ProAgri Zambia 20 by ProAgri

ProAgri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a

No 20

Free

Stanbic mitigates farmers' risks

BONNOX introduces Economy range

spreads wealth

There is only ONE Bonnox If you doubt whether you are being offered genuine fencing, confirm with us. FLEXI FENCE RINGLOK®

® HINGEJOINT HI

Photo: Cottondale Game Ranch

zane@bonnox.co.za | gerda@bonnox.co.za | linda@bonnox.co.za www.bonnox.co.za | +27 (0)12-666-8717 | +27 (0)76-169-9068

Cover

Letter from the Editor

AFGRI identified a need for proper fertiliser spreading and now supply the very sophisticated Amazone fertiliser spreaders. Read on page 34 how accurately these implements can put down fertiliser.

ProAgri technology for the farmer

xciting times are upon us with the launch of the recent Zambian Grain Futures Contract which makes grain trading an easy and inexpensive reality for Zambian farmers. The products are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa, which works in cooperation with ZAMCE (Zambian Commodities Exchange). From now on, farmers can hedge their grain in dollars to trade or sell it at a later stage when the price suits them. Standard 10 tonne contracts on maize, soy beans and wheat are available where Lusaka is the trade reference point. Bird flu is in the air and has struck a few countries around us, but fortunately no local cases were reported yet – touch wood! Zambia has been bombarded with political excitement over the past few months and we are all holding

Content

our breaths. As stated so many times before, agriculture and business need stability to flourish and to create and establish the progress politicians are promising us. Politicians should always consider the needs of the people who feed the nation and keep the economy running. We welcome Zainab Pandor as our new journalist and sales consultant. This month, you can read about an exciting new Economy range of wire fending from Bonnox and everything on the recent Stanbic road show. Saro shows us their latest generator technology and Pilates and Danatrack offer vehicles and machines to dream of. Farm smartly! Du Preez de Villiers dupreez@proagri.co.za

Handling of beef cattle: Part 10

Bonnox supplies just what you need – quick as a flash

Alexswill Bonsmara Stud oﬀers top animals

Agritech is still fresh in the mind

Danatrack supports all farmers all the way

Pilatus will get and keep you rolling

Generator or solar: You can depend on non-stop power with Saro

Opportunities beckon with Stanbic

Soil: The farmer’s most important asset: Part 17

ETG: Your soil will flourish with N-guard urea

AFGRI: Spread and spray with the best

ProAgri Zambia 20

Z a m b i a

Oﬃce no. 3 Fens Investment Building Lusaka Show Grounds

+26 (0)96-216-9801 www.proagri.co.za

Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. No material, text or photographs may be reproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or of the editor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their respective owners. ProAgri shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon.

ProAgri Zambia Editor Du Preez de Villiers > +27 82-598-7329 dupreez@proagri.co.za General Manager Zambia Quintus Grobler > +26 (0)96-216-9801 quintus@proagri.co.za Reporters Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za Benine Cronjé > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Reporter/marketing: Zainab Pandor > +26 (0)97-769-9786 zainab@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Stefan van Wyk > +27 82-381-7563 stefan@agritrader.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 79-531-0024 tiny@proagri.co.za Design Esta van Niekerk Enquiries Lize du Plooy > +27 12-803-0667 lize@proagri.co.za Engela Botha > +27 12-803-0667 engela@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Keet > +27 12-803-0667 accounts@proagri.co.za Distribution Du Preez de Villiers > +27 12-803-0667 dupreez@proagri.co.za.co.za Business manager George Grobler

info@agriserveagro.com +26 096-976-7272 Willem van Zyl Willem@agriserveagro.com +26 096-562-0775

ProAgri Zambia 20

How to handle your beef cattle

Part 10: Planning and design of individual facilities Feed trough

e thank the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering in South Africa who made their manual on handling facilities available to the readers of ProAgri Zambia. Feeding pens Although interior feeding pen systems hold definite benefits, the lower cost associated with an open pen system is usually the conclusive factor and therefore very little interest is shown in other types of housing in Africa. The cattle are kept in limited areas where they receive carefully formulated rations and can be rounded off as fast as possible for slaughter. In some foreign countries, the double line trough lay-out is more prominent because it is a compact and cheaper system. This system, however, causes drainage problems and in Southern Africa a single line feedlot lay-out is used generally. Figure 1 shows such a typical single line trough lay-out. Site incline A moderate incline of between 1% and

ProAgri Zambia 20

Feed trough

Concrete slab

125 ca le

more than 5 000 cattle are fed, larger pens can be considered, up to 500 cattle per pen. Although larger pens save on material costs, it makes handling of cattle more difficult.

5 600

27 000

Line pole Water trough Slope

Concrete slab

Slope

15 000

Ca le drive alley

Feed Road

5 700

Feedlots are the epitome of intensive handling of commercial cattle. Each individual component of a feedlot facility must be well thought-out and designed. Last month we started a new section, namely commercial cattle handling and how to choose an adequate site. This month we start discussing the lay-out of some of the most important components. We focus on feeding troughs and shading.

Standard 3,5 gate 3 500

Standard 3,5 gate

Figure 1: Single line trough lay-out. 6% should keep trough areas dry and will be acceptable to the animals. Such an incline will also drain well, without allowing an excess of solid manure to run off during a flood. A single line trough is therefore placed parallel to the contours so that the pens can drain vertically against contours and in one direction only, away from the troughs. Pen sizes The sizes of the pens are determined by the number of cattle in a group and the surface of trough space allowed per animal. The accepted practice is to place about 100 to 200 cattle per pen. Depending on the average rainfall in the area, about 8 to 15 mÂ˛ of pen space is allowed per animal. Pens must be large enough so that a front-end loader can move comfortably and a truck can turn when the pen is being cleaned. Thus, a minimum width of 20 m is recommended. A disadvantage of a smaller pen is that the material cost per square metre is higher. If

Feeding troughs A minimum trough length of 150 mm per animal is needed if young animals are fed at will. Older animals need a longer trough length. The recommended trough length in adaption pens is 300 mm and these are also shallower. Figure 2 shows a typical feeding trough lay-out. A feeding trough inner width of 600 mm is ideal for the maximum basin measurement, as it also allows young animals to eat everywhere. The bottom must preferably be rounded so that animals can easily eat it clean and it will also prevent feed from remaining in corners and rotting. If the feed is divided into two or three feedings per day and control is exercised over the quantities supplied, troughs will be eaten clean each time. The bottom of the trough must preferably be 150 mm above the standing level of the animal with the feeding sidewall 400 mm from the standing level, while the roadside wall must be 600 mm high from the animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standing level. This is high enough for prevention of feed wastage and low enough to ensure mechanical feed supply. The sloped sides help to always bring the feed as close as possible to the animals. A problem found at feeding troughs is that cattle climb into or fall into troughs. This can however be prevented in different ways. Figures 3 and 4 show a typical solution.

BEEF FEEDING

Figure2: Feeding trough lay-out. The upper cable is fixed, while the lower cable can move in a steel frame. When cattle feed, they press the cable forward in the frame and the cable usually remains in position. When an animal, especially a young one, falls into a trough, it is easy to take it out,

concrete slab in front of the trough prevents trampling and keeps the animals dry so that they can feed in comfort. The slab must be coarse to prevent animals from slipping. The slab is scrubbed clean weekly and must be as wide as the scraper blade, approximately 3 m. The slab on the side of the feeding path only needs to be about one meter wide. This is to prevent the feed wagon from treading out the path and to create a level surface

where a grader is used, to scrape away the manure directly next to the trough. In order to limit the cost of maintenance, heavy duty gates should be used. There is disagreement on the construction of a roof over the feeding trough. It is expensive to construct, but it protects the feed against rainy weather and provides shade for the cattle. Cattle like to lie in the shade and this sometimes prevents the less dominant cattle from feeding. If heat is really a problem, shade structures can be erected elsewhere in the pen, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows a typical solution for a roof over a trough. If the roof is erected, the roof supports must be placed in such a way that they will not hamper the mechanical off-loading of feed or manure scraping on the concrete slab.

Figure 6: Roof over feeding trough. Next month we shall look at the planning and design of water troughs, fencing and gates.

Figure 3: Feeding trough with movable steel cable.

Published with acknowledgement to the AR Institute for Agricultural Engineering for the use of their Beef Cattle Handling Manual. Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.

by simply pushing the cable back and upwards. Another possibility is to use a pipe instead of a cable. The pipe is welded in the foremost position of the cable and the frame is replaced by a single horizontal pipe as shown in Figure 4. Troughs may be built of bricks and plastered, or can be cast with concrete. A concrete slab must preferably be cast on both sides of the trough. The

NoseRing • Wean with ease • No stress • Next to the mother

Figure 5: Shade provided separately.

Figure 4: Feeding trough with single horizontal pipe ProAgri Zambia 20

for the feed wagon for even feed action. It is wise to lay the slab as one strip and building the trough on it. The thickness of the concrete slab varies from 75 to 100 mm and must have a slight drop away from the trough. The feeding trough must have a drop in the longitudinal slope with a drainage opening for rain water or washing water to run off. It is advisable to put up gates at the concrete slab between the different pens, as it will simplify mechanical manure removal. It is also convenient,

Whole Concepts cc PO Box 1806, Vryburg,8600, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)53 927 4999 Cell: +27 (0)82 459 9451 E-mail: judy@nosering.co.za www.nosering.co.za

There is only ONE Bonnox We

with the punches...

How good is your “defence”?

FLEXI FENCE RINGLOK®

HINGEJOINT®

Economy range is available now If you doubt whether you are being offered genuine

With

fencing, confirm with us.

you score between the h posts!

zane@bonnox.co.za | gerda@bonnox.co.za | linda@bonnox.co.za www.bonnox.co.za | +27 (0)12-666-8717 | +27 (0)76-169-9068

Efficient fencing that lasts:

BONNOX supplies just what you need – quick as a flash by Du Preez de Villiers

With their new ‘Economy’ range, Bonnox found a balance between costs and quality.

Whether you order lightly galvanised or fully galvanised wire fencing from Bonnox, the quality and workmanship is excellent . With Bonnox, you score between the posts ! Bonnox is well renowned for their quality and fully galvanised fencing. Already, many farmers are aware of Bonnox’s range of fine products: The “Money Saver”, “Close Mesh”, “Kombi Fence”, “Square Mesh”, “Multi Fence” and “Flexi Fence” were all meticulously designed to provide for every possible need. But what sets a manufacturer apart from the rest, is the ability to promptly observe and react to new trends and needs in the market. The prefabricated fencing market in Africa currently needs a product which is inexpensive, as farmers are currently required to be thrifty with their A

money. Therefore, Bonnox decided to introduce their “Economy “ range. The only difference between this fencing and their existing “Elite“ range, is that it is lightly galvanised instead of fully galvanised. Now a farmer can compare “apples with apples" when comparing Bonnox with competitors’ fencing products. “There are lightly galvanised wire fences on the market, but many of our clients ask for it under the Bonnox brand name,” says Anita Gent, Director of Bonnox. “We therefore decided to also manufacture an economical version of the nine most popular products in our range of seventy products. This includes the “Money Saver”, “Close

B Two of Bonnox’s innovative prefabricated fencing designs are the (A) Ringlok® for sloping or uneven gradients and (B) Hingejoint® for the remainder of the fencing range.

ProAgri Zambia 20

Mesh” and “Multi Fence” ranges of 1,2 m, 1,8 m and 2,4 m. This offers the farmer an inexpensive solution of fencing for his stock, small and large game. In areas where the effects of the elements are not very harsh on wire fencing, this inexpensive Bonnox will still last for many years, but fully galvanised Bonnox is still recommended for areas where the elements affect fences more severely. As the “Elite” and “Economy” ranges look exactly the same, the labels on the existing “Elite” range are green while those on the economical range are royal blue. The price of the economy range is only 75% of the price for the existing range, but it is still being manufactured with the same Bonnox meticulousness and care, the wire still being from the same supplier. Skip the middleman “Any farmer can order our products directly from our factory in Sunderland Ridge, south of Pretoria, to simplify logistics and cut costs. This also means that the farmer can gain the best advice and support directly from the manufacturer,” Anita says. Bonnox makes sure that there is minimal or no lead time at the factory. Bonnox keeps stock of approximately 70 different fencing varieties to suit every customer’s requirements. Bonnox is continuously looking for ways to accommodate the farmer. “For every ten rolls of fencing a farmer buys, he gets one free,” she says. “On top of that, we offer a 25% discount. Bonnox also provides erecting equipment at competitive prices which makes fence erection a simple matter. Contact Bonnox’s friendly sales team to discuss your fencing needs. Their numbers are +27 (0)76-169-9068 or + 27 (0)12666-8717. You may also send them an e-mail to gerda@bonnox.co.za or linda@bonnox.co za or zane@bonnox.co.za, or visit their website at www.bonnox.co.za. 9

Alexswill Bonsmara Stud

he Alexswill Bonsmara Stud began 23 years ago (1994) with the purchase of 10 pregnant stud cows and a bull from Johan Breugem, a breeder in Polokwane (formarly Pietersburg), South Africa. This was the preferred area because of the similar environmental conditions (i.e. Climate and diseases etc.) to those of Zambia. (One must remember certain parts of South Africa do not have Heartwater and Redwater disease and only dip three times a year). The animals arrived by train after a five day journey, they were in fact the first Bonsmaras to be exported North of the Limpopo river. In Zambia at that time, little was known about the Bonsmara breed, but from our experience it became evident that their ability to adapt to our conditions was very encouraging. As a result, further purchases were made from Andrew Mckechnie of Polokwane and Derek Ivy of Munnick providing an

ProAgri Zambia 20

additional 28 pregnant cows. Today the Alexswill herd comprises of approximately 400 breeding cows in different stages of production and what stands out most about this herd is the uniformity, smooth coats and the capacity of the animal. Coupled to this, their good temperament makes management easier and they are a pleasure to work with. Every year in August, the Alexswill

Production Sale takes place on the farm in Kalomo; this year the sale is on the 12th August and is a must see event! Over the past 23 years Bonsmara cattle have become better known in Zambia, as is evidenced by the establishment of more stud herds in recent years. The success of the Alexswill Bonsmara Stud ZAM 14-155 and herd in general, can be attributed to the strict selection process instilled by a very strong Breed Society. Copy supplied You can find more information on the breed, our Stud and some very informative articles on our website: www.alexswillbonsmaras.com

ProAgri Zambia 20

Many small-scale and emerging farmers were intrigued by the handheld fertiliser applicators and planters Michris Janse van Rensburg (right) from Backsavers demonstrated.

Agritech Show

is still fresh in the mind

We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t depart from the Agritech show just yet. There were too many exciting things happening to capture it in one edition, therefore, we decided to dedicate a few more pages to the show this month. At Agritech, the Czech Republic signed an investment deal in Zambia with their local agent, AgriServe Agro. They displayed their Zetor tractors, Farmet machinery, ZDT trailers, and PI fertiliser applicators and planters in their pavilion.

A variety of animals, young and old and big and small, entertained the visitors in the animal complex.

Leon Kotze from Stanbic Bank discussed their agricultural outlook with farmers during one of their workshops. ProAgri Zambia 20

Camco used one of their drones to demonstrate how a farmer can do chemical spot applications where there are diseases or a shortage of elements in his field. 13

Danatrac supports all farmers all the way by Du Preez de Villiers

Danatrac Limited displayed four of their sturdy and durable New Holland tractors from their range of smaller tractors at their stand at AgriTech.

“A real diehard is the New Holland Tractor in Mkushi which is still running after 20 years and they haven’t opened his engine yet. You will struggle to break a New Holland”

Holland adapted their headers to harvest maize and soybeans with the same header. They also manage to keep the spillage to a minimum, which is quite impressive.

Empower the emerging market Danatrac Limited enjoys hese are the words of Brian the support of big comWest, Business Manager of mercial farmers who Danatrac Limited, the New Holform the backbone of the land agents in Zambia. Brian is economy, but according very serious about these interto Brian the future of big nationally renowned agricultural Kennedy Banda, Workshop Manager, Dayan Mwenya, money is in the emergmachines. Danatrac Ltd is a ing agriculture. “If a 100% local company and is one Salesman, and Brian West, Business Manager from Danatrac Limited, are very proud of the tractor range farmer starts to work ten of seven divisions of the Dana which is handpicked for the Zambian market. hectares he can afford Holdings Group. Danatrac Ltd to buy into a TT45 New became agents for New Holland Holland 4x4 tractor with in 2012 and initially started as a a plough, harrow and other entry level small enterprise with a limited variety equipment." of tractors on their floor. However, Arable land expands and the today they offer the whole New Holland economy thrives, but the competition is range, which includes implements, strong out there. “Fortunately we have harvesters and tractors. Since the local a good footing because farmers realise market for the large machines such as that we are here for the long run. The harvesters is very small, they order it big problem in Africa is that people sell on request. New Holland has manuequipment and then disappear. This facturing plants all over the world, “but is not our way of doing business. We our strongest tractors come from India stand behind our clients by offering a and they are also the best sellers in good backup service to keep their maZambia. Our 4x4 TT490 has a 67 kW chines going for many years. Danatrac engine and is priced between 30% and Limited’s technicians drive 1 200 km to 40% under market trends. “Our most The 4x4 New Holland TT490 recently the north to service tractors. Service popular tractor is the 30 kW TT45 4x4 arrived in Zambia. is ingrained in our philosophy and part coming from India. Our 20 year old and parcel of our system. Only through runner in Mkushi is one of them. They hard work shall we gain the support seed and fertiliser,” Brian says. Farmare unstoppable,” Brian says. of small and medium scale farmers as ers are hesitant to support a supplier well.” until he proves that he can stand the Financing opens doors test of time. Up to August last year, In June last year, Danatrac Limited Danatrac Ltd had a tough time movUnstoppable equipment goes launched a financial facility through ing their stock, but from August up with unstoppable service. Contact Natsave Bank and the Public Services to December, they suddenly sold 47 Brian West at +26 (0)96-651Micro Finance Company. “Now it is units as confidence in the company 2375 or +26 (0)21-122-7672 or possible for farmers to purchase on increased. Since a combine harvester is send an e-mail to loan from banks and pay installments an expensive machine and stands idly brian.west@danagroup.co.zm. on their tractors and implements while in the shed for most of the year, New they still have cash in hand to buy

ProAgri Zambia 20

Agritech Show

Pilatus will keep you rolling by Annemarie Bremner

all-terrain, carrying up to 6 tonnes and 15 tonnes respectively. You get them as a truck or a crane version. It can go anywhere, lift anything, and you can even plough with it if you want to!” He says if a Saurer truck breaks, which rarely happens, a farmer can get all the parts he needs from Pilatus, or bring it to the well equipped workshop. Another interesting set of wheels on the Pilatus floor is the Geländewagen, which is also ex-Swiss army stock. “Geländewagen is actually a Mercedes, but in Switzerland they put the Puchlabel on it. There it is a joint venture between Steyr-Daimler-Puch and Mercedes,” explains Joe. In Zambia it is sold as a Mercedes and it is also the type of vehicle that can take you anywhere. Joe says: “We have a big showroom on Leopard Hill Road, with an excellent workshop, because things break, especially in Africa. Pilatus Zambia Limited does not forget about you once you buy a car from us. We provide reliable and professional after sales service, repairs and supply of accessories for your car.”

If you are searching for a reliable or special vehicle to keep you rolling, make sure you go down the Leopard Hill road in Lusaka to visit the showroom at the well-known Pilatus dealership. Col. Chanda Sosala, Joe Huwiler, Pilatus Owner, and Bernard Zimmerman, Joe’s friend visiting from Switzerland, in front of the Pilatus stand, where a 6x6 Saurer truck with a crane was holding the Mazda double cab pick-up in the air for the full duration of the show. The yellow Geländewagen is also very popular in Zambia.

ilatus has been around since 1981, starting off as a workshop with no specific brands. In 1983 Pilatus became a dealer for BMW, and it is still the place to go to if you want the latest model in Zambia. You can also order your BMW to your taste with all the factory fitted extras you can dream of. Farmers can also stop at Pilatus for reliable pick-ups for the farm, as they became agents for Mazda pick-ups in 1996. Recently at Agritech, Pilatus also showcased some of their Mazda models.

Rachel Mweeme and Matildah Tonga were the promo-girls in front of a BMW X-series.

Please contact Joe Huwiler, owner of Pilatus, at +260-977-616-115, or e-mail: joeh@pilatus.co.zm. Visit them in Leopard Hill road or their website www.pilatus-engineering.com.

The Saurer crane trucks can do almost any job on the farm. It can easily lift 20 tonnes.

Not your average car dealer At Pilatus you can also expect to see some special and unique vehicles, such as Saurer trucks. Joe says: “We import ex-army Saurer trucks from Switzerland. This is a 4x4 or 6x6 all-rounder, ProAgri Zambia 20

THE AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL SOCIETY OF ZAMBIA

WELCOMES YOU TO THE 91st AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL SHOW DATE: THEME:

August 2nd - 7th 2017 PROMOTING A

GREEN ECONOMY

Institutions and individuals can exhibit in Agricultural and Commercial products and services. We promote excellence in Agricultural and Commercial exhibits

To book exhibition space call: 0211 253 415/ +260 977 762 076 acsz@iconnect.co.zm Daily Entry Tickets: K25 Per Head Daily Arm Bands: K10 Per HeadAdult Society Membership ship p Badge Badge-K100 g -K ge-K K100 0

Adult Show Member Badge K120 g Exhibitors Badge-K150 JJu Junior un niio orr S Society o ie oc ety ty M Member Badge g K45

ProAgri Zambia 20

generator to send an e-mail all by itself to the farmer and to Saro if there is a problem or when it is due for maintenance. Another trend is parallel generators. “For example, during peak demand, a farmer might need 1 000 kVA and during off-peak times, only 250 kVA. If you have a single unit, it will run full capacity the whole time, which is unnecessary,” Simon says. “If you have Saro Agro’s showroom is a feast of generators and other agricultural equipment. four 250 kVA units, they can start up and shut down according to the power lectricity is one of the most basic needs of any specific time. This will be needs of the modern human being. an automatic process that will save you In sophisticated farming, electricity is a lot of fuel and running hours. It will rapidly becoming a more vital necesalso come in handy when a part of your sity and for continuous production, plant shuts down,” he says. back-up power is a must. Saro can supply a complete project, In 2007, Saro Agro established a from costing, right through to backup standalone power department which support. “We have personnel who can covers the whole power needs specgo out and assist a farmer with detertrum. They’ve become so popular that mining his requirements. Our experts they were contracted to kit out the can do professional costing, execution, biggest hospital in Zambia with backcommissioning and supply backup,’ up electricity. Zesco also bought many Simon says. “Some industries prefer The technical team of Saro Agro’s of their generators to provide power to service-level agreements where, for power division is ready to supply whole townships. instance, we sign a one year contract and support the Zambian farmer Simon Nyirongo is the Sales and to give them the whole spectrum of with all his generator back-up and Service Manager of Saro Agro’s Power support.” solar needs. Division. He says: “In our division we Saro Agro sells top brand generators have solar systems and generators. for their high end market. Their Pramac In our generators section, we have and CGM generators are powered by produce from 2 kVA up to 35 kVA. This domestic generators and industrial Perkins engines and their Shangai Dieis typically for a household or a small generators. Domestic generators can sel sets by Cummins engines. farm that needs to drive a pump or conduct other smaller operations. Solar division Our industrial generators can deAccording to Simon, the Zambian liver from 50 kVA up to 1 000 kVA. electricity grid reaches only 30% of the These generators are perfect for population. This means that there is an large applications like pivot sysenormous opportunity to supply power tems, dairies, feed mixing plants to 70% of the population with solar and millers.” electricity. “This is something we want Saro Agro also understands to go into big time. We have people the value of human resources. who can go out and design systems Simon says: “We invested heavily for individual needs. They determine in technical manpower. We have how many panels are required and technicians with certificates and what kind of systems will work best. even master’s degrees to make Saro Agro also supplies inverters and sure that we do whatever we do batteries to offer complete solar power professionally. We also do a lot of systems. Farmers can now use the sun in-house training for aspiring techto power their pumps and illuminate nicians in our company.” In order their chicken runs,” Simon says. to keep up with developments in the market and the industry, Don’t be left in the dark. Visit experts from Saro Agro visit facSaro’s website at tories to keep abreast of the latest www.sarozambia.com, contact technologies and to see what can Calvin Salah at +26 (0)97-571Simon Nyirongo, Samson Lungu, Mateo be expected in the future. 4426 or +26 (0)21-138-7000Tembo and Jacob James Nedumgatt can Saro Agro is presently pursuing 9/241477 or send him an e-mail to answer any question on Saro Agro’s two exciting trends in the marcalvin.s@saroagri.co.zm. generator and solar systems. ket. Soon it will be possible for a

Generator or solar:

You can depend on non-stop power with Saro

ProAgri Zambia 20

Opportunities beckon with Stanbic

by Du Preez de Villiers & Leon Kotze

Let’s face it, agriculture in Zambia is not easy. Over the past two years especially, farmers were stuck on a rollercoaster ride that went predominantly downwards. The rise of input costs and the fall of prices of commodities such as maize, soy beans and wheat made life very diﬃcult for farmers. On top of that, droughts, erratic rainfall, power shortages and diseases caused serious losses.

he Kwacha was on a steady upwards curve against the major currencies, but it fluctuated too much to make comfortable and lasting decisions. The price of imported inputs didn’t adhere to the strengthening Kwacha either. These adversaries also had a serious effect on agricultural banks which

were confronted with increasing non-performing loans. Stanbic Bank invested significantly into Zambian agriculture and agro-businesses and they remain committed to their long term objectives to grow the sector, despite the recent headwinds. Stanbic Bank Zambia Agribusiness recently hosted a road show to address some of these current challenges. Every speaker could conclude with a positive message or a very exciting opportunity for Zambian agribusinesses.

The farming community in Mkushi farm block turned up in great numbers during the Stanbic Bank Agribusiness road show. Agric Industry non-performing loans (NPL's)

Agric industry’s non-performing loans (NPLs) (Source: BoZ Annual Report 2007 – 2015) 24

Things can only go better from now on Victor Chileshe is Stanbic Zambia’s Head of Global Markets . He presented a brief of the past 6 months’ performance and the outlook for the next two quarters of the year. He could point out a few promising indicators. Zambia is still on a path of economic growth. The appreciating Kwacha has a very positive effect on macroeconomic stability and inflation still remains in the single digits. Zambia’s external debt stabilised over the past three years due to the strengthening

Kwacha and positive GDP growth. Growth in consumer demand and business activity prompted Zambian companies to hire more people over the past two months, which is the first back-to-back job creation since early 2016. Have a say in your harvest price It became quite clear that price mitigation by stakeholders is key to long term sustainability in the sector. The time has come for agribusinesses to take control of the price of their stored grain. Chris Sturgess, Director: Commodities and Key Client Management at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), and Jacob Mwale, Executive Director, ZAMACE Ltd, were also invited to share some exciting news with Zambian farmers. Stanbic Bank Zambia is working closely with ZAMACE and the JSE to ensure Zambian producers and processors can access the JSE through listed brokers and local clearing accounts. They explained how hedging of Zambian commodities on the JSE can improve commodity price discovery for producers and processors as well as mitigate price risks with delivery in local ZAMACE certified warehouses, issuing warehouse receipts and to ensure the value of the listed contracts are balanced on a daily basis. Chris and Jacob, together with various sector stakeholders, have been working on this plan for the past four years and Stanbic Bank believes that market forces are finally aligning to roll out the long awaited Zambian contracts listed on the JSE. The contracts are listed as 10 tonne units for Zambian maize, soy beans and wheat to improve participation and liquidity of contracts. Once Zambian contracts have suﬃcient liquidity on the market, the JSE will roll out more options which will further improve the tools available to producers and processors. Chris cautioned the audience that the exchange does not guarantee the highest or lowest price, but that the exchange brings buyers and sellers to a single platform to allow market forces to determine the price. Given regulatory requirements as well as improved liquidity of ZAR contracts, stakeholders will be able to roll out ZAR contracts quicker while working with Stanbic Zambia Global Markets Department to hedge currency risk once a willing buyer and seller agrees to a contract. USD contracts are the longer term objective, but the benefits of higher liquidity and participants on the ZAR contracts will greatly benefit the price discovery of Zambian contracts on the exchange. Jacob shared practical examples of trading with warehouse receipts over the past 2 seasons. The next step for interested participants is to get in touch with a listed JSE broker and get signed up. ProAgri Zambia 20

Embrace long term crops Ken Pope is the Senior Agric Manager for Standard Bank of South Africa and he introduced another opportunity to Zambian farmers – a look into the avocado and nut industry. He shared information about the international nut market, covering international players and consumers of the produce. The key financial aspects to look at when considering these long term crops were also discussed.

Aerial view of the macadamia plantings in Zululand, South Africa.

High and medium Income capitalisation on Macadamia nuts income countries are currently dominating the production of these crops, but the contribution of lower income countries are increasing. The two largest producers of nuts are North America and West Africa. High and return by selling mid-term,” Ken says. medium income “Looking at the income capitalisation countries are still the bigmethod of value, depending on how you gest consumers, which means value the average cost of capital, the that these crops have the povalue could lie between R400 000 and tential to become high earning R600 000 per hectare if you base it on export crops for Zambia. 30 year returns,” Ken says. Macadamia nuts are a relaKen touched on some of the key varitively small player in the world ables that could impact on the perfornut supply, but a number of mance of the crop, including external useful characteristics promise factors like exchange rate and internaexpansion into the world martional prices as well as factors within the kets. Prices in USD terms have producers’ control, like yield and crackremained relatively stable over out percentage. the last twenty years with inKen says that here are no shortcuts creases seen the last five years with crops like this and trees should be as the Chinese markets discovordered from accredited nurseries. “Makered macadamias. This nut is ing a mistake during the establishment produced on highly productive phase will be a mistake you will have to land in South Africa, replacing live with for the next 30 years, so make products such as sugar cane, sure you research the crop well before bananas and timber. commencing establishment. Starting South Africa is currently the with a smaller area before expanding to largest macadamia producer in larger areas is recommended to ensure the world, but new plantings you learn the trade at a lower expense in China and Australia indicate than at larger scale that can come at that China will be the largexponential cost.” It is a patience game est producer by 2024, but still and there will be several long years of likely to remain a net importer. no income. “Given that the current averKen also warned farmers that qualage value for mature macadaity is a critical success factor and that mia orchards is you only have one chance to build your R325 000, it would be fair to name out there. say the seller will not see a true

E-mail Leon Kotze at Leon.Kotze@standardbank.co.za or call him on +26 (0)21-137-000-18. ProAgri Zambia 20

ProAgri Zambia acknowledges Grain SA for the use of this series which originally appeared in Afrikaans in SA Graan/Grain.

PART 17: Organic material in soil (iv) Martiens du Plessis, Soil Scientist, NWK Limited & Prof Cornie van Huyssteen, Lecturer: Soil Science, University of the Free State

Soil is the most fundamental resource for the farmer, without which food and natural fibre cannot be produced. This article forms part of a series to highlight this resource. material only makes up a Organic small fraction of the soil and in the

majority of the grain areas in South Africa, this fraction is exceptionally small. This article attempts to place in perspective the effect of organic material on the chemical and biological properties of South African soils. Plant and animal waste which is added to the soil, is broken down by enzymatic action to form the organic building blocks. During this process, water and CO2 are released as by-products. The basic building blocks comprise a variety of organic molecules which, in turn, are bound together via enzymatic action to form stable organic molecules. Depending on the nature of the original added organic material, only about one to ten percent of the original dry mass is eventually stored in the soil as humus. The rest is mineralised to form CO2 and plant nutritional substances. From this it may be deduced that several tonnes of organic material must be added to the soil annually over time in order to significantly raise the humus content in the soil.

ash (8% - N, S, Ca, P, Mg and K); • Die specific surface of humus is very large (approx. 800 m2/g), which makes it highly reactive; • The humus particles, as with clay, are negatively charged with a cation exchange capacity of 150 – 300 cmolc/kg and can therefore adsorb cations; • The cation exchange capacity is pH dependent (the higher the pH, the higher the charge); • The water retention capacity is three to four times that of clay; • The exchange reactions are very similar to those of clay and therefore provide exchangeable cations in the same way as clay.

Effect of organic material on chemical properties of soil Organic material has a significant effect on the chemical properties of soil. It makes an abundant contribution to the soil’s cation exchange capacity and plant nutrition. In order to understand this better, the most important properties that influence the soil’s chemical properties must be listed.

Cation exchange capacity Relative to the other sources of cation exchange capacity, humus has a much higher cation exchange capacity. This means that humus has the potential to render a significant contribution to the soil’s cation exchange capacity, even though it makes up a relatively small part of the soil mass. In Table 1 one may see the relative contributions of clay and humus to cation exchange capacity in a typical sandy soil with 10% clay (9% kaolinite and 1% smectite) from the western grain producing areas. At a typical 2% humus the contribution it makes to the cation exchange capacity thereof is 31%. In sandy soil with a clay percentage of less than five percent, 0,2% humus can contribute more than 50% to the soil’s cation exchange capacity.

• The microscopic humus particles comprise mainly of carbon (44%), oxygen (40%), hydrogen (8%) and

Provision of plant nutrition materials Plant material that is added to the soil,

Soil parts

Percentage Ca on exchange capacity (clay/OM) Ca on exchange capacity (soil) Percentage contribu on (mass base) (cmolc/kg) (cmolc/kg) Sand 80 0 0 0 Silt 9,8 0 0 0 Kaolinite (clay) 9 5 0,45 23 Smec te (clay) 1 90 0,9 46 Humus 0,2 300 0,6 31 100 1,95 100

Table 1: The relative contributions of clay and humus to cation exchange capacity in typical sandy soil. ProAgri Zambia 20

contains the full range of plant nutrition material. It is broken down by microbes to the basic minerals (mineralisation) and during this process, apart from large quantities of CO2, plant nutritional material such as nitrogen, sulphur and phosphor is also released. Proteins are broken down by microbes into amino acids and further to ammonia and sulphides and later to nitrates and sulphates. Besides this, cations such as Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+ are released which, in turn, are adsorbed in the exchange complex. Humus usually contains about 5,3% nitrogen on a mass basis. In the sandy soils of the western grain producing areas (with 0,2% humus), there can be about 370 kg of nitrogen per hectare in the uppermost 250 mm of soil. This is a rather large amount and in soils with higher organic material levels, this figure is much higher. For the agriculturalist, however, it is not available for plant nutrition, unless the organic material levels are allowed to mineralise. The ratio of C:N:P in soil organic material is in the region of 110:9:1 on a mass basis. This provides an indication of the amount of P that is present in the organic fraction of the soil. Together with this, virtually all the sulphur in the soil is also present in the organic fraction, with only a small quantity being mineralised to the inorganic fraction (sulphides and sulphates). In the areas where acid rain occurs, the inorganic fraction of sulphur is higher. A typical ratio of N:S is 10:1. There is also a quantity of potassium locked up in organic material. When the organic material mineralises, the potassium is released as K+, which is then adsorbed on the exchange complex. From here it is exchanged and taken up by plants. Ca2+ and Mg2+ are made available to plants on the exchange complex. In sandy soil, where the cation exchange capacity (clay) is very low, the humus plays a major role in contributing to the soil’s cation exchange capacity and is therefore also of major importance in calcium and magnesium nutrition. Furthermore, it is also a source of these two elements as plant nutrition when organic material mineralises. Organic material in soil also contains the full range of micro-elements in the form of humus-metal complexes and chelates. Apart from copper, all the micro-elements are kept in the soil and made available for plant nutrition 27

crops so that the population diversity in the soils may be “healthy”.

The dark topsoil is enriched with humus and provides a high cation exchange capacity to the soil, despite the extremely sandy nature of this soil profile. The high cation exchange capacity provides valuable chemical and plant nutrition qualities to the ground. Without this process the soil would be very unproductive.

by the humus exchange reactions and chelate properties. Without humus, the provision of micro-elements for plants is almost impossible and it is one of the most important functions in soil in terms of plant nutrition. The carbon to nitrogen ratio The ratio of carbon to nitrogen of humus in the soil is reasonably constant and ranges between 10:1 and 12:1. When plant material is worked into the soil, the number of microbes that are responsible for the breaking down of material, increases drastically. Should the plant material be wheaten straw or maize residue, the majority of the plant parts have a C:N ratio greater than 50:1 (up to 80:1), with the result that there is much more carbon in the soil and little nitrogen. In order to assimilate the organic material, the microbes absorb all the available nitrogen in the soil (including fertilisation materials), with the result that there is now too little nitrogen for crops to grow (the so-called nitrogen-negative periods). During the breaking down of the material, the majority of the carbon in the material is released as CO2 and the nitrogen remains intact until the 12:1 ratio is once again attained and the nitrogen is then released again when the multitude of microbes, who have stored the nitrogen in their bodies as protein, die. During this process, some of the nitrogen and carbon builds up in the soil as humus. In order to counteract the nitrogennegative period, additional nitrogen may be worked into the soil along with the residue material. The residue is then broken down more rapidly. Buffer capacity As humus influences the cation exchange capacity of the soil, it also influences the amount of H+ and Al3+ ProAgri Zambia 20

which can bind onto the complex, and thus the amount of exchangeable acid. This means that soil with a high humus content can bind more acid onto the exchange complex which, when lime is added to the soil, flows back to the acidity in the soil solution therefore causing the soil pH to react poorly with the lime initially. The opposite is also true – soil with a high humus content takes longer to become acid, as a large amount of the active acid is adsorbed from the solution on the exchange complex. Adding lime should be done before acid on the exchange complex adsorbs, which means that one should strive towards a base saturation of 100%. The effect of organic material on biological soil properties Addition of organic material to soil is the nutritional source (energy source) of virtually all forms of life in the soil. Soil life is responsible for the breaking down and recycling of all waste products from people, animals and plants. Diversity in soil life is also important for sustainable plant production. In order to maintain this diversity, the source of the nutrition must also be diverse, so that all can live life in balance. When a single crop is planted over the years in a monoculture, certain species are advantaged and others disadvantaged, causing an imbalance in biodiversity. This leads to species becoming pathogenic due to their large numbers. Some microbes release an antibiotic which keeps the numbers of others under control and if these microbes do not get food, they become too few and the others flourish. The basic principle for the agriculturalist is therefore to rotate the

Management of organic material in soil A few basic principles that should be borne in mind during the management of organic material in soil, are: It does not make sense to strive towards higher humus levels in the soil than that which the soil/plant/climate system can sustain. Greater additions lead to increased microbe activity and leads to more rapid breaking down, which will continue until the soil/plant/ climate system causes equilibrium. Due to the reasonably fixed C:N ratio, adequate nitrogen must be added to the system to build up the humus level to the optimal equilibrium level. The planting of leguminous crops in a crop rotational system that binds atmospheric nitrogen, makes a significant contribution here. Organic material must continuously be added to the system in order to maintain the equilibrium. Growth conditions of the crops must be optimised so as to produce adequate quantities of organic material. Mixing of soil via mechanical action should be kept to a minimum and organic material should preferably be left on top of the soil. Only one turning of the soil every four years is enough to destroy all the accumulated organic material. Summary The management of organic material in soil is one of the most important challenges in modern agriculture. It is a sustainable way in which to immobilise, in the soil, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which, inter alia, is responsible for the greenhouse effect. Furthermore, it has a number of advantages for the agriculturalist. It improves the soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties to such an extent that it benefits the production of food and fibre in the long-term. Producers should introduce farming practices that slow down the degradation of organic material in the soil and encourage the supplementation thereof. For further information, please contact the authors on: Martiens du Plessis: 072-285-5414 / martiens@nwk.co.za Prof Cornie van Huyssteen: 051-4019247 /vanhuyssteencw@ufs.ac.za REFERENCES

Brady, NC. 1990. The nature and properties of soils. 10th ed. Macmillan publishing company, New York. Allison, FE. 1973. Soil organic material and its role in crop production. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, New York.

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oil fertility is determined by three major elements namely nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P, K). Nitrogen plays a very important role, therefore urea (containing 46% of N) is a very important component of fertilisers all over the world. In the past decade, urea has surpassed and nearly replaced ammonium nitrate as a fertiliser. This has brought about new questions on urea and its use.

high pH soils (alkaline) and high soil temperatures. Unless it rains, urea must be incorporated into the soil to avoid or minimise ammonia (nitrogen) loss. Losses might be quite low in the cold season when the soil temperature is low. Urea losses from leaching and volatility account for more than 60% of nitrogen losses on cultivated field crops.

Urea losses to high irrigation and high rainfall (leaching) After application to the soil, urea changes to nitrate form, which is available for plants to take up. The nitrification process involves activity of nitrifying bacteria. Nitrogen in nitrate form is very soluble and easily washed away from the root zone with high irrigation or rainfall. This loss is called leaching.

Slow release of urea Urea fertiliser can be coated with certain materials to increase the quantity of nitrogen available to plants, thus increasing availability for up-take by plants. These slow-release materials result in more efficient nitrogen use by growing plants. Urea in a slow-release form is popular for use on cereal crops, golf courses, and other special lawn situations. Zambian Fertilizers Limited has brought to the Zambian market N-Guard, a slow-release neem oil coated urea. N-Guard urea is a research driven, highly concentrated product with potent neem extracts. The benefits of neem coated urea are: • Inhibition of urea nitrification hence slowing down losses from leaching and volatilisation.

Urea losses to the atmosphere (volatility) After application to the soil, a chemical reaction occurs when the enzyme urease gets in contact with soil moisture, which allows urea to hydrolyse and convert to ammonia and carbon dioxide. Nitrogen in ammonia, which is in a gaseous state, is lost to the atmosphere within a period of about 48 to 96 hours from the time of application. The rate of reaction is quicker on

• Reported improved yields of up to 48%. • Due to the pesticidal properties of neem oil coating, soil born nematodes, termites and other soil pests and diseases are controlled. • N-Guard Urea is the next generation slow release urea. • N-Guard Urea can be applied to soil as a solid or a solution or to certain crops as a foliar spray. • N-Guard Urea high nitrogen content of 46% helps reduce handling, storage and transportation costs over other dry N forms. • N-Guard Urea, when properly applied, results in crop yield increases equal to other forms of nitrogen. • N-Guard’s slow release effect of nitrogen results in safeguarding your investment by ensuring that all the applied N is taken up by plant, thereby saving money and labour as no extra N topdressing fertiliser will be required. The following graphs show results of trial treatments of N-Guard Urea versus competitor products:

Trials conducted by SGS, India. Job Ref: IN/ MUM/AGR/20110898/01. Validation Date04/05/2012. SGS Study Code: 0898/01 You too can save money and increase yields with N-Guard Urea.

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Before moving to the next field, a Bargam Elios farmer can fold up his boom to just 2,5 m wide.

by Du Preez de Villiers

Spread and spray with the best T

wo exciting new implements in boom lines. The boom frame totally the AFGRI stable are the Barencloses the nozzle body, giving gam Elios sprayer and the mounted full nozzle protection and pigtail spreaders from Amazone. springs “kick” the boom ends up if A trailed sprayer is the best choice the operator makes a mistake. if a farmer has to weigh up cost, ease The 18 m boom folds out to of use, liquid volumes, alternative 10 m and then to 18 m. The 21 m tractor usage and economy of impleand 24 m booms fold out to 12 m ment use. Therefore, AFGRI decided and then to full width. For transport to introduce the Bargam Elios trailer purposes, the boom can fold up to sprayer series in Zambia. only 2,5 m wide. The Boom “Airo” Choosing suppliers for agricultural suspension is a unique system equipment can be a risky business. that carries the whole weight of Luckily, AFGRI has years of experithe boom on air cushions to give ence in this field and their experts unequalled stability. know a good supplier when they The Bargam Elios comes stanWhen a farmer acquires a Bargam Elios see one. That is why they recently trailed sprayer, he has access to the best and dard with many impressive funcchose Southtrade as their supplier of latest spraying technology and breath-taking tions which will suit the next Bagram sprayers. generation farmer. This includes options to pick and choose from. Southtrade is a Cape Town based line purge, chemical mixer tanks, company in South Africa, and this container washers, in-field tank year they celebrated their 60th birthand only the best components from incleaning systems, self-filler hoses, day. Since the early 1980’s, Southtrade ternationally represented factories are computer rate controllers, electric has been importing Bargam boom sourced to ensure that quality, service section control, electric/hydraulic boom sprayers into Southern Africa, and and spare parts are readily available. control and foam markers. A speed since then they have delivered hunAFGRI introduced the Bargam range related, low pressure diaphragm pump dreds of boom sprayers to satisfied of sprayers to the Zambian market in (250 ℓ/min) offers variable rate sprayclients. They offer the most compre2016. ing. The computer steered, tracking hensive range of boom sprayers and The ELIOS range is relatively small drawbar ensures that the sprayer folaccessories available. and compact with tank sizes of lows tractor wheel tracks perfectly. The Italian company, Bargam, is one 2 200, 2 700 and 3 000 litres. The BDL For the more sophisticated farmer of the most popular sprayer manufachydraulic folding boom is available in who requires extra features, the Barturers in Europe. Their superb products lengths of 18 m, 21 m and 24 m with gam Elios offers independent folding comply with all international standards triple jets mounted on stainless steel and various drawbar options. All BDL booms can be supplied with independent folding and full boom geometry. The electric section control and electric/hydraulic boom control offer optional hydraulic height control technology. Hydraulic boom tilt for working on sloping ground is also optional. In a nutshell, the Bargam Elios can be described as: Very strong and well-engineered, easy to attach to a tractor, relatively lightweight, simple to use, low centre of gravity and can The Bargam Elios trailed sprayer will apply your spray just the way be kept very simple or ordered with you want it. many added options. 34

ProAgri Zambia 20

Amazone spreaders improve accuracy

t is important to apply exactly the right amount of fertiliser, not only to achieve high yields, but also to maintain good health in your soil and in your bank account! Fertiliser application saw rapid technological advancements during the past few years, as accuracy has a serious impact on yields and profitability.

Amazone ZA-M centrifugal mounted spreader Amazone’s ZA-M requires no calibration. A farmer only has to enter the spread rate before he enters the field! It couldn’t get any simpler. On top of that, the implement is regarded as very convenient and reliable due to the simple and easily accessible controls to change the spread rate and working width. The hopper shape has been designed to ensure a continuous flow. It has a capacity of up to 3 000 ℓ with a payload of up to 2 100 kg. The maximum spreading width of 36 m helps to reduce traffic and resulting soil compaction, and saves time and diesel. This is the ideal spreader for both farmers and contractors due to its efficiency, safety and reliability. The slow-turning, high capacity agitation system and the reduced disc speeds ensure an even, granule-protecting fertiliser flow. A double shutter control system enables perfect rate settings. The weighing system offers accurate control and even more reliability. It determines the different properties of the spreading material on-line using weigh cells, and is extremely accurate. It automatically compares the actual

With the Amazone ZA-M, a farmer doesn’t have to do any calibrations and the controls are simple and easy to use. quantity that has been spread with the specified quantity. Differences in flow behaviour, for example with heterogeneous mineral fertilisers, are detected and the spreader automatically readjusts itself via the electric dosing shutter. The quantity applied is also precisely documented for the purpose of field-related nutritional balance. Fine-mesh filling sieves prevent problems when spreading and are easy to fold and lock in position when cleaning the machine. The spreading system is made entirely of stainless steel and utilises a twin disk broadcaster. Amazone ZA-TS mounted and ZGTS trailed centrifugal spreaders The ZA-TS mounted spreaders and ZG-TS trailed spreaders are available in hopper capacities from 1 400 ℓ to

The Amazone ZA-TS mounted centrifugal fertiliser spreader is currently rated amongst the leaders in its class. ProAgri Zambia 20

8 200 ℓ. Their lightweight frame design offers excellent rigidity with an optimised centre of gravity and plenty of space for hitching up. The base hopper has a volume of 700 ℓ. It is deep-pressed without corners, edges or weld seams to ensure continuous and even flow. The design also makes it much easier to clean. Both mounted and trailed spreaders are ISO ready and equipped with the new TS spreading unit. These spreaders are designed for working widths of up to 54 m and at the same time, the precise AutoTS and ClickTS systems offer excellent border spread and section control spreading. This makes the ISOBUS ZA-TS and ZG-TS the best performers in the Amazone-spreader range. Mineral fertilisers require gentle handling and treatment to ensure precise distribution and effective soil penetration. Fertiliser that has been damaged in the spreader can no longer be applied evenly and correctly. For peace of mind, AMAZONE’s Soft Ballistic System pro is integrated as standard into the mounted ZA-TS and trailed ZG-TS spreaders. This means that the agitator, metering components and spreading discs are all optimally matched to protect the fertiliser granules for ensuring improved yields. The accurate weighing system, precise border spreading systems, as well as the many other additional options possibly make these fertiliser spreaders the most advanced in their class. AFGRI’s tried and tested equipment is within your reach. Contact Katuna Sinyangwe at ks@afgri.com.zm or +2609-66778010. Visit www.afgri.co.za. 35

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