed within these “Mill and Mix” Plants in done by Buschhoff elevators, trough chain conveyors and trough augers. e location and distance to the nished feed silos, with 60° hoppers is done fully automated by the control system and full indicators within the silos prevent from over lling. For longer distance conveying of nished feed up to 250 m, there is the option of a specially designed Buschhoff pneumatic Meal Blower (SG50/SG80). ese different processes are controlled full-automatic by the Computer system WIDOMIX® PRO, which checks, adjusts and records all the processes in the system. e diets, components and discharge targets can be
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
info@buscchoff.de
[31] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.buscchoff.de November - December 2017
tormac@tormacpumps.com
www.tormacpumps.com
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best practice
and agriculture. In our region, farming has been
What really makes the difference for our
Dysel - Philip van Kemenade www.dysel.com - info@dysel.com T +31 (0)74 205 11 99 – M +31 (0)6 2090 9703
customers is our extensive knowledge of
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[33] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement
AGRICULTURAL GRAIN DRYERS Grain moisture impacts the length of time
Conditions become less favourable for grain to
TOEFLEX
grain can be stored, and its overall condition. In
dry to moisture contents considered safe for
TOEFLEX TRANSFRIO LTD. is a high-tech
some cases post-harvest grain drying is
storage as the harvest is delayed into late fall.
required. How long grain can be stored without
company devoting to manufacturing the heat pump drying and refrigeration equipment, and
Grain drying has several advantages and
also the research of dry application in
disadvantages.
agriculture, medicine, food and furniture eld.
deterioration depends on the temperature and moisture content at which it is stored,
Advantages include:
TOEFLEX drying equipment has the features of
Increases quality of harvested grain by
high efficiency in energy saving, zero pollution,
Grain drying, refers to the removal of some of
reducing crop exposure to weather.
touch screen and visual control parameters,
the moisture from grain by mechanically
Reduces harvesting losses, including head
simple and unmanned operation as well as
moving air through the grain aer it has been
shattering and cracked kernels.
safety. Our equipment has obtained European
harvested. Grain in the eld dries naturally as
Reduces dependency on weather conditions
CE certi cation.
the crop matures, giving up moisture to the air
for harvest.
until the grain moisture is in equilibrium with
Allows use of straight combining for small
the moisture in the air (equilibrium moisture
grains.
have been successfully applied in European and
content).
Reduces size and/or number of combines and
Asia market to the drying of fruit, herb,
other harvest-related equipment and labour re-
vegetable, noodle, wood, furniture, etc., bringing
Over years, TOEFLEX heat pump equipments
Several types of grain dryers are available and
quired due to extending harvest time.
up with good nish, natural color, low operation
can be categorized in different ways, Varieties
Allows more time for post-harvest eld work.
cost, as well as excellent reputation.
Disadvantages include:
TOEFLEX also supplies full range of relevant
include: natural air, low temperature, high temperature, batch, automatic batch, continuous ow, in-bin and column and self-
Original investment for drying equipment
heat pump system components, the n type heat
contained. Dryers also can be classi ed based
and annual cost of ownership.
exchangers, auto - control valves, dryer lter,
on the direction of air ow through the grain:
Operating costs for fuel, electricity and labor.
copper tube ttings, and so on.
cross- ow, counter- ow and concurrent- ow.
Extra grain handling required may result in further investment for equipment.
November - December 2017
[34] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Supplement
Perry's Savannah Series Driers Perr y of Oakley Ltd are the UK's most experienced manufacturer of materials handling & drying equipment. Along with this year being their 70th anniversary, they have been awarded the accolade of being named SHAPA's 2017 Exporter of the Year. ey have achieved this well-earned title by providing quality products at affordable prices both in the UK and export market, using the knowledge and experience that can only be gained through years of experience. Perry designed & manufactured their rst continuous mixed ow grain drier back in 1955, the rst Perry grain drier was a considerably advanced piece of equipment for its time, and www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Perry's latest drier, the Savannah Series, is still leading the way with drying technology.
of the drier with feedback, to maintain a consistent moisture content of the discharged grain. If connected to the internet, the panel can
e Savannah series driers are capable of
send you email and text alerts including drier
capacities from 8tph to 800tph. e Savannah
status updates and it will alert you to any issues
series driers have signi cant improvements to
that may have occurred while drying.
their operation and appearance in comparison to their predecessor, the 'M' Series driers.
e PLC panel can also be connected to an app
e Savannah Series driers come with Perry's
connected to the app, you can see your control
(available free on Google Play & iStore). While own advanced PLC panel, which is designed and
panel and control it from the app. It provides a
programmed in house, and the auto control,
direct link to your control panel, meaning you
which uses both the exhaust air temperature and
can control your drier from anywhere you have a
hot grain temperature to give advanced control
mobile phone signal or a WiFi connection.
[35] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement Perry's Savannah Series Driers
Perry's PLC panel can also control up to 10 other
of the Savannah range, provide a truly
some of the most experienced engineers in the
machines. It shows a mimic of your plant, and
commercial speci cation grain drier for use on
UK, which helps us provide solutions to our
allows for automatic routes and so starts. It can
farms and commercial grain stores.
help reduce the number of times a product is
customers that we know will work well for them. Many of our customers are repeat buyers, we still
handled as it allows you to see the available
David Perry, the current Managing Director of
have customers with Perry machines in use that
routes quickly & clearly.
Perry of Oakley Ltd said: “I'd like to think that, if
were manufactured and installed in the 1940's,
my Grandfather was still here today, he would be
which shows that our machines are made to last!”
To ensure drier longevity the Savannah Series
very pleased at how well the business has
driers are built with a 2mm thick grain column
progressed and how far along our product range
for additional strength, and 3mm thick top ducts
has come. We always try to stay ahead of the
in the grain column to help prevent deformation
competition and spend a signi cant amount of
and wear. To promote consistent movement of
time and money investing in our staff training,
the grain down the grain column, even in very
research & development and manufacturing
wet conditions, all Savannah Series Driers are
techniques.
tted with pneumatically controlled Shutter discharge. is year this has been upgraded to
e factory, based in the south west of the UK,
phosphor bronze bushes on all wearing parts.
has grown signi cantly over the last 20 years,
ese improvements, and the other key features
and we plan for that to continue. We employ
Perry of Oakley Ltd also manufacture a full range of 10tph – 1000tph handling equipment including chain & ight conveyors, belt & bucket elevators, augers & screw conveyors, aspirator pre-cleaners, belt conveyors & much more. To nd out more about Perry of Oakley & their range of drying and handling equipment call +44 ( 0 ) 1 4 0 4 8 9 0 3 0 0 o r e m a i l sales@perryofoakley.co.uk. You can also nd a full list of products & services at www.perryofoakley.co.uk
www.perryofoakley.co.uk sales@perryofoakley.co.uk
November - December 2017
[36] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Supplement
Soil moisture transmitters for irrigation control Water is a very precious resource and a driving
sensors can be used to irrigate individual zones.
irrigation as well as industrial applications such as
force in irrigation. Optimal use of water is a need
In the case of one sensor for several zones, the
measuring sand moisture content in batch mixing
of the hour. Efficient irrigation watering helps in
zone that is normally the driest, or most in need
concrete to measuring ore & tailings moisture
saving water, getting better plant yields, reduce
of irrigation, is selected for placement of the
content in minerals processing.
dependency on fertilizers and improve crop
sensor in order to ensure adequate irrigation in
quality. Various methods, both laboratory and
all zones.
Neutron Probe Smart503
eld including remote sensing are available to
is article looks at some of the players in the
e 503 ELITE Hydroprobe is a subsurface,
measure soil moisture content, but the quickest
soil moisture industry and the variety of
accurate neutron probe designed to measure soil
and better one is with the use of soil moisture
products they offer.
moisture. e Hydroprobe is an industry
Contributors
in irrigation scheduling, agronomic research and
sensor electronic devices. For successful irrigation, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture content continuously in the irrigation elds. Most soil moisture sensors are designed to
standard in soil management. It is the ultimate aid 1.
ICT INTERNATIONAL- Enabling
environmental monitoring.
better global research outcomes in s o i l , p l a n t & e nv i r o n m e n t a l
SMM1 Soil Moisture Meter
monitoring.
e SMM1 Soil Moisture Meter is a stand-alone
estimate soil volumetric water content based on
ICT International's unique family of digital
logging instrument for the measurement of
the dielectric constant (soil bulk permittivity) of
sensors and data loggers have been developed to
volumetric moisture content and soil water
the soil. e dielectric constant can be thought of
measure key plant and soil parameters for the
potential of soils and other materials.
as the soil's ability to transmit electricity. e
advancement of plant and soils research, to
dielectric constant of soil increases as the water
address physiological limitations, to water
e SMM1 can support up to 10 standing wave
content of the soil increases. is response is due
availability, climate change, evaluation of plant
sensors (MP406 or MP306). With a soil water
to the fact that the dielectric constant of water is
genetics, breeding programs or fundamental
charac ter istic c ur ve, t he SMM1 can b e
much larger than the other soil components,
understanding of plant function.
programmed to simultaneously measure soil
including air. us, measurement of the
ICT International has its beginnings in soil
water content and soil water potential. Or, up to 10
dielectric constant gives a predictable estimation
moisture monitoring for irrigation scheduling
channels can measure soil water potential. e
of water content.
in 1982. Today ICT International has developed
SMM1 is a fully self-contained unit requiring only
and sells globally: Portable devices for soil
power input from a 22W solar panel ( eld
A single sensor can be used to control the
moisture measurements – e MPKIT has been
applications) or 24V power supply (laboratory
irrigation for many zones (where an irrigation
sold for almost 20 years, is very robust and
applications). Communication is via a USB port
zone is de ned by a solenoid valve) or multiple
widely used for soil moisture management of
or wireless connectivity. e SMM1 is IP-65 rated
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[37] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
moisture transmi ers Supplement Soil for irriga on control
Oxygen Sensors. e SOM1 is a continuously logging instrument, for the in-situ measurement soil oxygen content (%). Sensors are designed to be installed in the eld for days to years at a time. e ICTO2 Soil Oxygen Sensors are individually calibrated by ICT International's technicians. e calibration is stored within the SOM1 for highly accurate and reliable soil oxygen content measurements. e SOM1 is a fully self-contained unit requiring power input from a 20W solar panel ( eld applications) or 24V power supply (glasshouse applications). Communication is via a USB port and has Windows and Mac compatible soware
e STM is a fully self-contained unit
for complete logging solutions including look-up
requiring power input from a 22W solar panel
tables, scripts and sensor calibration capabilities.
( eld applications) or 24V power supply (laboratory applications). Communication is
STM Soil Tension Meter
via a USB port or wireless connectivity. e
e STM Soil Tension Meter is a stand-alone
STM is IP-65 rated and has a Windows and
logging instrument for the measurement of soil
Mac compatible GUI for complete logging
water potential.
solutions including look-up tables, scripts and sensor calibration capabilities.
e STM Soil Tension Meter can support up to 5 pressure transducers. ICT International
SOM1 Soil Oxygen Meter
supplies 3 different types of pressure
e SOM1 Soil Oxygen Meter is a stand-alone
transducers which can measure in the ranges:
logging instrument for the measurement of soil
±7 kPa, ±100 kPa or -100 to +200 kPa.
oxygen content (%) of soils.
Tensiometers include designs for soil columns and eld sites.
November - December 2017
e SOM1 can support up to ve ICTO2 Soil
[38] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
or wireless connectivity. e SOM1 is IP-65 rated and has a Windows and Mac compatible GUI for complete logging solutions including look-up tables, scripts and sensor calibration capabilities. ICT Universal Telemetry Hub e ICT International Telemetry Hub is a powerful and
exible electronic platform that
operates remotely in any climate, forming the foundation for specialised scienti c and industrial equipment systems. Typically used as a telemetry gateway to transmit data from ICT International instruments to the 'Cloud', it is supported by an extensive soware suite that can be customised to suit a wide range of IoT applications.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Soil moisture transmi ers for irriga on control
e Telemetr y Hub can be optioned to
principle, the HRM Sap Flow Meter is the only
Supplement
which can be programmed into the controller.
communicate via Satellite (using the Iridium
instrument that can measure zero ow and
Short Burst Data service), Penta-band GSM, Wi-
reverse sap ow rates. e SFM1 Sap Flow
e TDR-315
Fi, 2.4GHz proprietary wireless networking,
Meter is the most powerful and exible
e TDR-315 is a true waveform digitizing Time
Bluetooth, RS485, RS232, Ethernet,
instrument for the direct measurement of
Domain Re ectometer that derives soil
LoRa/LoRaWAN, USB and SDI-12. It can also be
plant water use.
permittivity and water content from the
2.
conveyed along its waveguide. Like many of its
optioned to provide analogue and digital outputs and inputs. It discovers, connects, concentrates and logs data
propagation time of an electromagnetic impulse Acclima- Delivering Precise Soil Conditions for Efficient Crop and
expensive predecessors (conventional TDR
Turf Management
mainframes) it contains an ultra-fast rise time
collected from Smart Sensors and ICT
Acclima, Inc. is headquartered in Idaho's
step function generator, a waveform digitizer (200
International Instruments in CSV format on its
Treasure Valley (Boise area) where agriculture is
GSPS) and a picosecond-resolution time base
SD memory card, and sends it to the Cloud.
a major force in the local economy.
power supplied to externally connected devices.
(5ps). Unlike these predecessors it eliminates the bandwidth-constraining coax cable, the bulky
e ICT International Telemetry Hub manages Acclima's mission is to help the research,
console, and 90-97% of the cost. Because it is a
e ICT International Telemetry Hub is powered
agriculture, and turf industries become ever
true time domain device its readings are not
by a Lithium-Ion battery, with an inbuilt solar
more productive and efficient with
derived from current and voltage magnitudes and
charging controller. It can also be connected to
breakthrough technologies that have never been
relationships and hence are not impacted by soil
an external 24V DC power supply.
available before. Our soil water content sensors
electrical conductivity and compaction. Its high
e ICT International Telemetry Hub is IP67
are increasingly gaining world-wide acclaim as
immunity to EC allows credible application in
rated for extended operation in a wide range of
the high standard in soil condition monitoring
non-saturated soils wetted with sea water. It uses
environments. It can also be directly mounted on
and control. Acclima is currently involved in a
the standard SDI-12 interface and is compatible
a mast or a at surface. e Hub has the capacity
Cooperative Research and Development
with all data recorders that are version 1.3
to be factory customised to do almost anything,
Agreement with the USDA at their invitation.
compliant.
based on a combination of up to 4 mini-modules that can be plugged in.
How the System Works Like a thermostat monitors that controls the temperature in your
Spectrum Technologies works closely with
SFM1 Sap Flow Meter
home, Acclima® soil moisture sensors and
growers, researchers, consultants, industry
3.
Spectrum Technologies
e SFM1 Sap Flow Meter is a self-contained,
controllers work together to monitor and
suppliers, and others to develop products that
stand-alone instrument for the measurement of
control the moisture of the root zone of your
boost crop production efficiency. Our affordable
sap ow or transpiration in plants. e SFM1 is
lawn and other landscape plants.
plant measurement tools help growers measure nutrient levels, soil qualities, disease, light,
a complete package containing sap ow sensors, data logger, interface soware and
e moisture threshold is set to the percentage
weather, and other factors that directly affect
internal battery which can be charged with an
equivalent to slightly below the “ eld capacity”
plants health and development. WatchDog
external solar panel. e SFM1 Sap Flow Meter
or moisture holding capacity of your soil. e
Weather Stations measure and record important
is a new model which replaces the HRM30 sap ow measurement sensor. Utilising the Heat Ratio Method (HRM)
controller will apply water if the moisture
information that affect plants and growers bottom
reading is lower than the designated threshold.
line. Data is collected and monitored on soil
If the moisture reading is above the threshold,
moisture and irrigation, disease, leaf wetness
the controller will not allow watering until it
hours, air temperature and humidity uctuations,
principle the SFM1 Sap Flow Meter is able to
falls below the threshold. e optimum
plus other weather events. Globally, over 18,000
measure high, low and reverse ow rates in
threshold of the particular soil can be easily
customers count on Spectrum's easy to use,
both small woody stems & roots as well as large
calculated using data collected by the sensors
dependable technology for the health of plants.
trees. Like the Heat Field Deformation (HFD)
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[39] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement
Heavy-duty power transmission oil for agricultural machinery P ster Hybrid Corn Company is one of the
time Monolec 7500 was added.
characteristics, exceptional oxidation stability
oldest seed corn companies in the Midwest. ey
Without the second cooler the previous
and excellent foam prevention.
grow and market seed corn in six states in the
commercial grade oil would get hot enough to
Midwest Great Lakes area. ey have been in
melt the sight gauges in the tank. Even when the
Monolec Power Fluid meets the requirements of a
business since the early 1930s, and an LE
second cooler malfunctioned, the temperature
wide variety of manufacturers for systems used in
only reached 200°F (93°C), well below the
construction, farming, manufacturing, material
melting point of the sight gauges.
handling, mining, quarrying and trucking. Its
With both coolers working Monolec 7500
just one lubricant for all of your transmission, axle
is piece of equipment operates 300 hours per
stayed down to 150°-160°F (66°-71°C). P ster
and hydraulic protection needs.
customer since 2000.
versatility allows inventory consolidation, with
ey use a 1996 Bryon 8400 with a 250 hp John Deere engine to pick the seed corn in the eld. year in a very dusty, and sometimes hot
Hybrid Corn Company is very pleased with the
environment.
performance of LE's Monolec 7500.
While using a commercial grade hydraulic oil,
Other Products Used
the oil in the hydrostatic drive was running so
Ÿ
e Lubrication Reliability Source™ Bene cial Qualities Superior Wear Prevention
Monolex® Penetrating Oil & Lubricant
Ÿ
Prolongs equipment life, including all metal parts as well as seals and hoses
(2059)
hot it was melting the sight gauges in the reservoir.
Reduces downtime and extends service intervals
Ÿ
Almagard® Vari-Purpose Lubricant (3752)
Ÿ
Synolec® Gear Lubricant (9920)
Ÿ
Decreases operating temperatures Consistent Friction Characteristics
Ÿ
Ensures smooth transmission performance
Monolec® Power Fluid (7500)
Ÿ
Improves braking efficiency
Monolec 7500 is for combination gear-hydraulic
Monolec® Power Fluid (7500) ensures constant,
Ÿ
systems, hydraulic transmissions, wet brakes,
long-lasting performance for most heavyduty
and torque converters. It is non foaming in
transmissions, combination transmission-
e local LE lubrication consultant recommended Monolec® Power Fluid (7500).
Reduces brake chatter Exceptional Oxidation Stability
Ÿ
Improves cleanliness
service, rejects water and reduces transmission
hydraulic (wet brake) systems, and hydraulic
Ÿ
Reduces corrosion-related problems
temperatures. is results in reduced sludging
systems.
Ÿ
Reduces thickening of oil
Ÿ
and varnish build up, increasing oil and
Extends uid and component life Excellent
transmission life.
Its unique blend provides the proven protection of the most advanced wear, friction and
Ÿ
Improves control-valve response
Since the conversion to Monolec 7500, the best
oxidation inhibitors, all in one complete
Ÿ
Reduces pump cavitation
Foam Prevention
bene t was the reduction in temperature of the
formula that you can count on to deliver
Ÿ
Reduces lubricant leakage
oil. A second oil cooler was added at the same
superior wear performance, consistent friction
Ÿ
Eliminates fading in hydraulics
November - December 2017
[40] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
www.LElubricants.com
Tech & innovation
Agricultural laboratory testing & Inspection Services Imagine a world in which every box of Cheerios
Selecting appropriate varieties adapted to the
components, the design of food processing, shelf-
you opened tasted different. In developed
area of production with disease and insect
life studies and sensory evaluation of products.
countries, quality control measures to ensure
resistance, along with other desirable
is is the kind of information food scientists
that food products meet certain safety and
characteristics, is also fundamental to
need when developing new products. Another
quality standards play a key role in agricultural
satisfactory crop performance and yield. In the
bene t of laboratory testing is compliance with
processing. ese measures include testing for
past, many organic growers have been reluctant
regulations for both the import and export of food
bacterial contamination, measuring the amount
to use organic seed due to issues of availability,
products to different countries.
of fat, protein, and other nutrients, and
pricing, and lower quality.
inspecting plants, livestock, and production
erefore, food manufacturers must have
facilities.
Laboratory testing is an important process, which relies on scienti c analysis to identify
products are safe, with no contaminants or
Every grower has at some point observed the
problems with food products. It provides
residues, and to provide accurate nutritional
traceability in their industry to ensure their food
effects of poor seed quality: slow germination,
analytical data on the quality of a product or
information. General laboratory testing of a
damping-off, poor stands, weak seedlings, and
production process to support quality control in
manufacturer's product may include the
mixed or genetically contaminated lots.
the HACCP system.
following techniques:
Because organic growers depend heavily on
e objective of quality control is to identify
Analytical chemistry testing: e study of the
preventative/cultural approaches to promote
contaminants in raw material, or contamination
separation, identi cation, and quanti cation of
crop health, vigorous seed can be viewed as the
aer a product is produced and before it is
the chemical components of natural and arti cial
rst line of defense against the challenges of cold
placed on the market. Additionally, laboratory
materials such as pH, additives, colors,
s oi l , s oi l b or n e p at h o ge ns , an d ot h e r
testing is important for the research and
contaminants, preservatives, minerals and trace
development of new products, including, for
elements, among others.
unfavourable conditions.
example, the choice of ingredients or
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[43] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
laboratory tes ng Tech & innovation Agricultural & Inspec on Services
Food microbiology testing: e study of the
before offering their foods for distribution there.
in food analysis using techniques such as gas
microorganisms that inhabit or contaminate
Food allergen testing: Food allergens are
chromatography and high-pressure liquid
food to help manufacturers assess the safety of
proteins that can appear in large quantities and
chromatography for analysis of the purity, or
raw materials, components, ingredients and nal
oe n re mai n i n fo o d pro c e ss i ng . e
determination of the content, of many substances
products, thus guaranteeing the safety of food
requirement is to nd the target allergen in the
in mixture samples.
products. Testing for spoilage organisms and
ingredients and nished products. e allergens
pathogens may be used to examine and prevent
that must be tested for in food products include
However, food quality control in agricultural
food poisoning outbreaks caused by food
gluten in grains, peanuts, eggs, nuts, milk and
value chains in developing countries, where
products and ingredients. is is important, as
soybeans.
agricultural production tends to be dominated by smallholder farmers, presents particular
the whole supply chain may be contaminated in the process of food production.
Sensory testing: Sensory testing is identi cation
challenges.
of food product properties by using the human Food nutrition analysis: An analysis of value and
senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing) for
Although formal contracting between farmers
the nutritional content in foods and food
the purposes of evaluating consumer products.
and agricultural processors is becoming a norm in
products. It provides information for nutrition
In smell testing, olfactory receptors in the nose
some developing countries, many smallholders
labeling on food packaging that manufacturers
identify rancidity in a product. In tasting, the
continue to market their products through
are required to include to comply with the
sensory organs on the tongue can identify the
informal channels. In such cases, a processor who
labeling regulations of destination countries.
intensity of sweetness in food products.
buys products from a smallholder may be the rst
erefore, manufacturers and
Test results should come from a competent
actor in the value chain to engage in effective
importers/exporters should be fully aware of the
laboratory with appropriate technical expertise
quality control.
applicable laws and regulations of a country
November - December 2017
[44] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Tech & innovation
Merging Agriculture and Technology at Intertek
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[45] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Agriculture Tech & innovation Merging and Technology at Intertek
Innovation is a core part of Intertek's history,
farmers, who utilise this solution to help
About Intertek AgriWorld
stretching as far back as our visionary founder,
manage their crop production risks.
Intertek is a leading global player in the
our business, particularly in Africa. As African
According to the GMSA Mobile Economy
of agricultural commodities. With a deep
businesses experience a digital renaissance, they
report for 2017, “Sub-Saharan Africa accounts
knowledge of market conditions, trade
Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certi cation
omas Edison. is quality is fundamental to
ows,
require a business partner who can support them
for nearly a tenth of the global mobile subscriber
related regulations and the technical aspects of
with technological solutions that drive their
base and is expected to grow faster than every
specialist products, we give our clients the critical
success. Intertek offers these solutions to the
other region over the next ve years. e mobile
technical support they need to mitigate risks and
local agricultural industry in the form of
industry plays an increasingly important role in
meet product research, development and quality goals.
precision agriculture services and the Soil
the social and economic development of the
Manager mobile app.
region.”
One of the world's most valuable resources is
Last year, Intertek developed the Soil Manager
http://www.intertek.com/griculture and
now data. Data provides insight and efficiency,
app, which offers African farmers 24/7
info.africa@intertek.com
Find out more at
and this is precisely how Intertek's precision
convenient access to precision-based farming
agriculture model works. Instead of relying on
services on their mobile device, improving their
About Intertek
just a farmer's knowledge and experience to
agricultural output while minimising input
Total Quality. Assured.
ensure success, Intertek makes use of GPS
costs. e app can map land, indicate the
Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance
services to carry out soil mapping and cutting-
location and method of drawing soil samples
provider to industries worldwide. Our network of
edge equipment to extract and analyse in nite
and expedite delivery of these samples to
more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over
amounts of data from soil, plant and water
Intertek's expert laboratories.
Results are
42,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers
samples. is raw data allows for a projection of
uploaded to the app and delivered directly to the
innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing,
precise fertiliser requirements needed to
farmer, along with access to an agronomist who
Inspection and Certi cation solutions for our
increase crop yields and preserve soil health. In a
is able to discuss the results and provide
customers' operations and supply chains. Intertek
world where data knowledge is crucial for
recommendations on fertilisers. is mobile
Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered
success, this solution is increasingly attractive to
technology delivers precision farming to any
consistently with precision, pace and passion,
farming project investors who require a positive
farmer with a mobile device, no matter how
enabling our customers to power ahead safely.
return on revenue, as well as independent
remote their location.
November - December 2017
[46] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
info.africa@intertek.com
www.intertek.com/agriculture
Tech & innovation
A solution to poor farmers' problems Firstly the company is AgUnity P/L, the
farmers in the world.
won, both Gates foundation and UNICEF
application is AgriLedger and that's also the name of the charitable trust in HK.
con rmed that it was unique and potentially e people so poor that nobody had speci cally
huge.
focused on building something for them. In early 2016 my co-founder John and I had just
In the following months as we built further on the
exited one company and we were busy
I mean there are lots of apps that the poor
idea we realized that not only Gates and UNICEF
developing a truly advanced cryptoledger
farmers 'could' use but they are not designed to
but virtually EVERY major NGO simply loved the
technology for data transmission. "Xenect" is
solve problems from their perspective.
Speci
cally for disrupting the
Bloomberg/Reuters market and is something
idea and wanted to support and work with us. It also became clear that we had approached a global
Another issue is that commercial ventures
issue in way that was completely new and original.
like a hybrid of blockchain and BitTorrent. It is
always focus how to make a solution pro table,
far more sophisticated even than Ethereum or
so they don't focus enough on solving a real
When we explain to any westerner or anyone
anything in the blockchain space so we had a very
problem which is what we did without being
that's never experienced severe poverty it takes a
strong understanding of the technology.
constrained by how to make money from the
while to grasp what AgriLedger does. As It is a
poor.
problem that was solved in Australia before most
We happened to attend a FinTech event in
of our grandparents were born. But it is the single
London and John entered into a hackathon for
Finally, most companies and developers have no
major issue that's holding back the very poor of
which the theme was FinTech for Good.
perspective of what it's really like to BE poor, so
the world.
they never really address the right problems for In all honestly, we just wanted to win a prize from
lack of true understanding.
Singularly University, and so challenged ourselves to come up with the most ambitious,
A lack of Trust. We take this for granted but it's vital for effective
Over the weekend of the hackathon we started
cooperation, and without cooperation small
world changing idea we could. Our idea was a
to realize that we'd inadvertently stumbled onto
farmers are on the wrong end of economies of
way to meaningfully help the 1 billion poorest
an idea that could be world changing. Aer we
scale.
November - December 2017
[48] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
A solu on to poor farmers' problems
Tech & innovation
In everything they do because they are so small
within one season, simply by enabling
It's the 'problem' that matters.
scale it costs them more, is more difficult and
cooperation and trust.
We were lucky early on to get the backing of a
returns less than larger farms.
And the
Billionaire philanthropist from HK, and we are
combination of many inefficiencies adds up
e Kenya (Wheat) and Bougainville (PNG)
hopeful another middle eastern Billionaire will
more then we (who've never been poor) can ever
(Cocoa) studies have shown very similar results,
invest in the current round. at believe in the
surprising for us as well as the NGO's that have
grand vision and mission.
imagine.
been working there for decades. e solution is to get 50-100 farmers together to
e simple matter of trust leading to
Both these people are backing us in our vision to
collaborate and share but a lack of clear records
cooperation and sharing resources has delivered
become the standard global platform for the small
and TRUST stops them doing that.
more gains in a single season than decades of
holding farmers of the world. We're playing for
other more expensive projects. Everyone was
way more than sheep stations because we've found
AgriLedger is the simplest use of blockchain, it's
trying to apply modern ideas before addressing
a way to meaningfully change the lives of millions
really a record keeping system that works
the most fundamental thing that we took for
for the better.
smartphone to smartphone and writes to
granted. Now we've seen rst hand what AgriLedger can
blockchain so it can never be altered. But the power of that simple process and its
I don't like to talk as much about "blockchain"
achieve we are morally obligated to use it to help as
applications. As much as I've been a proponent
many of the poor as quickly as possible.
ability to transform groups of individual farmers
of it since the outset it's ONLY a tool. It's very
into an effective collaboration or cooperative
useful for certain purposes but it's not Cold
by David Davies,
should not be underestimated.
Fusion either. It's one technology that we use
CEO & Co-founder of AgUnity)
We've increased farmers income by 3x just
service, etc) to solve a problem.
along with others (low-cost smartphones, cloud
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[49] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Tech & innovation
PE innovator takes farming solution to US Mobile y farm to compete at global forum
“e global population is increasing and by
“e system is 80% automated and uses a
A Port Elizabeth-born innovator will take his
2030 the majority of this population will be in
logarithm to offer the right stimulation at the right
“African solution” for sustainable farming to the
Africa – so we need an alternative [solution] to
time,” he said.
world, when he travels to Silicon Valley to
feed them.” e units operate with little human
compete with entrepreneurs on a global scale. is is aer Bandile Dlabantu, founder and
at is the problem Dlabantu – who grew up
intervention
visiting farms around the Eastern Cape when his
“[It is designed to] send information via SMS if
owner of Khepri Innovations, was crowned the
mother taught in these communities –
there is any issue, and we are working on a second
winner of the Global Cleantech Innovation
identi ed through his experiences.
line of remote support, which lowers the cost and
“My grandfather had a chicken farm where he
farmers.”
introduces modern-day technology to rural
Programme of South Africa earlier this month. Now Dlabantu, along with runners-up Sara
ground bones to supplement the animals' diet.
Andreotti and Euodia Naanyane-Bouwer, will
“We have big factories in South Africa
e company currently operates a unit at an
take part in the Cleantech Open Global Forum in
producing feed to sell overseas, but there is no
abattoir, with plans to expand with a further 10
the United States in January.
bene t for local farmers.
units in Bronkhorstspruit.
e award, presented to Dlabantu by Science and
“Instead of creating a competitor, we wanted to
“[We want to] build at least six units in six
Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, was made
do it the South African way and decouple feed
provinces, and I also want to come to Port
from the control of large companies – so every
Elizabeth next year,” Dlabantu said.
in recognition of his mobile y farm.
farmer can produce his own feed.” e project used black soldier ies to convert
With this in mind, Dlabantu created the y
“We need partnerships, including hotels, where
organic waste into animal feed, which brought a
farms.
waste is being dumped, because we want to use it
“Basically, it consists of container housing units
“I've seen the same situation in several African
to boost farmers.
sustainable feeding solution for rural farmers across the continent, Dlabantu said. “Africa is an interesting continent with positive
with temperature control [that] triggers
countries, but we want [to build] a feed-
growth, but we are increasingly dependent on
reactions in the insects.
independent Africa.”
exports,” he said. November - December 2017
[50] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Tech & innovation
Bicycle Grain Mill: Simple Innovation for Farmers A pedal operated Bicycle grain mill
e socio-economic factors of production affects
prepared a daily busy schedule of load shedding
other farmlands where load shedding is rampant,”
many people living in rural areas especially in a
(power cuts or black outs). ere are millions of
Mr Kaira stated.
developing country like Zambia.
people in remote villages countrywide who live day to day without reliable power supply.
Human muscle power can be good alternative to meet the energy requirements for performing many economic activities like grain milling.
He says Vika Agro Solutions Equipment came up with the manual bicycle hammer mill in a bid to
And in a bid to ful l their demand of a readily
also mitigate the long distance people in rural
available milling plant, their conventional hand
areas cover in order to reach a milling plant.
cranked grain mill without an easy way to power According to Amos Waweru, a Biomechanical
it. is process of hand cranking of stone wheels
“is is a manual hammer mill capable of
and Processing Engineer from Kenya's Jomo
is characterized by slow operation, fatigue and
grinding 60 Kg of maize grain or groundnuts per
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
low production rate.
hour and is speci cally made for farmers who are
Technology, a pedal operated grain mill is a
in far ung areas where there is no electricity but
machine that consists of a chain drive and a roller
Victor Kaira 38, is a local brain behind Vika
sha that turns the rotors in the processing unit.
Agro Solutions Equipment – a company that
In the processing casing, the grains are crushed
manufactures various agricultural equipment
to produce our.
they just have to mill their maize,” he said. And Mr Kaira explains that the equipment is
such as Hay Cutter, Feed Mixer, Ground nut
unique in that it is able to grind either
Sheller and Maize Sheller among others.
breakfast maize meal or roller meal by simply
Mr Waweru observes that the machine is
ne
adjusting its sier.
economically viable and can be used by common
With the body in seat, the legs can provide a
people, save time otherwise spent in traditional
pedal work manually on the Bicycle Hammer
“is machine comes with both mechanism of
hand cranking of stone wheels and can also be
Mill just like a normal bicycle.
grinding either breakfast or roller meal. If you put
which could have intermittent operation without
In an interview, Mr Kaira who is a metal
breakfast meal but once you put unpolished maize
affecting the end-product.
fabricator said the bicycle hammer mill is a
direct, it will mill out roller meal,” he stated.
adopted for human-powered process units
maize sample (polished maize), it will make
simple but useful apparatus that relies on pedal e main objective is to design & develop a
power to transfer energy from a human source
It is evident that the bicycle hammer mill is a very
machine which uses human power as source of
through the use of a foot pedal and crank
important peddle operated grain mill which is
energy to drive the machine which basically
system.
easier to use, operate and maintain. e only
“We invented this Bicycle Hammer Mill for
maintenance works by greasing and oiling the
consists of a simple bicycle mechanism.
simple way for the operator is to carry out routine
In Zambia, the gap between the ever increasing
small scale farmers and maize millers who are in
chain, bearing and other moving parts.
demand of power and its generation has
rural areas where there is no electricity and
by Derrick Silimina
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[51] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Tech & innovation
IoT can transform agriculture Using IoT technologies can push the efficiency
and the ability to immediately
of farming to completely new levels as the food
identify problem areas at production
demands of a growing global population puts increasing pressure on agriculture around the
-
world.
management of health of livestock. -
Management of fuel, another variable
source.
cost that has a direct impact on the
By connecting all legacy machinery
cash ow of any farm. Using a
warehousing / packaging plants can
digitized, connected management
be more productive and efficient.
system allows for exact planning of
Farm managers can, for instance,
fuel supply required for times of peak
published at the end of last year the world will
assess how many packers, machines
and reduced levels of activity.
need to produce 70% more food in 2050 than it
and delivery trucks will be required
According to a report by Business Insider
did in 2006 in order to feed the growing population of the Earth, based on numbers
-
on any given day.
BI Intelligence, Business Insider's research
Energy management, a signi cant
service, predicts that IoT device installations in
produced by the UN Food and Agriculture
cost at large scale farming
the agriculture world will increase from 30
Organization.
operations. Use of power,
million in 2015 to 75 million in 2020, for a
management of irrigation, pumps,
compound annual growth rate of 20%.
André Strauss, Director of Partnerships at
dam levels, water required at
According to the BI report the value of using
IoT.nxt highlights ve key areas where the use
production plants are all aspects of
IoT smart agriculture is evident in numbers
of IoT can dramatically improve efficiencies
energy use that can be managed in
available for the current leader of using IoT in
and reduce costs:
real time and changed seamlessly for
farming, the United States, where 7,340 kg of
-
Digitization of the value and supply
exceptional cost savings and
cereal (e.g. wheat, rice, maize, barley, etc.) is
chains allows for produce to be
improved efficiency.
produced per hectare (2.5 acres) of farmland,
tracked and traced from source to retail shelf, delivering quality control November - December 2017
-
Tracking of livestock which,
compared to the global average of 3,851 kg of
amongst other things, will allow for
cereal per hectare.
[52] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Tech & innovation
Bayer launches new digital farming brand, xarvio Bayer will launch the brand at this year's
to
eld-speci c actionable strategies for the
Agritechnica, the leading trade fair for
most efficient application of crop protection
agricultural machinery with 2,900 exhibitors
products. "With the Field Manager, which uses
from 52 countries
an Android version and accessible through the app stores.
imaging and sensor technology from e.g.
Digital Farming paves the way for a new
satellites, farmers always have the status of their
agricultural revolution that makes farming
eld speci c crop
quicker, more precise, efficient and sustainable.
farmers and for the environment," said Tobias
protection timing and can download eld-zone
Already today, most new farm machinery is
Menne, global head of Digital Farming at Bayer.
speci c variable application maps," said
equipped with precision agriculture features. New
"Our objective is to improve farming - for the
elds at hand, receive
"xarvio technololgies can support farmers all
Andree-Georg Girg, Head of
tools help farmers optimize inputs such as
around our planet to optimise the amount of
Commercialisation Digital Farming and
fertiliser and crop protection agents with
crop protection they need, thus to produce more
Managing Director of Digital Farming GmbH at
corresponding improvements in yields and
efficiently and to increase pro ts while reducing
Bayer. "As a result, the application of
quality.
the impact farming has on the environment."
agricultural inputs can be optimised so that the perfect amount is used exactly when and where
Currently, Bayer provides digital solutions in
At the G49 trade fair booth in Hall 15 at the
it is needed and harvests will be produced more
more than 60 countries and is aiming to achieve
Agritechnica, visitors can learn about Bayer's
efficiently."
rapid further expansion. e new technologies
and the Scouting App marketed by Bayer under
e new xarvio SCOUTING App makes it easy
Canada, the United States, Brazil, Germany,
the new xarvio brand. Agritechnica will take
to detect and identify crop diseases, insects, the
France, Ukraine and Russia, but also for
innovative solutions such as the Field Manager
have huge potential not only in countries such as
place from November 12 to 18 at Hanover
nitrogen status and other leave damages - only
smallholder farmers in developing countries.
Fairgrounds in Hanover, Germany.
take a picture and you get the analysis. Farmers
Enabling smallholder farmers to reach their
also pro t from the data gathered by their
farming potential is key to increase agricultural
xarvio solutions open farmers the opportunity to
neighbours: ey see which diseases are
productivity in a sustainable manner and to
optimise the potential of their individual elds
emerging and see the insect pressure around
improve the lives of their families and
and
them. e app is now available on iOS as well as
communities.
eld zones. Bayer's Field Manager, for
instance, will provide farmers with instant access www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[53] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Tech & innovation
Soil Health Monitoring Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is
rainwater for use during dryer periods, lter and
de ned as the continued capacity of soil to
buffer potential pollutants from leaving our
function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains
elds, serve as a rm foundation for agricultural
·
Filtering and buffering potential pollutants - e minerals and microbes in soil are responsible for
ltering,
plants, animals, and humans. is de nition
activities, and provide habitat for soil microbes
buffering, degrading, immobilizing,
speaks to the importance of managing soils so
to ourish and diversify to keep the ecosystem
and detoxifying organic and inorganic
they are sustainable for future generations. To do
running smoothly.
materials, including industrial and
this, we need to remember that soil contains living organisms that when provided the basic
municipal by-products and What Soil Does
atmospheric deposits.
necessities of life - food, shelter, and water -
Healthy soil gives us clean air and water,
perform functions required to produce food and
bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing
ber.
·
Cycling nutrients - Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients
lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes.
are stored, transformed, and cycled in
Soil does all this by performing ve essential
the soil.
Only "living" things can have health, so viewing
functions:
soil as a living ecosystem re ects a fundamental
·
·
Regulating water - Soil helps control
Physical stability and support - Soil structure provides a medium for plant
shi in the way we care for our nation's soils. Soil
where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation
roots. Soils also provide support for
isn't an inert growing medium, but rather is
water goes. Water and dissolved
human structures and protection for
teaming with billions of bacteria, fungi, and
solutes ow over the land or into and
archeological treasures.
other microbes that are the foundation of an elegant symbiotic ecosystem. Soil is an
·
through the soil.
Understanding soil health means assessing and
Sustaining plant and animal life - e
managing soil so that it functions optimally now
ecosystem that can be managed to provide
diversity and productivity of living
and is not degraded for future use. By monitoring
nutrients for plant growth, absorb and hold
things depends on soil.
changes in soil health, a land manager can
November - December 2017
[54] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Soil Health Monitoring
Tech & innovation
determine if a set of practices is sustainable.
temperature, and light, the risk of frost can be detected. Monitoring can ensure prevention of
collectives to work together to maximise and
IP Soware Distribution Ltd
possible plant diseases or manage watering
prot e c t c rop c u lt i v at i on a n d e mp ow e r
IP Soware Distribution Ltd (IP So (Pty) Ltd in
requirements based on soil humidity.
communities growing their own food in urban
is helps to control conditions in nurseries and
Once ready for transportation, food may become
South Africa) is a distribution company focusing on Libelium, IP-guard Soware and IoT
e Waspmote Agriculture Board can assist
settings.
Solutions Partners to help organisations digitally
to closely monitor high performance or delicate
damaged during transport and storage. e
transform their businesses.
crops, such as vineyards or tropical fruit, where
technology integrated into Waspmote (GPS,
the slightest change in climate can affect the nal
sensors and clock) makes it possible to control in
e privately owned company was formed in
outcome.
real time what conditions the merchandise is in,
2014 as a specialist IT Security distribution
All of this information can also help us to
where and when.
company with its head office in Pretoria (South
determine the optimum conditions for each
Us i ng t h e G P S an d G P R S / 3 G m o du l e s
Africa).
crop, by comparing the gures obtained during
incorporated in Waspmote means food being
For channel partners wishing to source IT
the best harvests. Given their ease of use and
transported can be located at all times, providing
Soware or provisioning their solutions on a
scalability, wireless sensor networks can also be
detailed information on its condition.
global basis in Azure marketplace, IP Soware
used to monitor isolated areas of difficult access,
is helps to improve product traceability and to
distribution offers a single point of expertise and
where mushrooms and truffles grow for
determine liability where applicable if it becomes
assistance. It offers its resellers and developers
example.
spoiled during the logistics phase. Because Internet connectivity in the rural site can
(ISV's) and their customers a full-service package of technical, sales and marketing
e Waspmote Agriculture Board monitoring
be unstable, a local server system is also deployed
support and practical enablement training.
system can be used to reduce resource intensity
as an interim solution to store information for
and labour requirements on site during the food
task management and
With the fast changing world of Hybrid Cloud,
growth stage.
without incurring data loss.
Big Data and IT S ec urity, IP S oware
Parameters for each crop can be de ned in
eld data collection,
Distribution creates sales and pro tability
advance and crop c u lt ivat ion systems
e collected data are sent to the Cloud when
opportunities for soware developers and
automated based on sensor readings at crucial
connectivity permits: this allows the off-site
resellers through unique marketing programs,
stages of the food production phase.
researchers and collaborators across the globe a
enablement services and technical support.
For urban areas, sensors can assist community
means to access, visualize, and analyse the data
Being in touch with the latest on premise and
and market urban agriculture sites where there
from the on-going experiments.
cloud soware solutions we continuously bring
may be the collective management of crops.
value to our customers and developers. Monitor soil moisture, health and have complete control with Libelium Smart Agriculture application. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) can be used to monitor different environmental parameters related to agriculture such as temp erature, humidit y, s oi l temperature/humidity, weather station, leaf wetness and many other parameters. e monitoring of these parameters allows to minimize time and money as well as maximize agriculture results whether that is during the production stage, distribution cycle or even in supermarkets. Use of Waspmote sensors can assist in strengthening the collective understanding of how to protect and manage food systems, using sensor networks to maintain monitoring capacity of crop cultivation throughout the production cycle. By combining sensors such as humidity,
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[55] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Tech & innovation
Multispectral sensors and analytics- role of big data Aer the occurrence of major natural
to new means of collecting and analyzing data
proper understanding of this continuously
disasters, it is of great signi cance that
generated from the farm to the end consumer.
growing data we need a new fundamental
disaster states are assessed timely and
Big data is a set of methods and technologies
approach to architecture, tools as well as practices.
accurately for decision-making
that require new forms of combination to
departments to draw up effective response
uncover large hidden values from large datasets
programs. Multi-spectral remote sensing
that are diverse, complex, and of a massive scale.
has a great advantage and potential in disaster assessment, with the
To feed the world's rapidly expanding population in the coming decades, agriculture must produce more. A farmer knows the ill effects of weather
e processing of such data using common
such as excess/de cit rainfall, temperature, wind
characteristics of a wide range of data
database management tools or conventional
velocity, sunshine hours etc., but he does not
acquisition, high speed, etc.
data processing applications is a very strenuous
know how to interpret them to make smart
task. Everything around us is contributing to the
decision for pro table farming.
Big data refers to the ability to collect and
generation of Big data at every time instance.
analyze the huge amounts of data that is being generated by different departments
SLANTRANGE Agricultural Information Every social media exchanges as well as digital
Systems
working directly or indirectly involved in
processes involving systems, sensors, mobile
SLANTRANGE systems combine powerful
agriculture. Every day the World generates
devices and every other digital device present
analytics tools with accurate and reliable
2.5quintillion bytes of data. Big Data in the context of agriculture refers
November - December 2017
are transmitting it. To extract signi cant value
measurement sensors to deliver to the most
from big data, you need optimal processing
actionable and immediate crop information ever
power, analytics capabilities and skills. For
produced for agriculture.
[56] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Mul spectral sensors and analy cs- role of big data
SLANTRANGE systems deliver the information
Tech & innovation
Accuracy in Measurement
of Data Accurac y through S elective
you need at the time and place you need it. at
Changing sunlight conditions will affect your
Measurement.
means pushing powerful analytics tools out and
results. Clouds will appear like stressed areas.
away from the cloud and into the eld where
Measurements taken at noon will give different
Agronomic information is highly perishable, so
your decisions need to be made.
results from measurements taken later in the
making it available to the decision maker as
e SLANTVIEW analytics platform delivers an
day. Without correction, forecasts and trends
efficiently as possible is a core focus for
entirely new approach to crop measurement and
become highly inaccurate.
SLANTRANGE. To eliminate data collection and
analysis – one that works for agriculture. What does that mean for you? · ·
processing bottlenecks we've developed new To address this, SLANTRANGE introduced an
technologies that dramatically reduce the time
innovative solution with the
spent collecting and processing data so results can
rst frameto-
Valuable new classes of information
frame, on-board, ambient illumination sensor
enabled by low-altitude measurement
back in 2014 – so all of your measurements can
Immediate, on-site results without any
be trusted. No calibration panels necessary.
need for network connectivity ·
·
be delivered in minutes, anywhere. SLANTRANGE's patent pending algorithms require only 20% overlap between images to
Far more efficient collection and
Accuracy in Analytics
generate maps, compared to traditional
processing work ows for lower
Accuracy involves more than correcting for
techniques which require up to 80%. at's a 4x
operational costs
sunlight conditions. It also involves carefully
reduction in collection costs compared to a survey
Exportable data to be consumed
separating measurements of different objects in
using the same sensor con guration but with a
wherever, whenever, and however
the
traditional processing technique – just by
you'd like Good agricultural decisions and forecasts
eld. SLANTRANGE analytics take full
advantage low-altitude platforms by spatially
processing your data with a system designed for
and spectrally separating crop vegetation
the task!
depend upon good information. So
signals from soil, specular re ection, shadows,
SL A N T R A NG E wor k s w it h a g r i c u ltu re
SLANTRANGE makes reliable, accurate
or other signal types to get the most accurate
businesses across a variety of market segments to
measurements the cornerstone of product
measurements possible.
design and a continuing area of innovation.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
provide custom analytics and data services to support crop research, breeding, and production
SLANTRANGE's Smart Filtering &
programs, including customized tools for high-
Compression Algorithms Achieve New Levels
throughput phenotyping of test plots.
[57] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Cropping
Manure Application Equipment Makes Economic and Environmental Sense For years, livestock farmers have used manure as
JT Boats, LLC- e ultimate oating manure
renewable resource.
a fertilizer, soil amendment, energy source and even construction material.
JT Boats, LLC manufactures fully remote Manure is a valuable resource that should be
controlled
applied in an ecological and environmentally
Operation will ease safety and output-ability.
rst in its class manure agitators.
Integrating manure as a fertilizer for crop
sensitive manner. As the value of the nutrients in
production is the primary accepted mechanism
manure incre as es due to incre as es in
Designed speci cally for agitating manure
for disposal of manure from animal feeding
commercial fertilizer cost, manure application
lagoons, e JT Boat is equipped with the latest in
operations. Successfully using manure as a
equipment becomes even more important.
fertilizer requires assessing the available
oating manure agitator technology. It is fully remote controlled to operate as manure agitator,
nutrients in manure, calculating the appropriate
Proper manure application equipment is
using a potent GES super pump to agitate and
rate to provide the needed nutrients to the crop
necessary to insure that eld application rates
bring solids off the bottom of your manure
and applying the manure uniformly across the eld at the target rate. Efficient use of manure as a fertilizer is
are consistent with nutrient management plans.
lagoon. e JT Boat does not require a priming
As nutrient plans have attempted to more
system as it Is designed to minimise fuel
accurately balance nutrient supplied by manure
consumption during operation.
and fertilizer and crop requirements, calibration
complicated by the imbalance of nutrients in
is also critical to avoid under applying nutrients
e only boat in the industry that can be pulled
manure, variability in many sources of manure,
and reducing yields
down the road, no trailer needed.
difficulties in estimating nutrient availability, and the relatively low nutrient concentration limiting the distances manure can pro tably be transported for use as a fertilizer. Manure management is most likely to be pro table on farms with a manure source with a relatively high nutrient concentration (like slurry manure) applying manure to elds near the operation and to a crop or crop rotation that can fully utilize all the applied nutrients. With today's science and technology, we can use manure more efficiently and in new ways like protecting water and air quality and reducing greenhouse gases. When managed improperly, manure can harm the environment. But when properly managed, it can serve as a valuable, November - December 2017
[58] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Cropping
Naturally Balanced Nutrition Intrepid Trio (sulfate of potash magnesia) is an all-natural mineral supplement derived from langbeinite, a unique mineral with potassium, sulfur and magnesium in every granule. e unique formulation of Trio, makes it the perfect addition to your naturally balanced fertilizer program. Alfalfa, corn, cocoa, coffee, cotton, tree nuts, melons, fruits and many other crops all require potassium, sulfur and magnesium to grow. By using Intrepid Trio, you are opening yourself up to potential for higher yields and healthier crops. Forage: Intrepid Trio improves the vitality and durability of forage crops such as alfalfa by ensuring proper delivery of three essential minerals for all natural, long-lasting nutrition. Adequate potassium in alfalfa leads to an increased number of shoots per plant, enhanced nitrogen gas xation, and greater stand-survival persistence against weeds and winter kill. When feeding the alfalfa or grass to livestock, they have a need for potassium in their feed to prevent decreased feed and water intake. Lactating dairy cows can require higher potassium levels, especially when under heat stress. e magnesium levels in Trio can help negate a metabolic disorder in cattle known as grass tetany. . e last nutrient in Trio, sulfur, also aids
www.intrepidtrio.com
in the palatability, digestibility and intake of the forage for animals. Applying a balanced fertilizer like Trio to your forage crops will provide them
www.intrepidtrio.com
with the nutrients they need when they need them. Specialty: Specialty crops such as cocoa, avocados, tree nuts, melons, citrus and coffee require adequate amounts of potassium, magnesium and sulfur. Trio readily dissolves in the soil slowly, reducing the risk of leaching and providing the long-lasting nutrients that are immediately available to the plant. Heavy annual removal of nutrients can lead to yield declines in co co a plant at ions if nut r ients are not
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
replenished. e magnesium in Trio can reduce
avor in the crop.
the risk of a magnesium de ciency, which would reduce the quality of beans a cocoa tree could
Intrepid Trio is available in premium, granular
produce. Additionally, the sulfur in Trio is
and standard grades, which means it blends well
immediately available to the crop and is also pH
with other fertilizer materials for an even
neutral, which causes no acidifying effect to the
distribution of nutrients. Standard and granular
soil. In other specialty crops like citrus, the use
grades are also OMRI Listed and approved for
of Trio to manage the levels of potassium can
organic farming, while the standard grade is
help the tree withstand extreme weather
grades arcerti edSafe Food/Safe Fee Safe
conditions while still leaving you with a better
Feed/Safe Food for animal feed.
[59] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Libestock
Real time animal feeds and nutritional analysis Farm consultants have detailed information about their feed supply. ey have the precise nutritional content of each food product in their inventory. Currently, consultants travel from farm to farm to discuss how to improve the health and productivity of each herd, and suggest the most appropriate animal feed. Farmers are in tune with their livestock, and are usually the rst to notice when problems related to feed need addressing; a drop off in milk production, failure to thrive, or loss of condition. Presently much of their discussions with consultants are based on intuition and circumstantial information, not on hard fact backed by actionable data. Feeding has a direct impact on the growth rate,
November - December 2017
production capacity and health status of the animal. e cost of feeding has long been recognised as the major cost and the largest cash expense in animal production. It has a direct impact on the growth rate and health status of the animal as well as on the animal's product quality. e global demand for livestock products is expected to increase by over 60 percent by 2050. e livestock sector is under signi cant pressure to greatly increase the amount of safe, nutritious feed available to animals to provide the products needed in the future. Providing animals with adequate, balanced diets, free of toxins and contaminants is essential to enhancing their productivity and welfare. Good quality feed also increases the incomes of producers, ensures a better quality product and a cleaner, greener environment. [60] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
e safety and quality of animal feed is also vital for preventing hazardous substances entering the food. Feed analysis laboratories are essential for e n s u r i n g a c c u r at e i n f o r m at i o n o n t h e composition of feed ingredients and determining the level of desirable and undesirable substances, enabling the production of safe, balanced diets for livestock. Without them, it is almost impossible to control what animals eat. Poor nutrition not only affects the productivity of the animal, but also its health, behaviour and welfare. Meeting livestock nutritional requirements is extremely important in maintaining acceptable performance of neonatal, growing, nishing and breeding animals. From a practical standpoint, an optimal www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Real me animal feeds and nutri onal analysis
Livestock
nutritional program should ensure adequate intakes of amino acids (both traditionally cl a s s i e d e s s e nt i a l an d n on e s s e nt i a l ) , carbohydrates, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins by animals through a supplementation program that corrects de ciencies in basal diets (e.g., corn- and soybean meal-based diets for swine; milk replacers for calves and lambs; and available forage for ruminants). Feed formulation is driven by required formula speci cations and the actual nutritional value of raw materials. Inaccurate information on raw material nutritional values can be catastrophic, as the end result will be a formula that is completely out of speci cation. Additionally, dietary supplementation with certain nutrients (e.g., arginine, glutamine, zinc, and conjugated linoleic acid) can regulate gene expression and key metabolic pathways to improve fertility, pregnancy outcome, immune function, neonatal survival and growth, feed eďŹƒciency, and meat quality. Overall, the proper balance of protein, energy, vitamins and all nutritionally important minerals in diets is needed to make a successful nutrition program that is both productive and economical. Both fundamental and applied
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www.mandoval.co.za
research are required to meet this goal. Also crucial to the nutrition program for animals is water. Livestock may have health problems resulting from substandard quality water. Consuming water is more important than
[61] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
consuming food. A successful livestock enterprise requires a good water supply, in terms both of quantity and quality. Safe supplies of water are absolutely essential for livestock. If livestock do not drink enough safe water every day, intake of feed (roughages and concentrates) will drop, production will fall and the livestock producer will lose money.
November - December 2017
Cropping
Don't waste it, Roast It Have you ever heard of roasting your grains? It
commercial miller stated that grinding roasted
has been around for years, but still many people
barley is 25% faster than raw barley. is saves
have never heard of roasting, or better yet, have
time and grinding costs.
ever tried roasting.
and meat. During hot, humid weather, feed mills can experience more than double the shelf-life in
e advantages for you are so powerful, that you
Roasting increases digestibility by breaking
roasted aked corn over raw or other forms of
need to start now and roast your barley, corn,
down the cell structure within the grain so it will
processing. Roasted soybeans—e soybean
soybeans, wheat and other grains.
be readily available to the animal.
becomes more digestible and you receive more for your money. Swine-fed roasted beans gain 9%
Do you like to save money?
Dairy and swine feeders comment that they are
faster on 9% less feed.
Roasting your own grain will put money back
unable to nd barley oating in the lagoon when
You will have more “by-pass” protein which is a
into your own pocket. Greater pro ts! Meeting
roasted barely is fed. It is more palatable and the
bene t to you because the “by-pass”effect of
high energy needs in dairy and cattle feeds is
animals will be drawn by the sweet fragrance of
protein can rise to an optimum of 6.5% and will
important.
roasted barley.
provide extra milk in the bulk tank. Roasting your soybeans also provides more energy.
is will support better breeding, improve butter
Roasted corn—e advantages are great! You
fat and protein, and maintain body weight
will have higher digestibility because roasting
e oil becomes an available energy source and is
during peak production.
corn increases the speed of starch availability.
2.25% times as much energy as a carbohydrate
e starch becomes more soluble and you will
without increasing the starch content. By roasting
Research on roasted corn for beef cattle was
have a higher energy value.
your soybeans, they are more palatable and this
conducted and the results were dramatic, but
guards against oxidative rancidity.
consistent.
Roasting the corn will increase the energy nearly 13%. Roasting corn through an open ame gives
One thing every farmer loves is to have his milk
Beef cattle gain 8.2% faster on roasted corn
a purer feed because it dries away moisture and
production raised to a higher level. By roasting
compared to raw corn and require 9.7% less feed
burns off the mold spores.
your grain in a ame-kissed grain roaster, you will
per kilogram of grain. You will have a better
Because of the purging effect, the dairy and
receive more milk. University studies show a
quality of feed by roasting it.
cattle feeder can experience lower vet bills,
sound increase in milk production over raw
Roasted barley—Your roasted barley will grind
better breeding, less abortions, and less physical
soybeans, so why waste your grains.
easier because roasting ruptures the kernel. One
stress on the animal for more production of milk
Don’t waste it roast it.
November - December 2017
[62] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Cropping
www.roastamatic.com
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[63] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services
mechanized the use of this type of bale. is third
Arcusin S.A.
generation, the MultiPack C-14 keeps its essence improving its performance; picks, packs and ties
Arcusin S.A. is a global company, specialist in
AutoStack loaders are high performance
together 10, 12 or 14 small bales of any type of
engineering applied to farming equipment, and
machines that allow with just one operator and a
forage or straw. e result is a bale well compacted
more precisely, to Straw and forage bale handling
tractor collect and stack large amounts of bales
that can be handle as a regular big square bale even
equipment. With 40 years of experience in
for storage either on the eld or under a cover.
with our bale chaser AutoStack.
manufacturing and more than a century of
anks the stability and compaction of the
https://www.arcusin.com/en/productos/multipa
family tradition in the agricultural sector,
stack, bales are preserved in perfect conditions
ck-c14/
Arcusin S.A. exports to more than 40 countries
all year long regardless weather conditions.
along the 5 continents and is considered the
https://www.arcusin.com/en/productos/autost
MultiPack C-14, the new generation: Fitted with
reference brand within the sector.
ack-fsx/
the awarded star shape system for collecting bales
ForStack, bale accumulator: A bale accumulator,
MultiPack: is small bales packer, was a
completely automatic and independent, that
revolution when it was launched since
of delicate products.
allows collecting bales, even from the most difficult areas to access, and makes little stacks from 2 up to 5 bales high. is unique system in the market will represent a new time and cost saver when handling big square bales. Its high productivity and reduced size make ForStack and adaptable tool easy to manipulate and highly efficient. https://www.arcusin.com/en/productos/forstac k-812-bales-accumulator/ AutoStack: Automatic bale loaders for straw and forage bales, models XP & FSX AutoStack loaders are designed to make easier and faster chasing, stacking and handling big square bales. ey adapt to any kind of big square bales from the major balers in the market. Contractors, industrials and biomass providers are the target market. November - December 2017
[64] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Products & Services
CALLICRATE BANDERS – “ USA Solution now also champions African Challenges!! ” For Africa, livestock is its' riches… C A L L I C R AT E BA N D E R ™ / N O BU L L ™
money to live from, but they almost never look
National Herd, by doing castration on
Castration Equipment was developed in USA by
good, they always ght with one another doing
most of the male animals, bad genes are
Mr Mike Callicrate, originally for the feedlot
what bulls do….. Whereas the female animals
eliminated, because not all bulls are
industry - due to expensive labour- and
are kept for reproduction.
good for breeding.
veterinarian costs to castrate all these animals...
castrated is a big job, traditionally it needs to be
– To get them ·
Fact that lots of male animals are
He started off with – what they called - the Smart
done before a certain age, and you need good
castrated, ensure
Bander and it evolved into the Pro- and Wee
infrastructure and strong kraals, traditionally it
Health of herds due to less illnesses
Bander kits, that is widely used all over USA and
is a traumatic experience for the animal and,
transferred
Canada – and now are available in Southern
aer they got castrated they sometimes get
Africa.
infections, some of which resulting in death, the
·
better National
You do not need sophisticated handling facilities to castrate or dehorn with
rest are taking forever to gain some wait again, In Africa we do things a little different, we have
meaning they can't be sold or slaughtered any
C A L L I C R AT E BA N D E R ™ / N O
built our own models of how the livestock
time soon.
BULL™ Castration Equipment etc.
industry work through centuries, we all know that, for an African man his cattle is his riches, a
By using CALLICRATE BANDER™/NO
token of wealth… With cattle we buy our wives,
BULL™ Castration Equipment it offers the
with cattle we pay our respects to the diseased,
following possibilities:
with cattle we have to trade and barter to give our
·
·
Application is simple and quick and can
·
No age restriction for animals to be
be done anywhere, anytime.. castrated or dehorned
When castrating an animal effectively
children education, and of course, eating meat is
and humane, they will be performing
ese Callicrate Bander™ Equipment has earned
what keeps us healthy and make us big and
and growing better in a communal
a reputation as the most humane way – and make
strong. e question is how can a USA castration
area, it is an ideal way to grow out
castration - simple, quick, effective and .. it is a
to ol help u s ? e ans we r l i e s i n he rd
steers in the communal herds.
bloodless and drug-free procedure. e same
Fatter, better quality animals are now
tools can also be used for de-horning as well as for
available for funerals, “labola” and or
prolapse adjustments for male animals.
composition. e African way is a communal
·
way where all the animals graze on common
to trade.
ground, and that brings serious challenges to herd management, almost half the calves born
·
To develop a Grass fed system in line with African Culture that could
every year are male, the grow up to become bulls,
e CALLICRATE WEE Bander™ Kit: ·
Ideal and effective, quick and simple
some good, some mediocre, and some, poor
ensure strong revenue stream,
way to castrate calves not much older
quality bulls. It is those bulls who have to do the
because a big fat grown-out steer /
than 2 weeks
job. ey have to pay the “Lobola,” they are slaughtered for funerals, they are traded to get
·
oxen are easily sold to butchers.
·
De-horn younger animals
To improve general quality of the
·
Amputate tails of sheep
To use CALLICRATE BANDER™/NO BULL™ Castration Equipment, you do not need to be a quali ed veterinarian to castrate and de-horn animals or to adjust prolapses www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[65] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Dam lining systems Failure to hold water is the most common
All liners must be anchored so that they do not
problem with farm dams. Anxious farmers want
move. e simplest way to provide anchorage is
life.
the leak sealed and stopped—fast. However, like
to bury the liner in a trench dug along the
Vinyl (or PVC) resists tearing and is more exible
most business people, they are oen short of
perimeter of the storage.
than woven polythene. Again this material needs
Commercial liners include woven polythene,
sunlight.
funds and want the works to be done as cheaply as possible.
to be covered with a layer of soil to protect it from black polythene, vinyl, HDPE (high density
ere are commercial liners available to seal
polyethylene), butyl rubber and composites of
HDPE and butyl rubber
leaking dams. ese are all exible membranes
bentonite and polypropylene.
HDPE has a longer life and is tougher than vinyl
but offer different levels of strength, durability
Woven polythene, in blue or green, resists
or woven or black polythene. It resists tearing and
and resistance to UV breakdown. e liners have
tearing but is ver y sus ceptible to UV
does not need to be protected from UV exposure.
no structural strength; they rely on a continuous
degradation. If it is not protected from sunlight
Similarly, butyl rubber is resistant to sunlight,
backing for support. is means that the soil on
with a layer of soil, it has a very short life.
which such a liner rests must be well compacted, offer an even grade, have no vegetation and be
exible and very tough. Both HDPE and butyl rubber are more expensive
Woven polythene is very unlikely to last 5–7
than vinyl and woven or black polythene.
free from protrusions like stones and branches
years in the sun. A grade no steeper than 3:1
Composite materials contain a thin layer of
which would damage the liner.
must be used to keep the soil from slipping off
bentonite sandwiched between polypropylene
the liner.
material. ey are not UV sensitive. Because of
A layer of ne soil or sand is required under
Black polythene also has a short life due to UV
the bentonite material, small ruptures in the liner
thinner liners and the soil is sometimes sprayed
degradation. It is also quite thin, generally less
are self-healed. However, these liners must be
with a herbicide to prevent any plants growing
than 0.4 mm, and is susceptible to puncturing. It
covered with soil to protect them from major
and penetrating the liner.
must be covered with a layer of soil to prolong its
punctures.
www.gundleapi.co.za rudi@gundleapi.co.za
November - December 2017
[66] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Den Braven Sealants When it comes to agricultural and construction machinery, manufacturers understand the need for high quality adhesive systems which increase overall product performance while decreasing costs. You know how important it is to have your equipment up and running. No matter whether it is your tractor, combine, mower or loader. Anytime you have broken equipment that has your workers sitting around, wasting time, waiting for something to be xed you are looking at harvest setbacks and lost time. Den Braven is a leader in sealant supply. Widely used in the construction, sanitary, DIY and industrial sectors where high quality seals, adhesion with high joint movement tolerances are required. Aer application the silicone cures with atmospheric moisture to form a durable rubber seal. Falling in the class of being both a sealant and adhesive, it is important that the Den Braven silicone sealants provide sound adhesion whilst still remaining exible. Surface preparation is very important in order to obtain that good adhesion. Surfaces must be clean, dry and sound. Den Braven sealants retain their adhesion and exibility even aer many years, and adhere well to many substrates. e sealants mechanical and physical properties remain virtually unchanged to ageing or exposure to weather. e company boasts of a variety of products like, Zinc Aluminium Spray that offers heat-resistant corrosion protection for many materials. It adheres very well to non-ferrous metal, Wood ex HARD which has been developed especially for
lling of cracks and dents in parquet, cork,
laminate and wooden ooring as well as FP Acrylic Sealant, a 1-component re retardant acrylic sealant based on a dispersion. Den Braven strives strives to meet customer expectations in the supply of choice quality sealing, bonding and related products and services in Sub www.oravgroup.co.za
Sahara Africa markets.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[67] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
info@oravgroup.co.za
November - December 2017
Supplement
Equipment for fruit and vegetable Grading and Sorting Handling (Post harvest) process of fruits and
texture, shape and sizes. Manual sorting is based
design and layout to building the equipment,
vegetables is completed in several steps: washing,
on traditional visual quality inspection
installation and ongoing support. e vegetable
sorting, grading, packing, transporting and
performed by human operators, which is
handling equipment is renowned for quality of
e fruits sorting and grading are
tedious, time-consuming, slow and non-
design and manufacture. is means longer life,
considered the most important steps of
storage.
consistent. It has become increasingly difficult
increased reliability, lower maintenance and lower running costs.
handling. Product quality and quality evaluation
to hire personnel who are adequately trained
are important aspects of fruit and vegetable
and willing to undertake the tedious task of
production. Sorting and grading are major
inspection. A cost effective, consistent, superior
Herbert is distinctive in the market by entering
processing tasks associated with the production
speed and accurate sorting can be achieved with
into dialogue with the industry and by utilizing
of fresh-market fruit types.
machine vision assisted sorting.
the latest technologies and applications in the
Sorting is a separation based on a single
Herbert- Build strong to last longer!
processes. In addition to the production process,
eld of fresh produce processing and production measurable property of raw material units, while
Herbert is a high quality manufacturer, with
the company focuses on developing optimum
grading is “the assessment of the overall quality
over 40 years of experience. ey supply
solutions to set up processes as efficiently, smartly
of a food using a number of attributes”. Grading
handling systems for the agricultural, fresh
and pro tably as possible. Herbert will start
of fresh product may also be de ned as 'sorting
pack, food processing, materials handling and
manufacturing, engineering and design in the
according to quality', as sorting usually upgrades
waste management industries. ey specialize
Netherlands and provides single machines up to
in highly efficient handling systems, designed to
total concepts.
the product.
meet your operational needs. e company offers high quality machinery
Sorting of agricultural products is accomplished based on appearance (color and absence defects), November - December 2017
Herbert, are with you all the way, from initial
[68] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
global, which has exibility built into the design www.farmersreviewafrica.com
that allows our growers to handle their crop in
sacks, nets, and loose trays to satisfy all of your
challenging weather and all soil conditions.
customers' demands.
Reliability With pack-houses frequently operating seven
Herbert consists of a team of dedicated design
days a week machine reliability and the
engineers, commissioning and servicing
High throughputs and volumes
availability of service, spares, and onsite support
personnel that understand and operate within
e company builds systems that achieve
are crucial, particularly at times of highest
farming environments providing. Flexibility
maximum volume throughput and minimum
demand like Christmas and Easter. With the need
product wastage combined with the lowest
to maintain consistent throughputs and meet the
possible labour costs.
daily expectations of your customers, downtime
e machinery is designed to cope with uctuations in crop quality and soil conditions
caused by breakdowns and maintenance has to be Gentle product handling
minimised. at is why all our handling
that can vary from eld to eld, from day to day
Herbert knows how easy it is to cause damage to
equipment is built stronger to last longer, its
and from season to season. ey recognise the
root vegetables so they design all equipment to
design makes maintenance incredibly quick and
need for systems that allow total exibility for
handle crops with the utmost care and with
simple and cleaning is easy and effective, whilst
packing a whole range of different size bands,
minimal drops to reduce wastage and improve
our aer-sales service is always there when it's
varying quality and different nished product
the quality of the nished product.
needed.
formats, from prepack polys and punnets to
www.tomra.com/tobacco www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[69] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement
Sormac range of knife peelers: further improvements, proven technology, small and high capacity peelers! rough continuous innovation with new
e new design of the knife peelers is
machines and upgrading and re ning existing
characterised by a minimum of all loose parts.
Smaller capacity peelers further improved.
models. Sormac proudly presents the MS-30
e new design features doors that are xed to
knife peeler and the CBS and MBS peelers - the
the machine and can be opened horizontally.
knife peeler type MBS are perfectly suitable for
result of a combination of these core values.
e knife peelers have been designed to
scraping and peeling various tuberous products,
eliminate dead angles, making the machines
such as potatoes, red beets, celeriac and turnip.
e Sormac carborundum peeler type CBS and
Higher capacity
easy and efficient to clean. In addition, the
e use depends on the product, further processing and customer speci cations. ese
e MS-30 knife peeler from Sormac has a 3-
patented ' oating' three-point suspension
metre long drum, which enables the MS-30 to be
ensures calm and stable rotation of the drum.
peelers machines have been developed further in terms of technology, ergonomics and hygiene;
used in production lines with a higher processing
e special shape of the drum and knife
capacity. Depending on the product, quality and
con guration create an attractive end result and
they are more robust and manufactured
required waste percentage, the MS-30 has a
optimal peeling yields. e peeling drum is
exclusively from high-quality materials.
processing capacity of up to 7000 kg/hour.
manufactured from certi ed food grade
Similar to the existing Sormac range of knife
stainless steel and plastic and complies with the
peelers, the MS-10, MS-20 and MS-20/Combi,
latest European certi cation guidelines.
the MS-30 can be used to peel root vegetables like potatoes, red beets or celeriac for the fresh
e machine has several unique advantages:
·
e machine has a large peeling drum
·
e capacity is 20 to 35 kg per batch.
·
e drum is easy to disassemble for
with an internal diameter of 600 mm.
market as well as peeling steamed pre-peeled
-
low energy consumption;
maintenance or cleaning and knives
products. e capacity of the existing Sormac
-
reliability;
and carborundum are exchangeable.
knife peelers varies between 300 and 4500
-
long knife life;
kg/hour, depending on the product, quality and
-
effectively avoids at peeling;
required waste percentage.
-
easy to clean;
-
higher yields than at bed peelers.
e plastic used is blue, food-safe and is supplied with a certi cate.
·
e machine is equipped with a built-in timer, which can be used to set the peeling time.
Robust design
November - December 2017
·
[70] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Supplement
Pressure Washers in Agriculture Pressure washers are ideal for cleaning most
quality and service means we have many loyal
types of farm equipment, barns, wheel tractors,
customers and a reputation of which we're
where there is no electric supply.
sprayers, seeders, reapers, trucks, ploughs,
proud.
All you need is water! All Sitemaster pressure
compactors, hay equipment, grain drying and
A large part of the business is focussed on the
washers are designed to suck water from a barrel /
milk drawing equipment.
farming community and the key reasons that we
container if no mains supply is available. Spares
have a lot of new customers as well as repeat
for all our machines are readily available and are
business is that our machines are well built,
dispatched promptly.
Serving the agricultural sector is needed 12
Our machines are
months each year and understanding the
robust and t for purpose yet easy to use and
manufactured in the UK and are comprehensively
requirements of farmers is essential to serving
simple to maintain.
tested before leaving our factory.
Pressure Washers
Metal Bunded Fuel Tanks
their needs. Washing a tractor, for instance, is about more than just cleaning the piece of machinery.
Nixon pressure washers have been
Brian Nixon Limited manufactures a full range of
manufactured for nearly 50 years and still retain
both commercial and domestic metal bunded fuel
Pressure washers can be used to clean dirt,
the same high quality philosophy that was
tanks using 3mm British steel. Commercial tanks
stains, and more from animal living quarters.
adopted when they were rst built. e range
are available as 1,250 litre, 2,500 litre, 5,000 litre,
ey are also used to clean silos containing grain
Sitemaster Hot Water Pressure Washers house
10,000 litre or 12,500 litre models and the
or wheat. It is very important to clean silos
simple yet robust components inside their
domestic tanks come with either a 1,250 or 2,500
between lls to prevent and kill pests. Tractors or
distinctive steel cabinets.
litre capacity. e bunded tank itself is guaranteed
Our hot pressure
any other farm equipment should be pressure
washers are available in two sizes producing
for 5 years and the mechanical components come
washed without much delay or mud, silt, and
different levels of heat; 80 degrees Celsius (18
with a 12 month warranty. e commercial tanks
other substances may harden. is residue can
Ltr) and 65 degrees Celsius (15 Ltr).
come tted with pump, lter delivery hose and auto-shut off fuel gun that delivers at 60 litre per
also corrode farm equipment. e range of single and three phase electric
minute.
Brian Nixon Limited has a heritage of
machines are used throughout many industries
manufacturing high quality pressure washers,
including agriculture, haulage, plant hire, dairy,
metal bunded fuel tanks and drain jetters which
equestrian, skip hire, estate management and
ey also manufacture a wide range of drain
goes back 40+ years in some areas. As a business
reclamation. In addition to the range of four
jetters suitable for use across many industries and
Drain Jetters
partner they aim to provide our customers
electric Sitemaster pressure washers, we also
applications. ese drain jetters are available as
products which offer a level of reliability and
offer a totally self -contained model tted with
van packs only. Customers can choose between
quality that's hard to beat. Designed and
its own 2.6kva generator driven from 16hp
alternate models (Super 40, Super 60 & Super 80)
manufactured in the UK, the products offer
petrol engine with electric start. is pressure
which offer different levels of pressure and ow
superb value for money. Our commitment to
washer is therefore ideally suited to locations
rate.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[71] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Supplement
The power transmission stability and efficiency of V-belts In today's world where transportation is perhaps
economical option for industrial, automotive,
employed.
one of the most elements for the business to
commercial, agricultural, and home appliance
succeed, people are always in search of better,
applications. V-belt drives are also easy to
e V-belt drive is a rather popular, widely used
f a s t e r an d c o s t e ffe c t i v e t e c h n i qu e of
install, require no lubrication, and dampen
form of power transmission in agricultural and
transporting, tracking and processing their
shock load.
food industry engineering. At the same time, its
goods.
stability, the lifetime of V-belt is in uenced by
About one-third of the electric motors in the
V belts (also style V-belts, vee belts, or, less
several environmental factors, namely in the food
commonly, wedge rope) solved the slippage and
industry by the contamination affecting the belt
industrial and commercial sectors use belt
alignment problem. It is now the basic belt for
sides, the ambient temperature, humidity and the
drives. Belt drives provide
power transmission. ey provide the best
occasionally aggressive (acidic, alkaline air, air saturated with gases, etc.) medium.
exibility in the
positioning of the motor relative to the load.
combination of traction, speed of movement,
Pulleys (sheaves) of varying diameters allow the
load of the bearings, and long service life.
speed of the driven equipment to be increased or
For high-power requirements, two or more V-
In the case of agricultural machinery, the
decreased. A properly designed belt
belts can be joined side-by-side in an
vibration caused by uncertainly oriented pulleys
transmission system provides high efficiency,
arrangement called a multi-V, running on
with bearing in different plate structures (oen
low noise, does not require lubrication, and
matching multi-groove sheaves. is is known
being shaken in the elds) as well as alignment
presents low maintenance requirements.
as a multiple-V-belt drive (or sometimes a
adjustment inaccuracies jeopardize the reliability
However, certain types of belts are more efficient
"classical V-belt drive").
of the parameters of the drive.
than others, offering potential energy cost savings.
V-belts may be homogeneously rubber or
e agricultural harvesting machines are large
polymer throughout or there may be
plate-body self-propelled structures on which
bers
e V-belt drive systems, also called friction
embedded in the rubber or polymer for strength
most of the power supply of the (threshing,
drives (because power is transmitted as a result of
and reinforcement. When an endless belt does
cleaning, moving, etc.) machine units handling
the belt's adherence to the pulley) are an
not t the need, jointed and link V-belts may be
the crop is realized via belt drives.
November - December 2017
[74] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
vbelts@rubena.cgs.cz www.rubena.cz www.rubena.eu
Belting Edge- Specialists in power transmission and conveyor belting Belting Edge is an organisation specialising in
for indexing) Picture 2 gives reference
information to a reliable belt supplier.
Power Transmission and Conveyor Belting. ey
to this, along with some of the more
ey may come back with one or two
pride themselves in being the only company in
standard tooth pro les available.
added questions but if you are able to
South Africa to incorporate CNC fabrication and
·
generally supplying other belt processing
Flat Drive Belts: Looks like a at piece
send the above via email or even
of belting and is generally used on
WhatsApp this would be enough to nd
companies, as well as a long host of original
non-st andard applicat ions, or
equipment manufacturers.
applications whereby a machine starts up at a very high RPM and the
the correct replacement belt. How to avoid purchasing on the wrong belt: ·
Anything from China is generally not
ey offer Industrial Timing Belts, Plastic
application requires a belt that will
what you would want unless it's an
Modular Belts and Food Grade Conveyor Belts
rst slip to cater for the load shock
OEM speci ed part, the code on the
as well as having a full CNC Plastic Engineering
then start to grip to create a drive
belt will generally give reference to this.
Facility, which can all be manufactured to
between the two pulleys. Picture 3
If you are looking for top quality parts,
custom speci cations. e company has been trading from Cape Town
gives reference to a at belt drive.
Europe and America are your answers.
How to source and purchase the correct
Even if these countries manufacture the
since 1995 and have agents in various provinces
replacement part without going to the original
belts in China as long as they have
and countries.
equipment manufacturer:
European or American production
Identify what type of belt you are aer
partners it will generally work out as a
Dealing with a variety of customers, on a daily
1.
(V-Belt, Timing belt or Flat Drive
suitable replacement part.
basis, made up of resellers, OEM's and, of course,
belt). If there is a code on the belt
the general user who has limited information
please record this as this could be the
We offer a 30% discount off all of our
regarding what that “belt thingy that connects to
ultimate solution. Reference this code
products to wholesalers or resellers,
·
If it's too cheap, it's too good to be true.
the motor thingy” does, the company likes to
to your supplier and all of the below
therefore most OEM's end up being
make life easier for customers when sourcing
can then be avoided. If not then follow
about 25%-40% more expensive on our
replacement belts. 2.
through on the below steps.
list price but if the OEM is 100 – 200%
Take a photo of the belt both on the
more expensive then I would look at the
Agricultural machines generally make use of
top side with a ruler across the width
speci c requirements of the
power transmission belts (V-Belts, Timing Belts
of the belt, photo underside with a
replacement belt as there would most
and Flat Drive Belts).
ruler across the width of the belt,
likely be something “specialized” on the
e best way to explain these belts are as follows:
photo of a side pro le with a ruler
application (High Torque Application,
across the height / thickness of the
Manufactured out of a special, Non-
·
V-Belts: Looks like a wedge and comes in mainly four different sizes Z=10mm x 6mm, A=13mm x 8mm, B=17mm x
·
belt. 3.
Standard Supply, etc).
Record the length of the belt. If belt is
·
Lastly if the sales man or woman does
11mm and C=22mm x 14mm. Picture
broken then measure from one end to
not sound con dent in what they are
1 gives the required info.
the next. If the belt is still intact then
offering or do not have the ability to
Timing Belts: Commonly known as
wrap a so tape measure around the
explain to you in detail as to how the
toothed belts. ese belts, unlike V-
b e lt or m ar k an d m e a s u re i n
belt works then you could be getting the
Belts, are positively driven and have
increments easy to record and add up
wrong product and I would suggest
superior precision as to speeds and
for a nal measurement.
calling a specialist company such as
Lastly for ward all the above
Belting Edge.
calculated measurements (well suited November - December 2017
4.
[76] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Soucy products are designed by the Soucy
into this market. 12 Years later Soucy Track
models.
group, a manufacturing company founded in
offers the widest range of track systems on the
1967 in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, that
market, being sold in over 35 countries
e main bene ts of using rubber tracks on
specializes primarily in the design of
through a network of 450 outlets.
these equipment are:
components, accessories and track systems for
- Increased otation. 813mm Combine tracks kit
agricultural, industrial, recreational and
During 2011 Mascor a Member of the
defence vehicle markets.
PLENNEGY GROUP became a dealer for Soucy Track in South Africa. Mascor has been
e Soucy group works every day with farmers and the world's largest vehicle manufacturers to develop innovative concepts. With its more than 11 subsidiaries and 1500 employees, the Soucy group can act as a one-stop supplier for
a John Deere dealer in the Eastern KZN province of SA for 50 years, with branches also in Mpumalanga, Kenya and Uganda. Since 2016 Mascor has been appointed as the sole Soucy Distributor for Sub Sahara Africa.
all the projects it undertakes, making it a strategic partner.
= 14 standard size combine tyres. - Increased traction. Up to 40% more traction compared to tyres. - Sprayer increased oatation, traction and boom stability - Good agronomic practice with up to 70% less soil compaction with tracks vs. tyres. - Money, fuel and time saving - Set your own pace access your elds at all
Products ranges from Tracks for Combine
times
Soucy group has over the years established a
Harvesters, Tractors, Towable Sprayers, JD Self
global presence, with distributors, dealers and
Propelled Sprayers, Certain Maize and Soya
For further enquiries please contact Sarel du
strategic warehousing around the globe.
planters, Grain carts, Compact tractors and
Plessis at the below contact details.
Utility vehicles. e latest addition is the
MOBILE: +27(0)726003333. E-Mail:
replacement tracks for CASE and New
sarel.duplessis@mascor.co.za
Soucy Group launched into the agricultural market in 2005 applying all previous expertize
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Holland Quadtrac tractors and some combine
[77] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
www.soucy-track.com www.mascor.co.za
Camso, the Road Free company
Camso is the world's leading manufacturer and
for better access to
elds with so ground
Another new release at Camso is the Camso AG
distributor of tracks and track systems for the
conditions. Its large footprint reduces ground
2500 rubber belt series, the next generation of
agriculture industry. As a preferred supplier of
compaction, minimizes
tracks for standard agricultural applications. is
eld damage and
these products among OEMs, Camso also works
increases stability, maximizing the overall
track series is engineered to perform as well as
with dealers, distributors, and of course the key
efficiency and quality of the farmers' work.
competitive rubber belt products but at a lower
player in all of this: the farmer.
Camso is raising the industry standard with the
out-of-pocket expense, and offers a cost saving of
recent launch of its new CTS High Speed, an
15% per hour of operation. Built with the same
eir passion is to provide excellence in every
exclusive innovation allowing tracked
process, standards and quality expected from
track and track system they build. eir single
harvesting machines to reach roading speed
Camso, the AG 2500 series feature Camso's
cure technology and unique manufacturing
similar to wheeled combines – up to 30 km/h. It's
unique single cure technology, ensuring high
process is like no other in the industry. ey
the industry's rst 100% bolt-on track system for
performance and durability.
believe that they tracks and track systems are one
combines with an integrated nal drive system
tool in a farmer's toolbox to reduce the impact of
and its larger footprint reduces ground pressure
Camso keeps expanding its product range as its
uncertain weather and extend the farming
by 70%.
team believe in providing tracked solutions for all
e Camso Trailed Track Systems (TTS)
applications. ey aim to consistently create
equipment used in the farming cycle, and all AG
season. ey offer the broadest range of rubber tracks in
increase the performance of high capacity AG
enhanced tracks and track systems that meet the
the industry and surpasses any product in
application equipment. e Camso TTS' large
mobility needs of farming.
performance and value. Camso's products are
footprint distributes the weight of heavier, high
engineered to optimize each stage of a farmers'
capacity carts and toolbars and reduces ground
operation from
eld prep to planting to
harvesting and crop delivery. Camso's Conversion Tracks Systems (CTS)
Camso's tracks and track systems are found on
pressure between 30% to 80% compared to tires.
John Deere 8RT 9RT 9RX, Versatile Delta Track,
It eliminates multi-tire contact points to just two
AGCO Challenger, MT700 MT 800, CNH
track contact points per pass in the eld, thus
Rowtrac CNH Quadtrac, CLAAS lexion
reducing the number of pinch row effects.
combines, and many other makes and models.
increases the machines' mobility and otation www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[79] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services
Granular Urea Fertilizer Urea fertilizer is the most important nitrogenous
policy, Granular Urea have biuret less than 1%
fertilizer and known as king of fertilizers as it has
is considered best, more than 1.5 % may be
high nitrogen content ie 46 percent (highest
toxic to sensitive crops eg citrus.
concentration dry nitrogen fertilizer available),
volatilization. Agronomic Advantage: If a Fertilizer particle is not hard enough it will shatter when it is hit by the
white crystalline organic chemical compound
Agronomic Advantage: In high
spreader vanes and the harder they can hit it the
(Urea is considered as organic compound
concentrations, biuret interferes with internal N
further it will go. A cloud of dust following a
because it contains carbon), neutral and can
metabolism and hinders protein formation in
fertilizer spreader is a sure sign the spread pattern
adapt to almost all the land. Urea is widely used
plants, urea having more than 1.5% Biuret it is
will not be very accurate and will negatively
in the agriculture sector as a fertilizer.
very harmful for certain crops like pineapple,
impact fertilizer agronomic efficacy and
Citrus, Tobacco and coffee which are sensitive to
ultimately crop yield, fertilizer handling and
ere has been a worldwide shi from prilling of
Biuret, urea with a lower Biuret content of 0.5 to
application as well.
Urea to granulation due to higher led efficacy
0.8% is preferable for application as a foliar
product and to supply growing fertilizer demand
spray.
4. Optimum Formaldehyde Level: UF85 is an
2. Low Moisture Content: e International
strength, minimizes dust generation and nally
for larger, harder and denser particles, in spite of traditionally higher costs associated with granulation.
anti-caking agent that improves the crushing Standard on the moisture is 0.5% Max for urea
reduces caking tendency (Granular Urea have
(Granular Urea have less than 0.5% moisture),
Formaldehyde 0.45 to 0.55 %, considered the
e main function of urea fertilizer is to provide
higher moisture may increase caking, and
best),. Formaldehyde is recommended in
the plants with nitrogen to promote green leafy
further moisture absorption from environment
amounts of 0.01% to 10% by weight of urea and
growth. It can make the plants look lush green
due to hygroscopic nature will impact quality
preferred range is 0.8 to 2% for slow release
and it's necessary for the photosynthesis of
due to loss of contents eg volatilization.
/volatilization of Ammonia.
plants, so it's primarily used to boost vegetative growth and height, Nitrogen alone contribute
Agronomic Advantage: Urea is highly soluble
Agronomic Impact: Formaldehyde is used in
apx 50% to crop yield.
fertilizer, water solubility (1,080 g/L at 20o C),
urea to control release of nitrogen.
may result in poor product and crop efficiency,
Formaldehyde's rate of decomposition into CO2
Global Trade
will create difficulty in
and NH3 is determined by the action of microbes
eld application or
Ure a is t he maj or fe r t i l i z e r t r a d e d i n
broadcast. Signi cant product quality and
found naturally in most soils. e activity of these
international commerce. In the very near future
agronomic efficacy issues will arise if moisture
microbes, and, therefore, the rate of nitrogen
urea is expected to account for more than 60% of
levels increases.
release is temperature dependent.
the nitrogen fertilizer in world trade. When compared to other dry fertilizers, urea has
3. Higher Crushing strength: e International
5. Iron: High Iron indicates deterioration of Urea
captured more than 65% of the world trade.
Standard on the crushing strength is 2.5 to 3 Kgf
plant equipment, No effect to farmer.
(Granular Urea have crushing strength 3.0, 8 things we must know on Granular Urea
considered the best), less crushing strength will
6. Free Ammonia: High Ammonia essentially
1. Lower Biuret: e International Standard on
increase possibility of granule breaking and dust
leads to agglomeration or lumping of produce.
the Biuret is 1 to 1.5% for urea, depends on
formation and faster dissolution in soil solution
Indorama Granular urea is less hygroscopic and
country to country regulatory and registration
will increase nutrient leaching and
doesn't make lumps and cake so its better than
November - December 2017
[80] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Products & Services others in application n handling, performs better
than prilled urea for continuous and
in low rate of application due to slow and consistence nitrogen release and doesn't
efficient supply of Nitrogen to crops.
before transplanting granular urea
3.
Reduces labor/application cost as its
gives apx 18% more nutrient use
Granular and easy to apply/broadcast.
efficiency in comparison to prilled urea.
4.
Distribution of Nitrogen for Granular
13. Granular urea performs better in low
damages fertilizer application implements so better for large land holding where big and
12. When broadcasted or incorporated just
sophisticated machinery is used, can be stored in
urea in soil is more uniform when
rate of application due to slow and
average storage facilities and better for
compared with prilled urea and gives
consistence nitrogen release.
better microclimate for plant growth.
developing and emerging economy countries where storage facilities are not advanced.
5.
Granular urea conser ves more nitrogen in stress period and reduces
7. Uniform Granule Size: Uniform Granular size fertilizers are easier for use due to easy
Soil application and placement of urea: If
nitrogen leaching and increase use
properly applied, urea and fertilizers containing
efficiency and ultimately crop yield.
urea are excellent sources of nitrogen for crop
Granular Urea has more crushing
production. Aer application to the soil, urea
machinery), size uniformity allow equal
strength and resistance, it checks
undergoes chemical changes and ammonium
distribution in eld result better nutrient use
nitrogen loses and gives better
(NH4 +) ions form. Soil moisture determines how
nutrient use efficiency.
rapidly this conversion takes place.
handling of the product (either by hand or with
6.
efficiency. Uniform application of fertilizer (Broadcasting and Incorporating) reduces
Granular urea is less hygroscopic and
Urea may be mixed with other fertilizers or may
chances of uneven growth of crop, reduces labor
doesn't make lumps and cake so its
be applied on its own. For plants that love acidic
requirement and ultimately gives better return
better than prilled urea in application,
soils, urea is one of the top fertilizers for acidifying
on invest ment. E ach g ranu le cont ains
handling and doesn't damages
soils. For gardeners who grow crops like corn,
conventional and slow release technology to
fertilizer application implements so
strawberries, blueberries and other heavy
provide a consistent and sustained Nitrogen
better for large land holding where big
nitrogen feeders, urea will supply immediate and
release pattern. e slow release Nitrogen bring
and sophisticated machinery is used .
powerful applications of nitrogen.
real bene ts for biomass development and stress
7.
8.
Ammonium nitrogen is better
tolerance. e granules are formulated to allow
av a i l a b l e i n g r a nu l a r u re a i n
even distribution at low rates of application.
comparison to prilled urea.
Under no circumstances should urea or urea-
In stress (biotic/abiotic) condition
based fertilizer be seed-placed with corn.
8. Increased crop yield for West African crops:
granular urea have better fertilizer use
Blending urea with other fertilizers: Urea and
Economic for the farmers as they use 10% less
efficiency
9.
etc. (be crop speci c on recommended quantities: Cash crops: Cotton, Rice (rain and on deep water), Palm oil, Cocoa, Maize, Banana,
fertilizers containing urea can be blended quite
10. Granular urea can be blended easily with other solid fertilizers. 11. Due to hygroscopic nature prilled
Cashew and other food crops.
urea needs excellent storage facilities
Plant Physiology: Plants take up nitrogen from
and deteriorate in quality fast,
readily with mono-ammonium phosphate (1152-0) or di-ammonium phosphate (18-46-0). Urea should not be blended with superphosphates unless applied shortly aer.
soil in the mineral forms of nitrogen, both
Granular urea is less hygroscopic can
ammonium and nitrate before converting it to
be stored in average storage facilities
By Dr. Balbir Singh, Indorama Fertilizers,
plant protein nitrogen. Plants vary in their
and better for developing and
preference to utilize either form of nitrogen.
emerging economy countries where
Nitrate is considered the main source because it
storage facilities are not advanced.
Basingh@indorama.com.ng , Mob. +2349087070009
is more mobile in the soil. On addition to soil, urea dissolves into soil solution and is converted to ammonium and then to nitrate.
Advantages of Granular Urea over Prilled Urea: 1.
Granular urea supply nitrogen for a large period as per the crop requirement and it's a slow release fertilizer with consistent nitrogen supply to crops.
2.
Releases nitrogen consistently for long lasting action, by research it has been proved; granular urea is more efficient
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[81] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services
How much fuel are you losing to thieves? ere's no question that fuel is a big expense for
enlightened alarm was not capable enough to
be installed into their trucks, not affecting any
every eet. On average it accounts for around
prevent auto the and also they were very
warranty issues.
30% of total expenses, with many sizable eets
expensive. Elaborating on the dangers of poor management
spending millions of dollars every week on fuel. at's why fuel the and unauthorized fuel
MD Diesel Guard- Diesel the and how to
purchases could be hurting your business more
prevent it
than you realize. You invest a lot of trust in your
systems, Peter Stubbe, MD Diesel Guard states: “Disorganised companies are losing millions of
“With the ever-increasing fuel prices, it is a
rand to diesel the and other shortcomings, and
drivers, but unfortunately some of them may not
given that fuel and diesel the is very much on
are most likely not even aware of it. It is, in most
reward that trust with responsible behaviour. As
the increase, costing the industry millions.
cases, ignorance and a 'we know it all' attitude. It is
a eet manager it's important to have backup
ieves have become very ingenious in their
all good and well to have a satellite tracking system
systems in place to make sure your eet is not
methods and most anti-siphoning devices
installed or a sophisticated Fleet Management
paying more than it has to for one of its major
cannot do the job as advertised because most of
System monitoring every movement of a vehicle,
operating expenses — fuel.
them still allow vast amounts of diesel to be
but who has the capacity to monitor a eet of 200
siphoned freely! Electronic monitoring devices
plus trucks 24/7/365 ?
In recent years many survey companies revealed
like e-fuelling are a good admin tool, but
that parked vehicle the and fuel the are
nothing else. ese devices cannot prevent
increasing at appalling rate across the whole
diesel the at all.”
word, then people commenced to make use of
Major Southern African
recent months due to ignoring basic checks and eet owners and
the control system in their vehicle and vehicle
operators make use of the products to combat
owner's relay on alarm system to protect their
diesel the effectively and a number of OEMs
vehicle from being the, but even the most
have approved the Diesel Guard components to
November - December 2017
A number of transport businesses went under in
[82] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
balances to monitor performances within their business. "To effectively protect their liquid assets www.farmersreviewafrica.com
How much fuel are you losing to thieves?
operators need to install not only a rst-class
Products & Services
have competent staff in place to execute the
anti-siphon device to the tanks, but also take
entire monitoring chain of events and
care of other weak spots in a fuel system,
processes."
namely the breather valves, sender units and fuel lines, which need protection by installing
Stubbe concludes: “My advice to transport
covers and non-removable drain plugs, etc.
operators is that they should start listening
“It is important to check the on-board systems
seriously to specialists who have the knowledge
regularly and check the fuel quantity indicator
and competence to provide advice on how to
for accuracy by taking dip stick readings to
combat diesel the in a professional manner.
double check functionality of the system or to see
ey should take the time and listen carefully to
if somebody has tampered with it.
what is said and see what products are available on the market that provide all-round protection.
"orough administrative rules and regulations,
Insist on physically holding the products in
including departure checklists, should be in
your hand, and
nd out why one unit has
p l a c e . We t s t o c k m a n a g e m e nt c a n b e
double the price tag over another one. ere is
problematic if not properly controlled and
a reason. But the biggest problem at company
monitored by using video surveillance and
level is ignorance."
recordings, including returning fuel amounts and fuel dispensed. But the main problem is to
www.dieselguard-gauteng.com info@dieselguard-Gauteng.com
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[83] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services
AGCO - Combine and forage harvesters e MF2168 rice and grain harvester is simple
Valtra
One of the highlights of this machine is the
to operate, reliable and dependable. Its tough 4
Valtra offers a range of combine harvesters to
comfort of the cabin. e low operating cost is
cylinder engine economically drives an efficient
suit the need of medium-sized professional
also an important feature, since all components
threshing mechanism that delivers grain to
farmers.
and assemblies are designed and selected for
either a hopper with unloading auger or a
maximum performance and durability.
bagging system. e tracked drive keeps the
e hybrid combines are engineered for
units working in even the worst harvesting
optimum performance in grain and rice. is
e only hybrid combine harvester in the market
new class of combine harvesters combines
developed for grains.
conditions.
simplicity and robustness with efficiency and e MF7240 Activa offers no-nonsense
versatility.
Challenger
harvesting. Providing exceptional economy and
e Challenger range of rotary combines is
low running costs, the versatile MF Activa combines are aimed at owners/operators with smaller to medium-sized arable areas offering high-performance and reliable machines. With a range of options and headers to choose from, the MF32 Combine will guarantee optimum output and minimum losses in a wide range of crops, including rice, maize, soya beans and cereals. A modern cab with enhanced controls and visibility reduces operator fatigue and helps to increase output during long harvesting days.
November - December 2017
[84] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
AGCO - Combine and forage harvesters
Products & Services
designed to provide maximum productivity and efficiency for large scale professional farmers. e harvesters are powered by AGCO Power 6 and 7 cylinder engines. ese Class 6-8 machines are designed to boost performance while enhancing grain threshing quality. e engine is positioned in line with the rotor, therefore only 2 belts are needed to drive the rotor. e result is exceptional fuel efficiency. e unique self-cleaning V-cool system gets rid of t h e rot ar y s c re e n t hu s m i n i m i z i ng maintenance while ensuring maximum cooling capacity. e operator environment is optimized for ease-of-use, comfort and visibility. Technology packages include Auto-guide and telemetry. About AGCO AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and related services. products are sold through
AGCO
ve core brands,
Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Va lt r a ® , supp or te d by Fu s e ® pre c i s i on technologies and farm optimization services, and are distributed globally through a combination of approximately 3,000 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2016, AGCO had net sales of $7.4 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For nancial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[85] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services
Trimble Introduces GFX-750 display system for agriculture applications Trimble has introduced the Trimble GFX-750
wireless options including Bluetooth , Wi-Fi
ecosystem.
display system for agriculture applications,
and BroadR-Reach high-speed
Abe Hughes, general manager of Trimble's
aiming to provide farmers with more robust
communications, seamless communication
agriculture division, said, “is integrated system,
signal availability to ensure more active working
from tractor to farm equipment through Field-
plus the implement control solutions offered by
time, especially in hilly terrain
IQ basic or ISOBUS control, ability to connect to
Müller-Elektronik, a Trimble C ompany,
e display system comes with the roof-
signal corrections including CenterPoint RTK,
continues to deliver on our vision to provide a
mounted NAV-900 guidance controller which
CenterPoint VRS, Trimble RTX technology and
uni ed platform that seamlessly connects the
features Trimble's multi-constellation GNSS
SBAS through the NAV-900 controller,
hardware and soware needs of farmers
receiver.
c omp at ibi l it y w it h Tr i mbl e Autopi l ot
worldwide.”
e high-resolution 10.1-inch display aims to
automated guidance systems for both hydraulic
“is comprehensive display system can enable
work with tractors and is ISOBUS-compatible, a
and electric installations and interoperability
farmers to more easily adopt precision agriculture
universal communication protocol. ISOBUS
with Trimble Ag soware to support the needs
solutions across their farm, regardless of vehicle
aims to allow one display or terminal to control
of the farm management across the farming
make, model or year,” Hughes added.
several implements and machines, regardless of m a n u f a c t u r e r. It f u r t h e r f o c u s e s o n standardising the control settings, reducing downtime and minimising installation and interface challenges and simplifying data exchange and machine control. e announcement was made at AgroComplex, an international agribusiness exhibition held in Kiev in Ukraine. e company said that the GFX-750 display will also be showcased at the upcoming Agritechnica show which will be held in Hanover from 13-17 November 2017. e features of the display system include exible connectivity between devices through integrated November - December 2017
[86] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Products & Services
Kubota L45 a natural choice for 2Hire In a capital investment decision the owner terms
Kubota L45 seemed a natural choice.”
a 'natural choice', 2Hire, a Western Cape-based
2Hire dug its way into the plant hire business
with the effects of the res and apart from cleaning
plant hire company, has taken delivery of a new
back in 2006 and currently has three hire
and clearing, it is also being used to load 2Hire's
Kubota L45 TLB from Carlu Trekkers, the
branches in the Garden Route, situated in
tipper truck hauling demolition waste. Once all
e Kubota L45 was speci cally sourced to deal
authorised distributor of Smith Power
Knysna, as well as George and Mossel Bay. A
the demolition is done, the L45 will be deployed to
Equipment, the sole importer of the Kubota
service-orientated business with its eyes on
dig foundations and assist with the rebuilding of
mainly the building and civil construction
the properties.
range of equipment in South Africa.
markets, 2Hire specialises in the rental of small e downside of unreliable plant hire equipment
gear, including 3-tonne sit-on rollers,
Key considerations
is two-way. For the end-user, unplanned
pedestrian rollers, compressors, mini-
One of the key drivers in 2Hire opting for the
downtime translates into project delays, while
excavators and typical hand-held compaction
Kubota L45 was its compact size that allows it to
for the plant hire company, faulty gear is
and demolition gear, among others.
be operated in smaller areas, especially inside
Recently, the company decided to add a TLB to
access.
its existing eet. Without much deliberation, a
Iando Minnie of Carlu Trekkers, explains that the
tantamount to channelling both potential pro ts and reputation down the drain.
buildings, where conventional TLBs are unable to
Having been in the plant hire business since
decision to buy a Kubota L45 was reached. In its
L45's 3,2-tonne operating weight makes it a lot
2006, 2Hire, a plant hire company that specialises
rst assignment, the TLB was deployed to clean
lighter than most TLB offerings in the market. “It
in the rental of compaction equipment, is well
and clear rubble in the Knysna area following
is not as heavy. It is narrow and a lot compact that
aware of the dangers of compromising quality
the devastating res that wreaked havoc in the
it can t easily into buildings, tting the bill for
when it comes to selection of equipment.
area in June this year, destroying hundreds of
building contractors, landscapers and property
Consequently, when the company recently
properties. e total damage to properties was
developers. is machine is also ideal for civil
scouted for a tractor loader backhoe (TLB),
an estimated R5 billion in a tragedy that saw 700
contractors and rental companies. e versatility
settling for a Kubota L45 became a “natural
homes and other structures destroyed by the
also leans it perfectly to farm use,” says Minnie.
choice”. To sustain a hire business, buying a
runaway res.
quality product is non-negotiable. For 2Hire, the
Clearing efforts are well under way in the area.
November - December 2017
[88] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
e L45 is said to be a radical redesign and www.farmersreviewafrica.com
Products & Services The L45's 3,2-tonne opera ng weight makes it a lot lighter than most TL...
upgrade of the previous model. e real game
resulting in smo other, more p owerful
features a four-point quick-mount attach/detach
changer on this machine is the new Kubota HST
performance, while maintaining the superb fuel
system, allowing the backhoe to be removed and
Plus hydrostatic transmission which replaces the
consumption.
installed easily.
Several other features on the L45 are geared at
record in the area in terms of greater parts supply
conventional Glide Shi transmission (GST) on the predecessor model, the well-known L39. e
Apart from product quality, Carlu Trekkers' track
L45 is also powered by a four-cylinder Kubota
increasing the machine's uptime. e simple to
and overall aermarket support was another key
diesel engine which generates 45 gross
use quick coupler on the front loader offers easy
factor in 2Hire's buying decision. “As we have
horsepower (hp), compared with the 3 cylinder,
on/off for buckets with no need for any tools, but
learnt over the years, a product is only as good as
39 hp on the previous model. With 1,6t of
only mounting pins and hose couplers. is
the support you receive from the dealer. Once
breakout force, the L45 has a liing capacity of 1 t
allows the operator to move onto the next task in
again, it seemed a natural choice to go with Carlu
at a maximum liing height of 2,8 m. e
a matter of minutes, reducing downtime related
Trekkers.”
hydraulic pump ow has been increased by 12%,
to changing of attachments. e backhoe also
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[89] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Products & Services crush, also commonly referred to as a squeeze chute or standing stock. It is purpose built for holding cattle or other live stock and is another place PT Limited load cells are frequently used. Squeeze chutes are oen made by farmers and our LCSB load cell with swivel feet is regularly installed to accurately weigh cattle/livestock. A digital indicator such as the PT272 is oen paired with this type of installation as it features an IP rating and is enclosed in a rugged stainless steel case, perfect for daily use on the farm where it may be subject to rain and muddy ngers. Another agricultural application where load cells are usually found are grain silos and hoppers. Our world class Accupoint is ideal when a low pro le solution is needed.
Weighing for Agriculture and Farming
e Accupoint Weigh Module incorporates an unparalleled level of protection for load cells and maintains performance speci cations, improves safety whilst reducing load cell damage and plant down-time. Each is a self contained weigh point have both
Weighing plays an important role in the
particular job needs careful thought and
upli and side restraint built-in, the installation of
Agricultural and Farming products industry.
evaluation. And as with any capital investment,
which only requires bolting the Accupoint Weigh
Whether tracking arable yields, managing feed
it's always best to get professional advice to nd
Module into place. Completely manufactured in
ingredients and livestock performance, or
the most appropriate solution for your
stainless steel with special long life hardened
trading in raw agricultural produce such as
particular needs.
contact points the units will give years of high
wheat, rice, lentils/pulses, sugar-cane, tea or
Weighing solutions take away the guesswork
precision weighing with minimal maintenance.
spices, weighing is critical to your bottom line.
and provide farmers with a powerful tool for
Alternatively, the CSC3 Load Cell with type 2
If you are in farming or have an agricultural
optimising land-use. Accuracy and reliability
heavy duty restraint mount kit is great for tall
based business, you understand the importance
however, are crucial factors when choosing a
hoppers. It is an excellent selection for many
of weighing your produce accurately. Having
weighing system for your farm and you should
hostile environments due to its welded heavy-
dependable scales allows you to carry out high-
partner with an experienced supplier of
duty stainless steel construction and wide range of
volume weight measurements with ease,
agricultural weighing equipment which has an
weighing capacities, coupled with a quality IP68
especially during the peak of the harvest season
in-depth understanding of the farming
protection rating and inbuilt surge protection.
or when you receive huge orders from your
industry.
PT Limited offer a wide range of compatible digital instrumentation. From basic digital
customers. PT Global
indicators that display only through to advanced
important in the agricultural industry and many
PT Limited load cells are popular in the
models with built in features such as pro net,
farmers have recognised the very valuable role
agricultural industry. eir shear beam load
ethernet, pro bus etc. Choose from analog and
that it plays in helping them to better manage
cells are commonly used in feed out systems;
digital output options, together with basic
their operations.
they are oen found under the tray or deck of
automation via outputs from relay triggers where
Digital technology is becoming increasingly
One area where technology has been a true
trailers and are used to monitor the amount of
needed.
business enabler for farmers is in the eld of
feed being deposited for stock. ey are also
We've got you covered with everything you need
weighing systems such as weighbridges,
used in similar designs for fertiliser spreaders.
for a complete weigh system, from load cells and
weighing scales and product inspection
A load cell that is commonly used, is the PT5100
accessories to read only screens right through to
equipment, which despite their oen rugged and
shear beam, a quality stainless steel load cell,
full systems connected via today's common
remote locations, consistently produce accurate
welded sealed to IP68 for use in demanding
factory automation protocols to PLC and internet
and precise measurements thanks to their
environmental conditions or where peace of
based automated systems.
advanced design.
mind from a long life of demanding use is
PT Ltd is an ISO 9001 accredited manufacturer
But whilst there's no doubt that weighing
desired.
and has been designing and engineering
systems have become essential equipment on
Other farming equipment can also bene t from
measurement solutions for the weighing industry
many farms, choosing the right solution for your
having weigh systems installed, such as the cattle
from Auckland, New Zealand since 1979.
November - December 2017
[90] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
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Products & Services
Sperm Warmer: Key Gadget for Dairy Farmers Dairy farming in Zambia is moving into the
attributed the traditional methods that small
because it precisely gives you the temperature
future as more farmers incorporate automated
scale farmers use to inseminate their animals
reading and it maintains this particular
technologies in their operations.
which do not guarantee the results as the semen
temperature at all levels that this is a required
Individual Farmers may have common
get destroyed due to lack of tools and technical
body temperature at 37 which should not be
expectations on why they opt to rear cattle in
know-how of the procedure.
exceeded or below because its at that particular
order to bene t from products such as beef or
“e major reasons why Small scale farmers
temperature that conception is likely to happen. It
milk. Others raise cows for breeding purposes
have low conception rate due to the quality of
is also a good potable gadget that you can move
while some keep cattle for prestige whereas
their animals in terms of feeding. is means
about in the eld due to the 8 hours it has to
others do so in readiness to pay 'Lobola' or bride
that they are not able to keep their animals
continue working aer charging especially for
price for their family members.
healthy. e other factor is their traditional way
farmers who have various outdoor farms,” he
A thawing device commonly known as a Sperm
of inseminating their animals which does not
stated.
Warmer is a vital modern equipment meant to
guarantee the results and temperature is not well
Mr. Muzundu affirmed that livestock production
facilitate and regulate temperature for semen
regulated. For them, it is just guess work and
is big business and small scale farmers should
during Arti cial Insemination (AI) of cattle.
semen gets destroyed during the process of AI,”
treat it as such and not leave it to their commercial
And arti cial insemination has the potential to
Mr. Muzundu said.
counterparts.
improve quality of cattle by bringing in desired
“e other cause is lack of skills for small scale
“We can only safely say that commercial livestock
genes which small holder farmers can
farmers to detect the exact period when their
farmers are the ones able to manage the sector as
signi cantly double their livestock production
animals are on heat whether it is mild or not.
they have the capacity to maintain quality feeding
and increase household income.
ere is a period when the animal is supposed to
of their animals and because of that they have
Despite the availability of water, green pasture,
be on mild heat and when it becomes mild, that's
higher production rate,” he said.
and vast land at 752,000 square kilometres,
when insemination is supposed to be done.
“Livestock is serious farming; we want to reach to
Zambia realistically is not doing well in terms of
Again, for small scale farmers they just assume
a certain level where production becomes high for
its cattle population which is slightly over 3.5
during this period. Guess work again lowers the
all farmers including the small and medium scale
million as compared to a lucrative livestock
conception rate. Furthermore, small scale
farmers in the country by embracing such
industry in Botswana which is a desert and has a
farmers fail to select quality straw semen
technologies of the Sperm Warmer which would
total cattle population of 2.5 million.
required to attain the needed conception rate.”
give them a guaranteed result in terms of
“Currently, it is worrying to note that the
It is for these reasons highlighted above that a
conception.”
conception rate of cattle belonging to small scale
Sperm Warmer device comes in very handy to
In his national budget speech on November 11
farmers in the country has signi cantly gone
mitigate the challenges small scale farmers face
2016, Finance minister Felix Mutati pledged that
down,” says Christopher Muzundu, an expert in
in the sector.
the government would continue with
Livestock production.
Mr Muzundu bubbled with con dence that the
construction of 18 arti cial insemination centres
Mr. Muzundu who is also director for Agri-Cm
gadget is precisely made to give the farmer a
country wide in order to enhance the livestock
Investments limited a company that distributes
correct temperature reading and maintains the
sector.
feed supplements; premix and animal health
particular temperature at all levels at a required
However, it is yet to be established whether this
products cited poor feeding as one of the major
level which is 37 degrees centigrade which
project has kicked off or it was just one of those
reasons why the low conception rate of cattle is
cannot be exceeded or below because it is at that
plain political rhetoric aimed at drawing farmers'
widespread.
level that conception is to take place.
attention.
In an exclusive interview, Mr. Muzundu further
“e sperm warmer device comes in very handy
By Derrick Silimina
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
[91] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za
Events
Patrick Phillander was the fastest male runner in the grueling 15km trail run in a me of 01:16:07.
R130 000 is raised for local schools and old-age facilities by Tru-Cape sponsored Eselfontein MTB Fest and Trail Run e October Eselfontein MTB Festival and
Schulling in 02:38:24 and Giuseppo Pennisi in
Trail Run was such a success this year it raised
02:44:16.
three stages within 06:45:59 and also beat last
more than R130, 000 for local Ceres charities,
Suzanne Meyer-Nell was the fasted female
year's record of 07:20:31 achieving a bonus prize
completing the 40km in 03:07:31, followed by
of R30, 000.
R30, 000 more than hoped.
partnership, took rst place in completing the
Carla Du Toit in 03:16:15 and Nienke Mostert According to Janene Malherbe, h-generation
in 03:48:39.
Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the largest exporter
grower of the Tru-Cape apple and pear farm
Patrick Phillander was the fastest male runner
of South African apples and pears, many of
Eselfontein, in the Warm Bokkeveld area of
in the gruelling 15km trail run in 01:16:07
which come from the Ceres valley, into more
Ceres in the Western Cape, the market
followed, seconds later, by Marqhuin Smit in
than 104 countries, says its support of the
atmosphere and entertainment offering this
01:16:22 and Ryno Adams in01:20:32.
Eselfontein MTB is in line with healthy lifestyle
year meant that participants and supporters
e rst three fastest women were Daniel
events that also raise funds for local charities
spent longer at the farm and spent more money
Feldman clocking 01:20:04, Arnosjca Santana
like the schools and homes for the aged to which
at the vendors who also donated 10% of their
in 01:30:20 and Chrisna Du Toit in 01:30:42.
proceeds towards the local schools and homes
the Eselfontein MTB has contributed R130, 000. “Tru-Cape congratulates Deon and Janene
for the aged. “e Eselfontein MTB is the most
In the Eselfontein three-stage MTB which
Malherbe on another successful event,”
affordable MTB on the race calendar and also
included a perilous night ride, Jean de Villiers
Managing Director Roelf Pienaar ends.
features some of the most challenging single
completed the three stages in 07:08:26 while
track and downhill descents that always stretch
Esther Lategan, the fasted female solo rider in
By Brian Berkman
riders to their limits,” Malherbe says.
the three-stage, achieved a time of 09:47:44.
083 441 8765
In the October 14, one-day event, Jacques Steyn
e Breedenet team of Matthew Keyser and
BB@BRIANBERKMAN.COM
came rst in the 40km MTB in 02:34:45, Bob
Charl-Pierre Esterhuyse, although a late
On behalf of: Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing
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[93] FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA
November - December 2017
Events
Advertisers’ index 02 POLTEK 03 SHRI NAVKAR METALS 07 ALL POWER 21 AGRITEC AFRICA 25 KSB 31 BUSCHHOFF 32 TORMAC PUMPS 36 PERRY 38 ICT INTERNATIONAL 42 LE LUBRICANTS 36 JOHN DEERE 47 INTERTEK 59 INTREPID TRIO 61 MANDOVAL
November - December 2017
63 SCHNUPP’S GRAIN ROASTING 58 MASCOR 66 GUNDLE API 67 ORAV GROUP 69 TOMRA 72 KARCHER 75 RUBENA 78 MASCOR 83 DIESEL GUARD GAUTENG 87 TRIMBLE AGRICULTURE 92 AGRICO 95 JOHN DEERE 96 CHARRIAU
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