African Farming July August 2013

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www.africanfarming.net July/August 2013

Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK ÂŁ9 - USA $15

Sugar cane An irresistable product

Trickle irrigation Advantages and disadvantages

Poultry

Controlling Salmonella

Serving

AGRICULTURE for

33

YEARS A backpack mistblower in action.

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NEW HOLLAND

New Holland prefers

lubricants

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HAY AND FORAGE EQUIPMENT

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CONTENTS

Contents

www.africanfarming.net July/August 2013

News and Events

4

Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK £9 - USA $15

A topical digest of news, views and events including Farmers’ Calendar.

Sugar cane An irresistable product

Poultry

Trickle irrigation

14

Advantages and disadvantages

Controlling Salmonella using acidifiers.

Poultry

Animal Husbandry

Cover Credit: Valtra

Controlling Salmonella

18 Serving

AGRICULTURE

The spatial ecology of pigs: where free-frange doesn’t come free.

for

33

YEARS A backpack mistblower in action.

Horticulture

20

Mechanical sugar cane harvesting is faster and more efficient than hand cutting and loading.

Scientists at the Nairobi-based International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology have released imported wasps that will fight the invader fruit fly.

Rice

22

IRRI has bred twonew improved rice varieties for Tanzania that have vastly superior yield potential.

Sugar

24

IRRI has bred twonew improved rice varieties for Tanzania that have vastly superior yield potential.

Fruit Processing

26

Mobile processing solution to fruit waste in Africa.

Irrigation

Tracking of free range domestic pigs in western Kenya provides new insights into the dynamics of disease transmission.

28

Trickle irrigation - the advantages, and, in some cases, the disadvantages of employing the method.

Fogging

32

Fogging for crops and livestock.

Cereal Processing

36

Small-scale cereal milling and processing.

Power Supply

42

Powering agriculture - a programme of innovation and hope.

Managing Editor: Zsa Tebbit Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, Hiriyti Bairu, Lizzie Carroll, David Clancy, Andrew Croft, Prashanth AP, Ranganath GS, Kasturi Gupta, Rhonita Patnaik, Ian Roullier, Genaro Santos, Nicky Valsamakis, and Ben Watts Publisher: Nick Fordham Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey Magazine Sales Manager: Richard Rozelaar Tel: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 email: richard.rozelaar@alaincharles.com Country China India Nigeria Russia Singapore South Africa Qatar UAE USA

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The new improved model of the mobile fruit juice system, with farm trailer mobility option, from Alvan Blanch, on factory pre-commissioning prior to shipment to Nigeria.

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Subscriptions: circulation@alaincharles.com Chairman: Derek Fordham Printed by: The Manson Group, St Albans, UK US Mailing Agent: African Farming & Food Processing USPS. No. 015-224 is published six times a year for US$90 per year by Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, UK Periodicals Postage Paid at Rahway, NJ. Postmaster: send address corrections to: Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, c/o Mercury Airfreight International Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001.

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EVENTS

Farming Calendar

IFTEX Kenya 2013 a huge success

July 21-26

19th IFMA Congress www.ifmaonline.org

WARSAW

24-26

2nd Brazil in Eastern Africa Expo 2013 www.brazileastafricaexpo.com

NAIROBI

August 15-17

African Farmers' Workshop and Expo www.africanfarmers.co.za

26-29

14th Association of Institutions for Tropical Veterinary Medicine Conference www.aitvm.org

JOHANNESBURG PRETORIA

September 3-4

Agribusiness Congress www.agribusinesscongress.com

LUSAKA

20-21

Naivasha Horticultural Fair 2013 www.naivashahortifair.com

NAIVASHA

23-26

SAHARA- 30th Intl Exhibition for Agriculture and Food for Africa and the Middle East www.saharaexpo.com

23-28

16th International Symposium of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops (ISTRC) www.iita.org

CAIRO

ABEOKUTA

IFTEX EXPO KENYA 2013 successfully closed its doors after a very busy week of networking between Kenyan flower growers and international flower buyers. According to exhibitors and attendees the event was one of the best of its kind in history. Besides the presence of the biggest and most important Russian and Ukrainian flower buyers at the fair, buyers from more than 25 other countries travelled to Nairobi sourcing fresh cut flowers. Among some of the countries being represented were Australia, Kuwait, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Ireland, Holland and even the USA. The trade fair was officially opened by the minister for agriculture of the newly installed Kenyan government, Felix Keiskoo, who stressed in his opening speech to continue the commitment of the new government to support the Kenyan horticultural industry in its production and exports.

The superb quality of the exhibited flowers was the talk of the show.

Both exhibitors and visitors were very impressed by the Kenyan flowers that were brought from the farms to the exhibition. Besides the abundant displays of roses, many other type of flowers were showed, such as various gypsophila varieties of Danziger (earning three different prices in the various quality competitions of being best breeder as well as best grower), Solidago, Callas, Alstroemeria, Lilium, statice, Agaphantus, hypericum and many more.

Growers from Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and even Rwanda were present with flowers produced in their own countries and imported into Kenya especially for the event.

Prize winner, Daniel Kaufman from Danziger.

October 8-9

Palm Oil Africa www.cmtevents.com

LIBREVILLE

December 3-5

Agrofood West Africa www.agrofood-westafrica.com

ACCRA

AFAP vice president and chair visit APC recipient THE AFRICAN FERTILIZER and Agribusiness Partnership’s (AFAP) board chairman, Dr Amos Namanga Ngongi, together with vice president Richard Mkandawire, visited a recipient of an Agribusiness Partnership Contract (APC), Sakant Enterprise Limited in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Sakant Enterprise is an agro-chemical distributor and supplies agricultural inputs, in addition to offering extension services to smallholder farmers.

Through the AFAP APC funding mechanism, Sakant has vowed to increase their storage capacity, enabling them to supply affordable fertiliser to farmers in the region.

The APC has allowed Sakant to start construction on a 6,000 metric tonne capacity fertiliser depot in Pankese near Nkawkaw in the eastern region of Ghana.

The facility which is at the roofing stage is estimated to cost US$99,000 when completed.

“The APC will not only benefit the company, but it will benefit the region as a whole — farmers who did not have access to

4 African Farming - July/August 2013

fertiliser will now find affordable fertiliser on their doorstep,” said Kwaku Amoah-Safo, managing director of Sakant.

It is expected that Sakant will be able to distribute 100,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers in eight districts in the Akyem, Kwahu and the Afram-Plains areas.

An APC is an AFAP mechanism developed

by AFAP which allows AFAP to collaborate with agribusinesses in a bid to provide accessible and affordable fertiliser.

The chairman and the vice president were accompanied by AFAP’s West Africa regional director, Pierre Brunache and AFAP’s Ghana country manager, Francis Mensah.

The AFAP delegation was met by a group of smallholder farmers in the region.

“We plead with the AFAP team to continuously support downstream fertiliser distribution, this is the only way we will be able to increase our yields and incomes,” said Peter Nyarko, a smallholder farmer at Pankese.

“AFAP and its partners are committed to providing technical and business support to

A farmer applies fertiliser to his crop.

agribusinesses that will ensure affordable, accessible and timely fertiliser to smallholder farmers,” Dr Namanga Ngongi said.

He appealed to farmers and other stakeholders to take advantage of the project and apply suitable and adequate quantities of fertiliser on their crops to increase food production in the country.

“We would like to thank Sakant Enterprise Limited for allowing AFAP to help them help smallholder farmers gain access to affordable fertiliser,” Dr Namanga Ngongi said to the enthusiastic crowd. He stressed the continual role AFAP would continue to play in efforts to make fertiliser accessible and affordable in the country.

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Historic engagement in water infrastructure Efforts aimed at improving Egyptian irrigation are enhanced with transformative investment by Kirloskar Brothers Limited.

K

IRLOSKAR BROTHERS LTD (KBL) has invested in African industry and economy for five decades. Its journey in Africa, engaging with and supporting African businesses, exemplifies a clear vision - to provide the best services and solutions to make African industry increasingly better at serving its own economies and working with enterprises from around the world. KBL's fluid management solutions, centrifugal pumps and valves make a genuine difference where they are deployed in the continent, serving as a lifeline to many industry segments.

Building on a historic association KBL's most recent initiatives include recent investment in Egypt - a nation with a great history in development of utilisation of pumps, stretching back four thousand years to the invention of the 'shaduf' - a water lifting device that is still being used today.

In March 2013, in Delhi, India, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was reached with the Mechanical and Electrical Department (MED) at the Egyptian government's Ministry of Water Resource and Irrigation - to build and upgrade the skill sets of MED's engineers and

Kirloskar in Ghana.

technicians. It was signed by KBL chairman and managing director Sanjay Kirloskar and MED chairman Dr Mostafa Abu Zeid.

The significance of the occasion was underlined by the presence of Egyptian President, HE Morsy - and the Government of India's union minister for trade and commerce, Shri Anand Sharma. According to Dr Zeid, "More than 21,000 MED engineers will benefit from this training programme in the next year."

One of the pumping stations on the banks of the Nile.

Chairman and managing director of Kirloskar Brothers Ltd (KBL), Sanjay Kirloskar.

The MoU association government back five

is a consequence of a historic between KBL and Egyptian and industry that stretches decades. Kirloskar began

exporting desel pump sets into Egypt in the 1960s, with an initial order of 150 units. By the late 1970s, KBL was exporting 10,000 sets annually.

In fifty years of engagement, 100,000 KBL sets have been operational in Egypt alone. This year, KBL marks that achievement not only with its new undertaking with the MED, but also in its turnkey project work on the installation of two major pumping stations on the banks of the Nile River - at Benban and at Rozaikat.

Investing in better water infrastructure The Benban pumping station, sited near the ancient city of Aswan, has four large vertical turbine pumps that are capable of pumping out 4,000 litres of water per second. The Rozaikat station, near Luxor, has four even larger capacity pumps of 6,000 litres per second. The two pumping stations support efforts aimed at extending large-scale irrigation to the dry reaches of the African nation. Combined, the pumping stations have the capacity to irrigate more than 20,000 hectares of agricultural land, with expected gains in grain production of up to 50,000 tonnes and employment of more than 60,000 people in the country. This has transformed Egypt's economy. When the pumps where inaugurated, early in 2013, Egyptian minister of irrigation and water resources Dr Mohamed Baha'a El Din Saad said, "The equipment and services provided by KBL are commendable." Dr Zeid added to these sentiments by inviting KBL to invest further in Egypt's water infrastructure, "to extend their support for better distribution of water".

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NEWS

Kenya to host Brazil in Eastern Africa Expo 2013

Chicken imports “contemptuous” of local regulations

THE SECOND BRAZIL in Eastern Africa EXPO 2013 will be held on 24, 25 and 26 July at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

The event, which provides a platform to explore business environment, culture, technology and innovations from Brazil and eastern Africa, aims to foster new and The Safari Park Hotel. rewarding business relationships between Brazil and eastern Africa.

The EXPO 2013 will attempt to lessen the gap between Brazil and Africa by establishing strong business links, according to event organisers.

Organisers of the three-day event will host a trade exhibition, which will display different Brazilian products, for example farming equipment.

Secondly, a conference will take place to primarily discuss three sectors, agribusiness, housing and finance and finally a cultural programme, which aims to bring together the cultural strengths and similarities between Brazil and eastern Africa.

The EXPO 2013 will give visitors an insight into Brazilian experience that can then be changed and adapted in eastern Africa. The event will focus on strengthening the agricultural sector, food security and housing.

The event will provide opportunities to network with new suppliers, check new products and explore potential joint ventures, the event organisers have said.

WITH CHICKEN IMPORTERS claiming the high ground in terms of quality and good practices, evidence gathered at retail level appears to show a very different picture, with inaccurate and non-complaint labelling exposing vulnerable consumers to exploitation while independent tests on imported poultry have yielded some alarming results.

Kevin Lovell, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, said numerous examples have been discovered at several retailers where serious contraventions of regulations governing packaging and labelling have taken place.

According to Lovell, approximately 200 abattoirs based in South Africa are regularly inspected by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Department of Health to ensure locally produced poultry meets the highest standards of food safety; the same however does not apply to the vast quantities of imports that flood into our harbours every day.

“Before one country can export to another, their abattoirs must be certified by the destination country’s health authorities,” he says.

“There are more than 1,000 abattoirs registered globally to export poultry meat to South Africa, the first of which listed was accredited in 1987. But a lack of resources means that these abattoirs have not been audited by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for a long time.”

He says that while the government is trying to maintain high levels of food safety, a mass of imports – more than 40 containers of meat arrive in Durban harbour alone every single day – is making the job of checking and verifying almost impossible.

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NEWS

Zamhatch established

Burundi mobilises US$39.4mn for food security

ZAMBEEF PRODUCTS PLC and Rainbow Chicken Ltd have established a new joint venture company called Zamhatch Ltd, a broiler parent stock rearing, laying and hatching operation for the supply of dayold chicks, according to information obtained in Lusaka.

The establishment of Zamhatch is in line with the Group’s strategically integrated business model, aimed at reducing risk and earnings volatility and capturing margins throughout the value chain, with a focus on supplying higher margin products.

Managing the quality and quantity of supply of day old chicks to its broiler division will enable the Group to maximise operational performance as well as create opportunities to generate revenue from the sale of day-old chicks to third parties.

The Zamhatch business will be developed at Mpongwe Farms and will also include an on-site feed mill to reduce transport costs that would otherwise be incurred in delivering feed from Zambeef’s Lusakabased operations.

Following the completion of the transaction, the Board expects Zamhatch to become operational over the next two to three years.

The key terms included in the JV Agreement are set out as follows:- The ownership of Zamhatch will be 51 per cent (Rainbow Farms ) and 49 per cent (Zambeef).

Rainbow Farms will be responsible for supporting Zamhatch’s local management in the following functions: development of technical specifications and operating procedures; facilities design and specifications; veterinary and disease control and management, as well as procuring future broiler parent stock for supply to Zamhatch.

Zambeef will be responsible for supporting Zamhatch’s local management in legal matters and managing the impact of any change to Zambian legislation on the company’s operations, as well as human resources, accounting and administration support; and securing the supply of other resources for the operation of the company. ‘’We are delighted to be joining forces with Rainbow Farms for the development and operation of our hatchery. Zamhatch will ensure the consistency and quality of supply of day-old chicks to our broiler division, in line with our integrated business model. We believe the Transaction will create one of the finest farm to fork poultry businesses in Africa,’’ Francis Grogan, chief executive of Zambeef, commented.

BURUNDI’S ECONOMY IS dominated by the primary sector composed mainly of agriculture, which accounts for about half of GDP and provides about 80 per cent of export income.

The objective of the Government of Burundi is to transform the current subsistence agriculture into market agriculture, generating jobs and incomes. It is in this perspective that Burundi has

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adopted the National Agricultural Investment Plan (PNIA) 2012-2017, which sets the strategic priorities to be followed so that agriculture in Burundi could fully play the role it is assigned namely to feed the population and to grow the economy.

The official launch of the project was held on 31 May 2013, and was presided over

by Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundi’s

2nd vice president.

It is part of the objective of modernising the agricultural sector and reducing, between the years 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

The project is jointly funded by the EU, UNICEF, WFP and the Government of Burundi and is in perfect harmony with the strategic directions of the government for the agricultural sector.

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ANALYSIS

AIMS III, a programme funded by USAID, has begun work in Mozambique shifting farmers from subsistence farming to commercial cgriculture.

Shifting farmers from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture

A

GRICULTURAL INPUT MARKETS Strengthening (AIMS) III is an integrated programme focused on the development and transfer of agricultural technology to benefit Mozambique’s smallholder farmers. This will be accomplished through the introduction of IFDC’s Commercialised Sustainable Farming Systems (CSFS) solution and by continuing to build competitive markets and improving agro-dealer networks.

Funded by USAID, AIMS III began in the fourth quarter of 2012 and is a continuation of the AIMS and AIMS II programnes (also funded by USAID), which ran from 2006 to 2009 and 2009 to 2012, respectively. Key project components are technology transfer and extension support, increased production of improved seeds, more conducive policy environments, better public R&D capacities and continued support to build a skilled private agriculture sector to achieve sustainable targets in food security and agricultural development.

Based on its expertise and experience since the initiation of AIMS in 2006, IFDC will strengthen the capacities of public sector partners – particularly the Instituto de Investigação Agrária de Moçambique (Mozambique Institute for Agrarian Research, or IIAM), National Directorate of Agricultural Extension (DNEA) and the Platform for Agricultural Research and Innovation in Mozambique (PIAIT) – to develop and transfer CSFS best practices to improve the profitability of smallholder agriculture. In addition, IFDC will continue to strengthen private sector capacities to develop viable agro-input and output markets and will assist the Government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM), its MoA and partners to develop policies and legislation needed for economic growth led by the agriculture sector (with particular attention to fertilisers).

Co-operation will continue among all R&D partners to undertake capacity building, technology generation and transfer, policy reform, improved access to finance and empowerment of smallholder farmers. The outcomes of this co-operation will lead to sustainable agricultural and 8 African Farming - May/June 2013

economic growth, contribute to national and regional food security and enhance Mozambique’s natural resource base. AIMS III will provide technical and policy support to PIAIT partners so that improved technologies can be deployed to a range of agribusiness clusters. AIMS III will also work with USAID’s FTF and Multi-Year Assistance Program (MYAP) initiatives, other development partners and targeted agroprocessors working along the Beira and Nacala corridors.

CSFS focuses on farmers’ profits CSFS retains the integration of improved seeds, mineral nutrients and organic inputs that characterise IFDC’s ISFM solution, but evaluates all input and management options on a cost/benefit basis to optimise profits rather than focusing on agronomic efficiency. CSFS also considers management options that are not explicit under ISFM, such as conservation agriculture, as well as the costs and benefits of risk reduction strategies, an important consideration in commercially oriented farming systems in which investments and risks are greater than in subsistence systems. Again, the goal of USAID, GRM and IFDC is to help move farmers from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture in order to improve the country’s food security and improve the lives of the farmers and their families.

“Disseminating CSFS technologies and an adequate supply of agro-inputs are crucial for Mozambique to experience a Green Revolution and achieve its food production and agricultural growth targets,” stated AIMS III Chief of Party and IFDC Country Representative Alexander Fernando. “A key to the adoption of these technologies is linkage to profitable markets so that farmers are able to invest in farms and soils.”

AIMS III programme components The activities of the AIMS III programme are grouped into five programme components: 1. Transfer of CSFS technologies – Training of staff and partners in new technologies began. These include application of CPPs and the initiation of

technology transfer activities using a CSFS approach. AIMS III staff members are working with partners to initiate 90 demonstration plots in the Beira and Nacala corridors. These demonstrate the cultivation of cassava, soybeans, pigeon peas, sesame, maize and beans with minimum tillage, CPP application and fertiliser blends.

2. Support to business development service (BDS) providers – Under AIMS III, IFDC seeks to continue to strengthen the agro-input value chain, but will remove itself from direct agro-dealer development activities and instead focus on developing the capacity of local BDS providers.

Therefore, through consultancy contracts for key staff in the bridging period, IFDC is providing support to AgriMerc ODS as it takes over, continues and expands agrodealer development activities.

3. Policy reforms and regulations for the agro-input sector – The AIMS III policy advisor participated in the preparation of Mozambique’s first fertiliser regulations, which are scheduled to be approved by the government in 2013.

4. Strengthening MIS – Agro-dealer training on data collection for AMITSA was held in April.

5. Expansion of the agro-input voucher programme begun during AIMS II – IFDC is participating in the design and development of a proposed voucher programme. If funded, it will be a five-year project encompassing 100,000 vouchers in 45 districts of six provinces in the Beira and Nacala corridors. h www.africanfarming.net

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NEWS

Pea protein healthier than any other

US$6 million Tanzania cashew nuts processing starts

PEA PROTEIN HAS been hailed as the new preferred protein due to its nutritional qualities. Available in South Africa from Advance Seed, this non-genetically modified protein is easily digestible and has a high-quality amino acid profile. It is allergen-free, gluten-free and lactose-free as well as low calorie.

Add to this the fact that pea protein has no effect on oestrogen, as it does not contain phytoestrogens, which can increase or decrease hormone oestrogen in humans.

“The product is taking the market by storm and will be the protein of the future,” said George Tomazos, sales specialist at Advance Seed.

“As high demand continues to drive protein costs ever higher, pea protein is well priced and well positioned to play an increasingly important role in food fortification. At less than one third of the price of whey powder and comparable to soya protein, pea protein is a healthier alternative with great benefits and usability.

“Given the current market conditions, manufacturers are under pressure to find alternatives to protein and there has been an alarming increase in the number of unscrupulous sources of protein,” added George. “Pea protein is pure. It is produced through an entirely mechanical process, during which no chemicals or additives are introduced. It is a 100 per cent natural process, unlike soya protein, which is traditionally produced via a chemical process,” he said.

Although pea protein is not yet available in its raw form to consumers, it is starting to be added to energy and protein supplements, drinks and bars, processed meats and fortified cereals. Pea protein can be utilised in the meat industry to increase protein value and retain moisture and brine, for example in polony, sausage or meat. In addition it can be seen as a potential additive to staple foods such as mealie meal and bread.

TANZANIAN CASHEW NUT growers have a reason to smile after the Cashew Nut Board of Tanzania (CBT) and the Cashew Nut Industry Development Trust Fund (CIDF) set aside Tsh10bn (nearly US$6mn) to boost local processing capacity.

Tanzania is Africa’s largest cashew nut grower after Nigeria and the Côte d’Ivoire, and the world’s eighth biggest producer. According to the 2012 CBT report, Tanzania exported about 158,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts in the 2011/2012 season.

However, although 90 per cent of the crop was harvested in the country, less than 10 per cent was processed locally.

Speaking recently in Dar es Salaam, the CBT director, Mfaume Juma, said there was considerable income being lost in exporting unprocessed nuts. He said by exporting processed nuts it would encourage and attract more farmers to grow the crops because they would be assured of higher profit margins.

“We are trying to make sure that we reduce the raw crop export to a larger extent,” Juma said adding that both CBT and CIDF would benefit from the initiatives because the processing will take place in Tanzania.

“Farmers will now enjoy value addition. For many years, there have been complaints about the low prices resulting from selling unprocessed nuts which has often reduced farmers’ income.”

According to a recent pilot study by CBT on processing cashew nuts, the majority of harvested cashew nuts are purchased raw, exported and processed abroad, mainly in India, and then re-exported to different countries around the world at a higher price than the original one.

According to CBT management, through the value addition, Tanzania will be able to fetch higher prices at the world market, and if Tanzania’s cashew nut sector performed to its full potential, it would create more than 45,000 jobs in the country and make a significant contribution to the economy.

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Solar pumps for water security SOLAR PUMPS OFFER a clean and simple alternative to fuelburning engines and generators for domestic water, livestock and irrigation. They are most effective during dry and sunny seasons.

They require no fuel deliveries, and very little maintenance.

Solar pumps are powered by photovoltaic (solar-electric or solar) panels. Solar panels have no moving parts, and most have a warranty of at least 20 years.

Most solar pumps operate without the use of storage batteries. A water tank provides a simple, economical means of storage.

Solar pumps must be optimally selected for the task at hand, in order to minimise the power required, and thus the cost of the system. A wide variety of solar pumps is available, to meet a wide variety of needs. With the reduction in the price of photovoltaic modules and the increasing price of diesel even the largest pumping needs can be met with solar power with a very fast payback for the farmer. Solar power provides energy security, resulting in water security for the farmer while reducing operating costs and reducing ground and air pollution.

Solar water pumping has been growing in popularity across Africa for 10 years. The market was predominantly driven by the need for drinking water but the growth over the past two to three years has been in irrigation.

Against rapidly increasing diesel fuel prices, unreliable power grids, volatile livestock and crop markets and mounting threats to maintain agricultural productivity – can any farmer seriously not consider to consider solar water pumping?

Bernt Lorentz are leaders in the solar water pumping market and have developed a simple calculator to help farmers analyse their costs and to make their own decisions. You can try the calculator for yourself here: www.lorentz.de/svd

Staple food chain funding FOODTRADE EAST AND Central Africa has launched new funding to support businesses that are active in the staple food value chains in nine countries.

The Early Bird Window Challenge Fund will provide grants up to 49 per cent of the total investment cost to companies to innovate by reducing the risk of testing new ideas in the region.

The funding will award grants from US$228,000 to US$1,523,000 to companies doing businesses in two or more countries – namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

FoodTrade ESA is a five-year trade enhancement and promotion programme to reduce poverty and improve food security in East and southern Africa. It is funded by the UK government.

As seed capital, the grants will make it possible to secure additional funding from banks and other investors.

FoodTrade ESA observed that companies must propose imaginative and feasible investments that improve work along the staple food value chain.

“Whether you are an established business across the region or a niche player in the cross-country food trade markets, Early Bird is an opportunity to get quick access to capital to bring innovative ideas to the market”, said Tim Bergstrom, director of FoodTrade ESA. The proposals for funding must benefit several countries and focus on storage and collateral, input markets like seeds and fertiliser, coordination and information systems and services for cross-border trade in staple foods-including advice, transport, finance, insurance and market intelligence.

Mwangi Mumero

10 African Farming - July/August 2013

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NEWS

A strong agribusiness sector is vital for Africa's economic future AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FEATURED prominently at celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity.

Needing to double food production by 2050 to meet population projections, leaders met at the African Union event in Addis Ababa to discuss new technologies to boost crop yields and help soothe some sources of conflict.

"Agriculture has a key role to play in bringing peace in our region, not only because it is the primary economic activity in rural areas, but also because it contributes to the maintenance of social equilibrium," said the AU's New Partnership for Africa's Development CEO Ibrahim Mayaki.

"Recent crises in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel challenge us on the overlap between weak economic foundations, and political instability. Food insecurity and political crises nourish each other."

The NEPAD chief told partners of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program that the continent must place more emphasis on farming as a business.

"Change and transformation in agriculture must start from within the continent and its men and women especially with smallholder farmers that are the majority and have the highest potential for change," Mayaki said.

Half of all Africans are expected to live in urban areas by 2035. So there will be even greater demands on rural productivity, value chains and agribusiness manufacturing.

"Agriculture must develop for national and regional economies to grow," said African Union Commission deputy chairperson Erastus Mwencha.

At a meeting of the International Fertilizer Development Center's board of directors, Mwencha said richer private investment and better co-operation with smallholders can transform Africa from a food importer to a food exporter, fighting both hunger and poverty.

The IFDC meeting in conjunction with the African Union anniversary discussed methods of better protecting soil and water resources, including fertiliser deep placement programmes that reduce

groundwater contamination, lower the carbon footprint by nearly two-thirds and allow farmers to use as much as 30 per cent less fertiliser for the same yields.

"Agricultural development is a national priority," said Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture adviser Tekalign Mamo. "This is where IFDC’s support, its technical expertise and worldwide experience will be vital."

With better access to capital, electricity, and irrigated land, the World Bank says African farmers and agribusinesses could create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030, bringing greater opportunities to compete globally.

"The time has come for making African agriculture and agribusiness a catalyst for ending poverty," said World Bank Vice President for Africa Makhtar Diop. "We cannot overstate the importance of agriculture to Africa’s determination to maintain and boost its high growth rates, create more jobs, significantly reduce poverty, and grow enough cheap, nutritious food to feed its families, export its surplus crops, while safeguarding the continent’s environment."

Moving forward, the World Bank says Africa must improve storage and infrastructure deficiencies that contribute to postharvest losses of up to 20 per cent for cereals and even higher for perishables while making better use of renewable water resources.

Africa uses only two per cent of those resources, well below the global average of five per cent.

The World Bank says care must be taken in the allocation of land for agribusiness so as not to threaten smallholder livelihoods or abridge local users' rights.

But with strong leadership and a commitment from both the public and private sectors, the Bank says Africa can build on local successes to guide investors toward positive economic, social, and environmental results.

"African farmers and businesses must be empowered through good policies, increased public and private investments and strong public-private partnerships,” said World Bank director for financial and private sector development in Africa Gaiv Tata.

Scott Stearns

Rabobank addresses Future of Farming at the World Economic Forum Africa AT THE WORLD Economic Forum on Africa, Berry Marttin, member of the executive board of Rabobank Nederland, presented a copy of The Rise of The Rural Entrepreneur to Hon. Clement Kofi Humado, minister for food and agriculture of Ghana.

The book, which examines the future of the global farming industry, was written following the discussions held at the inaugural Rabobank Global Farmers’ Master Class. This event brought together 50 farmers from 18 different countries to debate the future of the farming industry on a global level. The book identifies and analyses the major challenges facing the farming industry as it works to deliver food security to a burgeoning international population.

Berry Marttin, member of the executive board of Rabobank Nederland, commented: “The book is about the body and soul of food production: the farmers. They are the ones who are responsible for feeding the world, and who have the experience and

12 African Farming - July/August 2013

The body and soul of food production is the farmers, seen here farming cassava.

knowledge required to solve many of the food security challenges ahead of us. We

would like to thank those that took part in the Global Farmers’ Master Class for sharing their expertise with us and for their help in putting this book together.”

“With the world population forecast to grow to nine billion by 2050, the challenge of meeting future food demands is a considerable one. All stakeholders, including governments, banks and retailers must acknowledge their responsibility in delivering food security and must work together to create an environment in which farmers can invest, innovate and inspire.”

In the book, Rabobank splits the major challenges the farming industry has to face into six broad categories: succession, sustainability, social enabling factors, supply chain, social media and science. For each major challenge it presents some pragmatic solutions.

For more information and your copy of the book, contact: r.e.schnitzler@rn.rabobank.nl, +31 (0)30 2130228

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POULTRY

Food safety is one of the top priorities in animal production today.

Salmonella is a cause of bacterial food-borne disease in humans, and can often be attributed to contaminated food products.

Controlling Salmonella using acidifiers

I

T IS ESTIMATED that around 2.6 per cent, 10.6 per cent and 17.0 per cent of human salmonellosis cases are attributable to turkeys, broilers and laying hens, respectively. Effective Salmonella control on the farm is based on preventing Salmonella from entering and spreading in a farm.

Salmonella is a common component of the gut microflora of animals and thus, can be found in the faeces of affected animals.

Faecal pollution is the main culprit for the contamination of feed and water with Salmonella. Poultry can also become infected and act as reservoirs of Salmonella. In order to ensure a high level of poultry performance, farmers should pay close attention to farm management and Salmonella prevention. Regular testing and observing the critical points of the production chain are necessary for prohibiting Salmonella occurrence and contamination.

Breeder houses and hatchery There must be adequate Salmonella monitoring and control at the

14 African Farming - July/August 2013

hatchery and breeder farm. Control starts with getting healthy young chicks to the farm. On arrival, the chicks should be Salmonella free.

Samples from transport equipment and faeces should be taken to determine the Salmonella status.

Salmonella spp. is one of the major hazards for the microbial contamination of animal feed. In addition, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, or antimicrobial resistance genes can be transmitted via feed. Animal-derived protein and oil seed meal are the major sources of risk among feed materials, through which Salmonella may be introduced to industrial compound feed and feed mills.

International regulations require that food and feed are free from Salmonella. Appropriate process control and decontamination steps are needed during feed processing to reduce the contamination of feedstuffs and avoid the dissemination of contaminated feed to herds. It has been demonstrated in experimental settings that animals can become infected as a result of consuming Salmonellacontaminated feed. Some animals may show clinical disease

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on formic and propionic acids in feed. Feed was artificially contaminated with a high amount of Salmonella enteritidis. In dry feed, the metabolic activity of Salmonella is reduced, which lowers their replication. The feed was diluted with physiological saline solution and the cell count of Salmonella was determined right after the contamination, after one hour and 2.5 hours of incubation under optimal conditions. Results can be seen in Figure 1. While Salmonella replication was growing steadily under optimal conditions, the number of Salmonella was reduced in the group with the acidifier.

It is important to check all raw materials, especially cereals and protein sources, for Salmonella contamination.

Figure 1: Salmonella replication in feed.

symptoms or carry Salmonella asymptomatically. It is possible for Salmonella to be transmitted from the animals to the food products derived from these animals.

It is important to check all raw materials, especially cereals and protein sources, for Salmonella contamination. In general, counts of Salmonella in feed are low. It is also important to know that Salmonella colonies are naturally unevenly distributed in feed and therefore, the detection and quantification of Salmonella can be difficult. Therefore, the prevention of the spread of Salmonella is a recommended tool for Salmonella control.

The heat treatment of feed is a common means of feed sanitation. However, it should be conducted appropriately in order to reduce bacteria counts, taking into account, in particular, temperature, duration and initial bacterial counts. Moreover, heat treatment does not protect feed against recontamination during transportation and storage.

A multiple strategy encompassing heat and antimicrobial treatments with organic acids is required for the reduction of bacterial burden and improvement of feed hygiene. Acid treatments have a residual protective effect on feed, which reduces both the recontamination of feed as well as the contamination of milling and feeding equipment and the general environment. The efficacy of organic acids against Salmonella depends on the level of bacterial contamination.

Dietary acidification that reduces the amount of Salmonella in feed contributes to good farm management and interrupts the bacterial transmission in the animal-to-food chain. The in-vitro trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of an acidifier based

Water acidification Salmonella can persist and grow in water given the right conditions. The diversity and concentration of Salmonella increases as temperatures rise. For better Salmonella control, the microbiological test of water is needed, especially if the source of water is a well or river.

Water acidification can help prevent Salmonella. The supplementation of acids in drinking water reduces the pH level and bacterial counts. A very important feature of water acidification is the pH level and corrosive properties of the acidifier. Very often, farmers apply acids without knowing the pH level of water. If the acidification is too strong, the pH level of the water goes below four and this has a negative impact on the equipment and water intake of animals.

Salmonella spp.

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POULTRY

Farm hygiene and biosecurity Contamination of the resident environment of animal housing can be a source of Salmonella infection. Keeping buildings clean and disinfecting farm equipment helps to minimise the danger of infection.

Improving farm personnel hygiene and the control of visitors are important factors for reducing risk of Salmonella. Hand washing and disinfection as well as the cleaning of overalls and disinfection of boots before entering the poultry house are associated with decreased Salmonella prevalence. The relatively small cost incurred may be offset by decreased transfer of other performance impairing pathogens.

Since all vertebrates are susceptible to Salmonella infection, contact with other species may pose an infection risk to animals.

Pests (rodents, wild birds, and other wildlife species) have often been implicated as potential sources of Salmonella. It has been recognised that flies and beetles also serve as a potential reservoir and vectors for Salmonella. It is therefore important to ensure proper vermin and pest control on the farm.

Salmonella control with natural feed additives It is known that dietary supplementation with natural growth promoters (NGP) can assist in Salmonella prevention. Eighty-four day-old broiler chicks (Ross) from the same origin were randomly divided into three treatment groups. The control group received no feed additives, whereas two trial groups received dietary supplementation with two different natural growth promoters. Trial group I received a diet supplementation with an NGP consisting of a blend of formic and propionic acids at inclusion levels of three kilograms per tonne of feed. Trial group II received a diet

supplemented with an NGP consisting of a blend of organic acids, a phytochemical and a permeabilising substance at an inclusion level of one kilogram per tonne of feed. A permeabilising substance was identified to weaken the outer membrane of Gramnegative bacteria and facilitate the entry of organic acids and phytochemicals in the cell disturbing its vital functions.

Dietary acidification that reduces the amount of Salmonella in feed contributes to good farm management and interrupts the bacterial transmission in the animal-to-food chain.

At three days of age all chicks were orally inoculated, the challenged dose was 104 cfu/bird of Salmonella ser. Enteritidis. At seven and 14 days post infection (dpi), the cecal content from 12 birds was taken and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively for Salmonella. At 11dpi, the fecal samples were taken and analysed qualitatively for Salmonella. The results of the present study showed that in the groups supplemented with the natural growth promoters, Salmonella was neither detected in the quantitative and qualitative culture in cecal samples at 14dpi nor in the qualitative culture in fecal samples at 11dpi.

Figure 1: Salmonella replication in feed. At three days of age all chicks were orally inoculated.

The present trial results are in accordance with scientific literature which has shown that organic acid blends are effective in preventing the cecal colonisation of newly-hatched chicks by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Agona and Infantis (Iba & Berchieri Jr., 1995). This is consistent with previous findings by Hinton & Linton (1988), who reported that while a blend of organic acids did not completely eliminate Salmonella from treated feed, there was no cecal colonisation by Salmonella when this feed was given to the birds.

Salmonella control is key to preventing the introduction of Salmonella on the farm. Proper farm management, biosecurity measures, targeting small groups of animals and preventing the return of sick animals to the main production unit all contribute to the prevention of Salmonella spread. Acidification of feed and water minimises Salmonella infection and promotes gut health, thereby enhancing the performance of animals. h Biomin

16 African Farming - July/August 2013

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POULTRY

IFC launches poultry loan facility Africa THE WORLD BANK’S International Finance Corporation (IFC) has launched a loan facility valued at US$25mn to enable poultry producer Country Bird to increase production and operations in southern Africa and beyond.

With operations including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia, Country Bird’s business comprises poultry breeding, broiler production, stock feed and processing. IFC funding will enable Country Bird to increase chick production over the next three years in Zambia and Botswana, expand feed mill capacity in Zambia, and add poultry processing facilities and two soybean plants in South Africa.

Country Bird’s expansion will provide more affordable proteins in southern Africa, create jobs in the rural areas where the company operates, and increase revenues for its 21,500 maize farmers and 112,000 workers employed through the company’s supply chain. Kevin James, founder of Country Bird, said “In just a decade since we started operations, Country Bird has become the third largest integrated poultry producer in South Africa. ‘’We are seeking to expand our production, so we can meet increasing consumer demand in the region. IFC’s investment supports Country Bird’s growth and our goal to provide more affordable proteins in southern Africa,’’ he said.

And IFC senior country manager for southern Africa, Saleem Karimjee, stated that the World Bank’s financing arm was committed to investing in companies like Country Bird that catalyse growth in this important sector. ‘’Africa needs dynamic regional agribusiness companies that help encourage competitiveness and can expand successful models outside their home markets,’’ Karimjee said.

CBH is committed to continual improvement of environmental performance by identifying all environmental aspects and the significance of their impacts on a continual basis in order to provide a framework for setting objectives and targets for environmental performance.

Nawa Mutumweno

www.africanfarming.net

Ross Breeders in US$17mn expansion ROSS BREEDERS AFRICA is to invest US$17mn this year in the expansion of its operations in Zambia, the company has revealed.

The firm, which has operations in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, stated that it would inject the funds into building a new broiler hatchery near Chongwe (Lusaka Province), additional breeder houses, a new ‘‘Grand Parent’’ farm in Mazabuka, staff housing and ancillary buildings. ‘’The project will be completed in stages with the commercial hatchery planned for completion by October 2013 and GP farm and parent breeder houses by the end of

2014,’’ the company stated recently. ‘’The entire project should provide extra 200 jobs in the poultry sector, together with significant increases in export revenues,’’ it added.

The hatchery, once completed, could hatch one million day old broiler chicks per week. ‘’This investment shows our faith in Zambia both as an expanding economy and a hub for our Grand Parent project which exports parents all over southern and central Africa as well as providing the local industry with Ross 308 broilers and parents,’’ said Ross Breeders Zambia managing director Colin Lindsay.

Nawa Mutumweno

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ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

In sprawling shanty neighbourhoods in cities across Africa and other developing nations of Asia and South America, free range rearing of pigs is an important agricultural activity.

The spatial ecology of pigs: Where free-range doesn’t come free

R

AISING FREE RANGE pigs is a source of income and vital protein to poor families in these informal settlements.

But a recent study by the Nairobi–based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at the Kenyan town of Busia on the Uganda border shed light on the practice, its hazards and recommended ways of improving on this age-old practice.

On the narrow streets of Busia Town, a visitor will most likely encounter a park of pigs ranging the streets - boars, sows and piglets - wallowing in pools of dirty water or heaps of rubbish.

Other pigs will be engaged in fights with dogs and jackals over spoils in a rubbish dump! - an ugly site for people who savour their pork sausages produced in clean environments from pigs raised in clean pig sty.

Scavenging both day and night, the pigs would spend almost half their time outside the homestead.

A free range system of raising pigs in the neighbourhood of Busia Town may be supporting over 66,000 pigs, according to researchers from the Nairobi based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

With land size shrinking, most people around Busia Town farm for a living, raising livestock and growing maize and other staple food crops on small plots of land, averaging 0.5 hectares.

Yet, ILRI researchers Lian Thomas and Eric Fèvre – having conducted a recent study of free range pigs in Busia, now recommend a comprehensive approach to contain the health hazards brought about by this practice.

This study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh to better understand the transmission of several pathogenic organisms. It was the first study to investigate the ecology of domestic pigs kept under a free-range system, utilising GPS technology.

A GPS collar was put on 10 pigs, each nearly seven months old, which were recruited for this study.

Tracking of free range domestic pigs in western Kenya provides new insights into dynamics of disease transmission .

Typical mixed crop-livestock farming of western Kenya. (photo credit: ILRI/Pye-Smith).

18 African Farming - July/August 2013

A handheld GPS unit was used to obtain the co-ordinates of the homesteads to which the selected pigs belonged; the perimeters of the homesteads and their main features, including human dwellings, cooking points, rubbish disposal areas and latrines, were all mapped.

The pig collars recorded the coordinates of the pigs every three minutes during the course of one week.

While all the 10 pigs were kept under free-range conditions, they were regularly fed supplementary crop and mostly raw household waste.

Scavenging both day and night, the pigs would spend almost half their time outside the homestead - travelling an average of more than 4 km in a 12-hour period range of 10,343 sq m.

“It is a way of raising pigs in this area.

With little input in terms of commercial feed as well as less attention, pigs roam the streets interacting with dogs, rats and chicken. It has been a way of life here for decades and it will take years to eradicate”, said Josaya Wanzala, a long time resident and a businessman in the town.

Many health hazards Researchers, however, assert that the free range system of rearing pigs is fraught with many health and environmental hazards.

“All the pigs recruited were found to be infected with at least one parasite, with most also having gastrointestinal parasites. They all carried ticks and head lice”, observed Lian Thomas, one of the researchers.

Researchers found that three of the ten pigs were infected with Taenia solium, a pig tapeworm.

When the larva of the pig tapeworm is eaten by humans in undercooked pork, it can cause death through seizures, epilepsy and other disorders, and can kill if not treated promptly.

The researchers also noted that a quarter of the homesteads in the study area had no access to a latrine, forcing people to engage in open defecation.

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ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

commonly found in the pigs’ environments in rural parts of Africa and other developing regions.

While pigs may not easily suffer from trypanosomiasis, researchers noted that free range pigs may act as host and reservoirs of the Trypanosoma spp parasites that cause nagana in cattle and sleeping sickness in humans. This in turn poses a serious livestock and human health problem.

Free roaming pigs have also been blamed for the regular outbreaks of killer viral disease, African Swine Fever (ASF).

Regular contact with wild pigs has led to these periodic outbreaks of ASF, according to researchers.

Scavenging pigs in Busia (photo credit: ILRI/Pye-Smith).

properly enclosed, there are also plenty of opportunities for scavenging pigs to find human faeces”, added Thomas.

Taenia solium infection in pigs is acquired by their ingestion of infective eggs in human faecal material, which is

Improved husbandry practices needed Improved husbandry practices, including the use of effective anthelmintics at correct dosages, would enhance pig health and production in this study area.

Another interesting finding from the study was that all roaming pigs are likely to have reduced weight after slaughter.

Average live weights at the abattoir in the Busia area are 30 kg, giving a dressed weight of only 22.5 kg and

earning the farmer only KShs.2000– 2500(US$24–29) per animal.

This compares badly with average weights of confined pigs which can hit more than 50 kg.

Encouraging the confinement of pigs, ILRI researchers noted, is likely to improve feed conversion and weight gain, by both reducing energy expenditure through movement as well as limiting parasite burden through environmental exposure.

Encouraging the confinement of pigs, ILRI researchers noted, is likely to improve feed conversion and weight gain.

While noting that free range pigs were not likely to disappear, mainly due to low feed requirements and poverty among local farmers, the researchers recommended that local agricultural extension officers need to persuade farmers to start ‘zero-scavenging’ pig husbandry. h Mwangi Mumero

Breeding for 500 Eggs!

www.isapoultry.com

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HORTICULTURE

Scientists at the Nairobi-based International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) have released imported wasps that will fight the invader fruit fly, an avocado pest that costs the country more than US$33.4mn in exports.

Mwangi Mumero reports.

Avocado pest control

T

HE ALL-OUT war was waged with the release of the two wasps, scientifically known as B. invadens from Hawaii - Fopius arisanus which attacks eggs and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata which attacks larvae.

The wasps were let loose with government permission by scientists from the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in the coast region, the first in a series of such releases in key fruit growing regions.

Fruit flies Bactrocera invadens have increasingly threatened avocado growing in the regions affecting quality and total ban of Kenyan exports to some countries.

South Africa shut its doors on avocado imports from Kenya in 2008 over the prevalence of fruit flies.

Kenya’s avocado exports between 2006 and 2010 ranged from 12,000 metric tonnes to 15,000 metric tonnes, and was valued at between US$17mn to US$26 mn.

Most of the avocado exports are destined to Europe, with France and the Netherlands being the main markets.

Avocado farming is mostly practiced in Central Kenya and the Rift Valley usually in tea and coffee growing regions where the crop does well. It is estimated that there are more than 5,400 farmers in Kenya.

The fruits are pricey even in local markets

Kenyan farmers could benefit more from avocado exports due to growing demand in the EU.

Fruit flies Bactrocera invadens have increasingly threatened avocado growing. with a 90 kg bag of avocadoes fetching between Ksh 2,500 and 4,500 (US$29-53) in urban centres in the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture Market Information figures. The Hass and Fuerte varieties are the popular avocado types.

Other less popular varieties include bacon, duke, creamhart, Anaheim,

Kenya has released imported wasps to fight the invader fruit fly paving the way for the lifting of a ban that was imposed on avocado exports three years ago.

20 African Farming - July/August 2013

gaunter, Gwen, Jim, Lula and mexicalo.

“The wasps are natural enemies and so help in controlling infestation by laying their eggs in the body of the target insect, which is then used as food for the developing larvae, eventually destroying it”, said Dr Sunday Ekesi, head of horticulture at ICIPE and also the principal scientist and programme leader of the African Fruitfly Programme based in Nairobi.

According to Dr Ikesi, natural enemies such as the predators have a capacity to eliminate only 40 per cent of the parasites and therefore other methods have to be employed in fighting the fruit fly scourge.

ICIPE scientists have rolled out a cocktail of special traps, biological pesticides and sanitation to achieve an acceptable level of control of the fruit fly.

Researchers believe the pest was first introduced into the African continent from Sri Lanka in 2003, spreading quickly and destroying avocado fruits and local rural economies in its wake.

Scientists are now recommending that farmers use poisoned protein baits as the best method.

“Females need proteins to lay eggs that hatch and are easily attracted to the baits from a distance and killed by the insecticide. The baits are placed at a spot on the canopy or set on the tree trunk of each tree in the orchard”, observed Dr Ikesi.

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The traps can be made locally from yellow plastic cans, that are poked and the bait such as Mazofern is spread.

The trap is replenished weekly. Insects are naturally attracted to the colour yellow. Males are also being trapped in a similar version - eliminating the mating numbers and reducing the pest population.

This fruit fly control strategy comes at a time when demand for avocados has been rising due to increased awareness on its nutritive value.

According to a report released last year, Kenyan farmers could benefit more from avocado exports due to growing demand in the European Union (EU) if they increase their current production levels.

“For best results apply both methods to kill male and female insects,” said Dr Ekesi.

Demand for avocados increasing “The industry expects demand for avocados in Europe to continue its upward trend in the coming years,” noted an avocado export market intelligence report done by the Kenya Horticulture Competitiveness Project, an initiative funded by United States Aid Agency (USAID).

The report noted that much of the demand in Europe is driven by increased awareness of the fruit and its potential uses and benefits.

Also promotional campaigns throughout Europe by producing nations such as South Africa, Chile, Israel and Peru have attempted to raise consumer awareness regarding avocados.

Avocados are rich in proteins, fats, mineral salts and vitamins, according to the International Centre in Agroforestry (ICRAF).

They are particularly good sources of protein in regions where animal products like milk and meat are scarce.

Avocados can also be processed into cream and hair products.

Some herbalists have been using the fruit to formulate oils said to treat a myriad of human ailments. At the same time, there has been increased investment in the avocado sub-sector. Early in 2012, the Alivando Group of Companies announced that it was investing US$5mn in the construction of an avocado factory in Murang’a County, Central Kenya.

Alivando chief executive Gary Hannan observed that the company had engaged farmers in various parts of the province to improve avocado production.

Already, the firm has contracted and trained 1,030 farmers to grow high quality avocado.

The factory would produce avocado oil to be sold in the domestic and export markets.

“To meet demand, Alivando needs upwards of 750,000 litres monthly. In the next five years, Kenya should be able to produce 0.3 million litres of high quality avocado oil monthly for export and local consumption if farmers embrace the practice” Gary noted.

The new facility is expected to boost avocado earnings through value addition and benefit farmers.

Simon Ng'ang’a King’ara an avocado farmer, said that the factory will offer them better earnings compared to middlemen.

With an avocado plantation of 7,000 trees, Ng’an’ga from the neighbouring Kiambu County, noted that the factory pays Ksh150 (US$1.9) for a kilo of avocado fruit while the middlemen buy at Ksh80 (US$1) - a better bargain for local farmers.

The factory officials say that the region is better placed to produce high quality avocado products noting that those grown in hot, humid climates have saturated fat and too much wax for oil production. h

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RICE

IRRI has bred two new improved rice varieties for Tanzania, IR05N 221 (Komboka) and IR03A 262 (Tai), that have vastly superior yield potential.

New rice in Tanzania to boost production

T

ANZANIA’S LOW RICE yields are mainly due to the widespread use of low-yielding varieties with long growth duration and susceptibility to diseases.

However, with the rapidly growing demand for rice in East Africa, Tanzanian farmers can now boost rice production two to three times by combining good agricultural practices with the adoption of two new high-yielding rice varieties, IR05N 221 and IR03A 262.

After extensive evaluation and screening across the country since 2008, farmers chose IR05N 221 (named Komboka, meaning be liberated) and IR03A 262 (named Tai, meaning eagle) for their promising yield potential of 6.5–7 and 7.5 tons per hectare, respectively.

These new varieties possess grain quality that meets the needs and preferences of farmers and consumers in Tanzania.

Komboka and Tai will help uphold Tanzania’s position as the leading rice producer in East and southern Africa by helping farmers produce more rice.

their long, slender, and translucent grains, and soft texture for cooking, as the texture remains soft after overnight storage. Both varieties can be grown twice a year – during the rainy season from January to June and during the dry season from August to December.

Currently, Tanzania’s average yield is around only 1.8 tonnes per hectare due to low-yielding varieties with long growth duration and susceptibility to diseases.

Komboka and Tai will help uphold Tanzania’s position as the leading rice producer in East and southern Africa by helping farmers produce more rice.

These new varieties also possess grain quality that meets the needs and preferences of farmers and consumers in Tanzania – essential to ensuring their adoption and marketability.

High-yielding Komboka varietiy.

Komboka desired for its aroma “Komboka is strongly desired for its aroma, which is highly regarded by farmers and consumers, and therefore it is very marketable,” said Dr. Zakaria Kanyeka of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which led the development of the varieties.

“Tai, on the other hand, is nonaromatic, yet has strong potential in parts of the country where aroma is less important.”

Beyond the aroma difference, Komboka and Tai are highly preferred by farmers for

Compared with a popular rice variety in Tanzania, SARO 5 (TXD 306), both ripen faster by five to seven days (Komboka) and seven to 14 days (Tai) – thus helping farmers cash in on their crop early. The two varieties also exhibit moderate resistance to diseases such as leaf blast and bacterial leaf blight.

IRRI scientists based in Tanzania worked in close collaboration with Tanzania’s National Rice Research Program of the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)-KATRIN to develop the new varieties.

22 African Farming - July/August 2013

"Our partners in Tanzania have been critical in supporting the development of Komboka and Tai, which are the first IRRIbred rice varieties developed especially for Tanzania,” said Kanyeka. “Their vastly superior performance has been recognised

by Tanzanian farmers and we are looking forward to seeing more farmers try them out to experience their higher productivity and quality.”

IRRI has a long history of developing improved rice varieties for Asia, and in recent years has stepped up its support to help improve rice production in Africa with the development and release of rice varieties for Burundi, Mozambique, and now Tanzania.

Komboka and Tai were proposed for release to the Tanzania Seed Certification Institute, which conducted a national performance trial. Upon the recommendation of the Technical Variety Release Committee to the National Variety Release Committee, the two IRRI elite lines got the committee’s approval for release as varieties for production in Tanzania.

“Production of more seeds of the two new varieties is now underway in close collaboration with the Agricultural Seed Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and we hope that, by 2014, there will be enough seed to start wide-scale dissemination to farmers nationwide,” said Kanyeka. h www.africanfarming.net

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RICE

'DNA' sequencing to create new rice variety with greater health benefits DNA TECHNIQUES ARE being used to analyse genes in rice in pioneering research which aims to develop a new variety of the grain with greater health benefits.

University of Aberdeen scientists are leading the rice study and experts behind the fouryear project - funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC) - say they hope their work could improve the lives of millions worldwide by putting better quality rice in the mouths of more people.

Professor Andrew Meharg, a biogeochemist at the University of Aberdeen, and one of the leaders of the study, which involves collaborators from Lancaster, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines, said: "We will be employing one of the most pioneering developments in plant science - genome sequencing of plants. In fact we will be using the very same equipment and chemistry that is used to sequence genes in the human body, to analyse genes within rice."

"Our work is focused on Bangladesh, where rice accounts for 70 per cent of the population's calorific intake. We plan to sequence the genes of 300 varieties of the rice from the country and surrounding Indian

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states. What we will be looking for are markers in each of those individual rice types which can be associated with a positive trait we wish to measure. For example those that can be attributed to providing a greater yield of the crop or higher levels of zinc. One important trait we will focus on is lower levels of grain arsenic. Arsenic, which is a poison to humans, is taken up by the crop from ground water during the growth process and can sometimes occur at high levels in rice.

"If we can identify the gens responsible in rice

for these positive traits then we can improve crops more rapidly and accurately and ultimately develop a new type of rice which has greater benefit for the world's population."

The study will also test a technique developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which aims to reduce the amount of water currently required in the process of rice production.

Dr Adam Price, from the University of Aberdeen's School of Biological Sciences, explained: "Rice is relied upon as a staple part of the majority of the world's diet, yet the process involved in growing this crop is accountable for a massive drain on the world's water resources.

"A mammoth 2,500 litres amount of water is required to produce just one kilogram of rice. We will be testing a technique developed by the IRRI called alternative wetting and drying, where the crop is flooded and then dried out for 10 to 15 days. Our focus will be to analyse the major benefits we believe to be aligned with this technique, to assess whether it provides the answer to making rice production a more sustainable option in the future."

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SUGAR CANE

Sugar cane is the world’s largest crop and consumption levels are continuing to increase. Nawa Mutumweno discusses the growing and harvesting of this important crop.

Sugar - an irresistable product

T

HERE IS A billboard that strikes one as he drives or walks along the main road from the plush suburb of Lusaka, Kabulonga, into the central business district. It stands boldly and teases: ‘’Imagine a life without sugar’’.

Indeed for many people the world over, life will not be the same without that must-have product that is a major component of the breakfast table.

Approximately 70 per cent of the global sugar production is derived from sugar cane. Apart from producing sugar for human consumption, sugar cane is also the most cost-effective feedstock for plant-derived ethanol, according to the South African Agricultural Baseline 2011 – Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy report (BFAP).

Sugar cane is the world’s largest crop. In 2010, FAO estimated it was cultivated on almost 23.8mn hectares, in more than 90 countries, with a worldwide harvest of 1.69bn tonnes.

Brazil was the largest producer of sugar cane in the world. The next five major producers in decreasing amounts in production were India, China, Thailand, Pakistan and Mexico.

Turning to Africa, SADC in particular, annual sugar production over the past five years has constantly remained above the five million tonnes mark. It was estimated that a record 5.8mn tonnes was produced by SADC countries in 2007/08.

Consumption levels increasing Consumption levels continue to increase at the rate of approximately 2.5 per cent per annum. The main SADC sugar producing countries (in no particular order) are South Africa, Tanzania, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius and Mozambique.

The southern African sugar season runs from April to March. The region is ranked amongst the world’s top sugar exporters, with Zambia among the top, especially to the European Union.

Sugar cane is cultivated in the tropics and subtropics in areas with a plentiful supply of water.

John Deere hosted an Africa Sugar Cane seminar in Swaziland.

In Africa annual sugar production over the past five years has constantly remained above the five million tonnes mark.

Despite these interesting ‘credentials’ of this important global crop most of us have do not know the ‘journey’ sugar cane passes before it ‘lands’ in our tea, porridge, breakfast cereal, etc.

A plentiful supply of water essential Sugar cane is cultivated in the tropics and subtropics in areas with a plentiful supply of water, for a continuous period of more than six to seven months each year, either from natural rainfall or through irrigation. The crop does not tolerate severe frosts. Therefore, most of the world’s sugarcane is grown between 22° North and 22° South, and some up to 33° North and 33° South. When a sugarcane crop is found outside this range, such as the Natal region of South Africa, it is normally due to anomalous climate conditions in the region such as warm ocean currents that sweep down the coast. In terms of altitude, sugar cane crop is found up to 1,600 metres close to the equator in countries such as Columbia, Ecuador and Peru, the Sugar Cane Wikipedia states.

Sugar cane can be grown on many soils ranging from highly fertile well drained mollisols, through heavy cracking vertisols, infertile acid axisols, peaty histosols to rocky andisols. Both plentiful sunshine and water supplies increase cane production. This has made desert countries with good irrigation facilities such as Egypt some of the highest sugar cane cultivating regions.

Harvesting Sugar cane is harvested by hand and mechanically. Hand harvesting accounts for more than half of production, and is dominant in the developing world. In hand harvesting, the field is first set on fire. The fire burns dry leaves, and chases off or kills any lurking venomous snakes, without harming the stalks and

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SUGAR CANE

Sugar cane is harvested by hand and mechanically.

roots. Harvesters then cut the cane just above ground-level using cane knives or machetes. A skilled harvester can cut 500kg of sugar cane per hour.

Mechanical harvesting uses a combine or sugar cane harvester.

The Austoft 2000 series, the original modern harvester design, has now been copied by other companies, including Cameco/John Deere. The machine cuts the cane at the base of the stalk, strips the leaves, chops the cane into consistent lengths and deposits it into a transporter following alongside. The harvester then blows the trash back into the field. Such machines can harvest 100 tonnes per hour.

However, harvested cane must be rapidly processed. Once cut, sugar cane begins to lose its sugar content, and damage to the cane during mechanical harvesting accelerates this decline. This decline is offset because a modern chopper harvester can complete the

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harvest faster and more efficiently than hand cutting and loading.

Austsoft also developed a series of hydraulic high-lift infield transporters to work alongside their harvesters to allow even more rapid transfer of cane to, for example, the nearest railway siding or to the mill. Mechanical harvesting does not require the burning of fields; the remains left in the field by the machine consist of the top of the sugarcane and the dead leaves which act as mulch for the next round of planting.

The pre-harvest burning of sugarcane leaves has negative impacts on the environment, on human health and on potential energy value of the plant. Mechanisation eliminates the need for burning, speeding up the collection process, eliminating harmful emissions from smoke, reducing crop wastage and thus increasing productivity in terms of energy generation. Electricity generated from sugar cane biomass can also be sold to the national grid.

South African-based, Illovo is a leading sugar producer (13.64mn tonnes for the Group as at March 31, 2012) and is a significant manufacturer of the downstream product. The Group is Africa’s biggest sugar producer and has extensive agricultural and manufacturing operations in six Africa countries (Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique).

Producers of sugar should put their best marketing and distribution ‘feet’ forward, to deliver quality sugar and related products and tap into niche markets nationally, regionally and internationally, if they are to make steady steps to sweet success. h

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FRUIT PROCESSING

Mobile processing solution to fruit waste in Africa ALVAN BLANCH DEVELOPMENT Company has developed a range of mobile fruit processing systems, specially designed to tackle the excessive waste of fruit at harvest, by addressing the logistical difficulties that exist in many tropical countries preventing ripe fruit from being transported to central processing locations. It is no wonder therefore, that there has been such a surge in interest over this uniquely designed processing system, since the first unit was commissioned last year.

It is widely estimated that 40-50 per cent of fruit produced in Nigeria is wasted due to poor handling and infrastructure. The mobility of this processing unit will allow the machinery to be brought to the fruit instead, and to be moved throughout the fruit harvest areas, for a wider coverage.

This greater saturation of the fruit farming areas will directly increase the number of fruits utilised – and therefore extend the potential length of processing season.

The first mobile system was developed last year for Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, in order to produce a processing system which would be able to reach the farmer, and the markets – to process the fruit while it is still fresh. Without the mobility feature of this system, farmers and co-operatives must risk transporting their goods in heavy traffic, and roads with poor infrastructure, to the processing factory, often resulting in a high percentage of spoiled fruits – in some cases, losing the whole truck of fruit to waste.

After the success of the first system, now in regular use by farmers in Uganda, the concept of processing mobility has generated much interest. In reaction to the high levels of attention for this system, Alvan Blanch has now developed a more flexible modular version of the processing system, to suit a selection of different fruits and different packing options.

The fruit juice producing plant is available to suit a host of mobility options, as the machinery and all pipework is built onto individual modular units.

The first Alvan Blanch mobile fruit juice system, now in regular use in rural Uganda attracts much attention in the city.

These modules can be mounted onto a truck trailer, flat-bed truck or farm trailer with high axis and deep-tread large wheels – in order to allow for ease of operation in more rural areas. One of these trailer-mounted units has been recently commissioned for a Government project in Nigeria designed for use on mangoes and tomatoes, destined for the north of the country, in Kano State – in the hope of reducing fruit wastage, particularly in rural areas of the region.

Demand for this flexible form of processing fruits is constant across Africa, with enquiries for various versions of the system coming from across the continent. The next system, already underway, will be specifically designed for pineapple processing in Zambia. This will be producing pineapple juice on various sites around the farm, and comes complete with on-board bottling system. The complete modular system will be shipped whole and skid-mounted onto a local farm trailer.

With such a simple solution to the problem of fruit-wastage, which is apparent across the African continent, it is unsurprising that Alvan Blanch predict there will be many more requests for such a system. Although each requirement is unique in specification, there is a general process which is followed in order to obtain pasteurised, sieved juice – while adhering to a high level of food hygiene.

The system process The galvanised steel modules are fitted with all stainless steel processing machines, designed to suit a variety of fruits, each requiring a slightly different juice extraction process. All fruits are tipped into a washing reception tank – and conveyed up an elevator designed to handle a wide array of fruits. The diverter then channels various fruits into either both the fruit mill and blancher (tomatoes), or straight into the pulper sievers (mangoes, pawpaws). In the case of pineapples, a specially designed mill is used, prior to hydraulic pressing the juice, while oranges require a separate citrus juice extraction machine.

The extracted juice is then transferred via stainless steel pipes to the preheating and blending tanks, before being pumped into the pasteuriser for heat treating. The pasteurised juice can then be hot-filled into different packaging options. A popular method is the hot filling of aseptic lined drums, which are then sealed to ensure maximum hygiene standards. These can then be easily transported and sold as bulk juice. Alternatively there are various consumer-sized packaging methods; the more affordable option being hot-filling of the juice into glass bottles.

The system’s mobility – and independence from usual utility demands of processing plants – is afforded by the on-board British-made generator, complete with acoustic canopy, and the built-in water storage and water treatment system. This gives the system complete independence for use around the farm, and allows for convenient wash down of the unit after use.

First-class support to all African markets is offered by the experienced taff at Alvan Blanch’s UK offices and factory, and also by the technical support office based in Benin City, Nigeria, which supports new and existing clients throughout the continent with advice as well as installation and commissioning supervision. h

26 African Farming - July/August 2013

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aniekan.esenam@agcocorp.com

S07 AF JulyAugust 2013 Sugar_Layout 1 11/07/2013 15:45 Page 27

S08 AF JulyAugust 2013 Irrigation_Layout 1 11/07/2013 15:48 Page 28

IRRIGATION

Dr Terry Mabbett examines trickle irrigation and discusses the advantages, and, in some cases, the disadvantages of employing the method.

Trickle irrigation on target

I

RRIGATION IS as old as the most ancient civilizations, but the meticulously measured and minimum application of irrigation water to crops as trickle, drip or micro-irrigation is a relatively new technique now into its fifth decade of widespread use. ‘Trickle’ aptly describes the slow but sure passage of water into the nozzle. ‘Drip’ describes the mode of delivery in to the soil and ‘micro’ the minute quantities of water used, compared with the massive volumes traditionally used in furrow and overhead sprinkler irrigation systems.

The benefits of trickle irrigation are deep and far-reaching and may be summarised as follows: • Trickle or drip irrigation is a frequent use system, therefore mitigating against crop plant stress, often occurring with the fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture level experienced when using less frequent but much heavier furrow and

sprinkler applications. This uniformity of soil ware condition facilitates the optimum growth of plants and development of harvestable tubers, bulbs, leaves, fruits and seeds to maximise quantity and quality of yield.

• In many cases, water savings of 50 per cent can be achieved compared with furrow irrigation, because drip and trickle systems only require low water pressure and therefore much less energy with accompanying huge reductions in the total volumes of water used.

• Trickle irrigation provides the grower with the opportunity of harvesting crops sooner and getting them to market at the earliest possible time to cash in on any premium price opportunities at the beginning of the season. In areas with a short growing season, due to climatic restrictions, trickle/drip irrigation generally offers the grower opportunities to produce crops not previously

considered to be financially worthwhile.

• Measurably greater yield has been achieved with trickle rather than furrow irrigation systems. For vegetable crops it is quite common to obtain more than 25 per cent increase in yield per unit land area with a higher proportion of the highest quality produce.

• With trickle irrigation the foliage and fruit are not saturated as in overhead irrigation and the lower portions of the plant canopy are not subjected to the humid microclimate thus created. Consequently, susceptibility to damage from insect pests and fungal diseases is reduced.

• With trickle irrigation installed and working the grower may continue normal field operations because the aisles (inter-rows) and much of the crop plant bed stay dry. Weed growth, weed control and associated costs are reduced accordingly.

The World Vision Drip Irrigation project in Tattaguine, Senegal.

28 African Farming - July/August 2013

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S08 AF JulyAugust 2013 Irrigation_Layout 1 11/07/2013 15:48 Page 29

Micro-irrigation being supplied to small young trees which have been inter-planted with lettuce under greenhouse cultivation. Picture courtesy of OMEX.

• The trickle or drip system is not only a means of irrigation: It may be utilised as a vehicle to supply and provide plants with soluble fertilisers and nutrients and insecticides, fungicides and nematicides. And because the chemicals are delivered directly to the root zone, and targeted near the point of root hair absorption, lower doses are generally required. Furthermore, the danger of root burning and other phytotoxic damage are greatly reduced. Trickle irrigation is therefore an important system for both fertigation and chemigation. • Trickle irrigation is particularly appropriate for use on hilly terrain to avoid the run-off typically experienced with high volume irrigation systems. Trickle irrigation has also been used very successfully on fields with marginal soils that cannot otherwise be farmed. • Last but not least, trickle/drip irrigation systems can be used with mulch film to maximise the benefits of both systems.

In many cases, water savings of 50 per cent can be achieved compared with furrow irrigation.

High maintenance requirements Trickle irrigation application brings many benefits and helps conserve precious water supplies, but it demands a high level of maintenance. Micro-irrigation systems comprise a large number of water emitters each with quite small flow paths. These small diameter flow paths are clearly prone to blockage by foreign matter, including debris from both physical and biological origins.

Inorganic matter including sand, grit, silt and chalk will arrive via

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IRRIGATION

Trickle irrigation application brings many benefits and helps conserve precious water supplies, but it demands a high level of maintenance. the external water supply. Organic matter including algae may well have arrived from the same source – growing on the surface of lakes and reservoirs – but just as easily from growing within the distribution network of the irrigation system.

Physical treatment methods are used to remove particles of inorganic and organic matter that are sufficiently large to block the emitter outlets. They may be removed by centrifugal separators, settling basins and tanks, skimming boards, screen filters, sand media filters or a combination of these methods. If source waters containing quantities of suspended particles are used without physical treatment clogging of the emitters will invariably occur, leading to uneven distribution of water and poor performance of the irrigation system. What’s more, many micro-irrigation systems are used in semi-arid and arid environments where blockage of the system and no water distribution to particular plants will rapidly lead to high mortality rates through desiccation.

Chemical treatment involves addition of one or more chemicals to the water supply in order to control biological growth or cause chemical reactions that will precipitate out offending chemicals in the water supply such as iron. Chemical methods commonly used to treat micro-irrigation water supply include chlorination by the injection of chlorine-generating chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite to precipitate insoluble iron

salts, and the measured addition of specific acids to precipitate calcium carbonate (chalk). Physical and chemical treatment may be carried out in tandem.

Commonly occurring water quality problems which may impact on the performance of micro-irrigation systems and thus requiring treatment include: • Presence of large dimensional particulate matter contained in the water supply.

• Presence of high level of silt and clay loads in the water supply.

• Growth of bacterial colonies as slime in the system.

• Growth and development of algal colonies either in the water supply or the irrigation system.

• Precipitation of insoluble salts of iron, sulphur and chalk (calcium carbonate).

In the early days of trickle/drip irrigation (1970 onwards), few blockage problems were encountered because farmers and growers presented with a ‘brand new’ concept in irrigation installed good filtration systems even though they are nowhere near as efficient as today’s equipment.

After some 10 to 15 years of widespread use with access to increasingly sophisticated irrigation systems there was a tendency to overlook the need for clean, particle-free water supplies.

Consequently, many farmers and growers started to encounter serious and frequent clogging problems. Users had become complacent and tended to under-design and under-invest in complementary filtration systems because, when designed properly, they represented a large proportion of the overall cost. But a trickle/irrigation system will only perform as well as quality of the water supply allows and today some 30 years on from this period of problems the same holds true. h

Valley® Irrigation leads the way in global irrigation technology. We have over 200,000 machines on the ground with manufacturing facilities across the globe. As the innovators of the world’s best-selling irrigation equipment, Valley engineers new solutions to help growers maximize V@SDQØDEÚBHDMBXØ@MCØOQNÚS@AHKHSX Ø+D@CHMFØSGDØV@X Ø3G@SlRØSGDØV@XØVDØCNØATRHMDRR 3NØÚMCØ@ØCD@KDQØMD@QØXNTØUHRHSØU@KKDX EQ BNLØNQØU@KKDX Y@ BNL 3NØBNMS@BSØTRØAXØDL@HK ØHQQHF@SHNM U@KLNMS BNLØ watermark

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S08 AF JulyAugust 2013 Irrigation_Layout 1 11/07/2013 15:48 Page 31

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S09 AF JulyAugust 2013 Fogging_Layout 1 11/07/2013 15:51 Page 32

FOGGING

The production of fogging or misting machines has expanded rapidly as the number of farming and other uses has increased, says Mike Williams.

Fogging for crops and livestock

F

OGGING IS A versatile process, used for applications as varied as creating special visual effects in the entertainment industry to controlling micro-organisms in medical facilities, but the farming industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for the machines that produce the fog droplets.

Fog produced by a machine consists of tiny droplets of liquid that are usually less than about 50 microns in size, which is so small that they can remain floating in the air for long periods. The droplets are produced in such large numbers that they reduce visibility – which is what happens when fog is produced naturally. The fog droplets that are produced by a machine may consist of pure water or alternative liquids such as mineral oil, and the droplets can also contain a solution formed with tiny amounts of chemical such as insecticide or disinfectant.

Pure water fog droplets are used in various ways, and in the farming industry this includes heat reduction inside livestock buildings. Another development is to use pure water fogging to maintain the fresh appearance and extend the shelf life of freshly harvested leafy salad and vegetable crops.

Using the droplets to carry diluted chemicals is a technique used in both livestock and crop prodution, and it is also an important method for protecting crop products from damage by insects and other pests during storage. Fogging is ideal for this type of treatment because of the length of time the droplets remain in the air, and during this time they disperse, spreading the chemical they contain over a large area and into places that would be difficult to reach with conventional spray equipment.

Fogging machines operate on either a ‘cold’ system or the thermal method that uses heat to form the droplets, and most of the leading manufacturers offer both types. Cold or ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging uses a pressurised aerosol system to produce the droplets which are typically in the 10 to 40 micron size range, and some machines have an adjustment to increase or reduce the average droplet size.

Another important design feature influencing the work capacity of a fogging machine is the tank size. Bigger tanks for the fogging liquid and for the fuel on engine-powered models improve output by extending the interval between refill stops, but this also increases the weight and an over-generous tank capacity on a portable machine makes the equipment more tiring to use.

Thermal fogging effective for small droplets Thermal fogging with heat to vaporise the liquid and form the fog droplets is an effective method for producing relatively small droplets, sometimes in the range between less than one micron and up to 10 microns, and smaller droplets can last longer and disperse more effectively.

The fogging machines used in livestock buildings and to protect crops growing in small areas outside or under tunnels are generally portable, but the big capacity machines used for plantation and orchard crops and also popular for large-scale control schemes for mosquitoes and other insect pests are usually mounted on a vehicle such as a pick-up truck or a small utility vehicle.

Special features available on some fogging machines include automatic on/off controls operated by a time switch. This can reduce labour costs when fogging is required to operate in the night or at weekends, for example, and the fact that the operator does not have to be present is also a health benefit when fog is produced in a confined space.

Importance of corrosion-resistant materials Using corrosion-resistant materials during production can be an important influence on the working life of fogging machines, and stainless steel is extensively used by some manufacturers. In the IGEBA range from Germany, for example, stainless steel is used for the fuel tank, the solution or fogging liquid tank, the fog tube and the air pump on their popular mid-range TF35 model. Both water and oilbased solutions can be used in the TF35, which is a general purpose machine with a 25hp power output and two litres per hour fuel consumption. It weighs 7.9kg with empty tanks and the maximum horizontal throw is 100 metres working indoors with an oil based solution.

Further up the capacity range, stainless steel is also used extensively on IGEBA’s TF95-HD fogging machine designed for truck mounting.

It is available with a 60-litre solution tank and it can also be equipped with a built-in pump working from a bulk supply tank. The weight is 39.5kg or 36kg for the pump version and the fuel tank capacity is 5.5 litres which gives a 75 to 80 minutes running time.

32 African Farming - July/August 2013

The Micron AU800 backpack mistblower in action.

Pure water fog droplets are used in various ways, and in the farming industry this includes heat reduction inside livestock buildings.

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FOGGING

The American based Curtis Dyna-Fog company has 75 years of experience in aerosol technology.

A trailer mounted Dyna-Fog 1200 model powered by a 9.5hp Kohler engine controlling mosquitoes in South Africa.

The British-based Micron Group pioneered Controlled Droplet Application or CDA technology which uses an electrically powered spinning disc to produce evenly sized droplets. CDA features on the Micron AU8000 knapsack type mistblower or fogging machine, producing a more uniform droplet size to increase the efficiency of low and ultra low volume chemical application. The AU8000 unit includes an engine and tank carried in a backpack with the hand-held spray head attached by a flexible tube allowing the operator to direct the mist or fog droplets to achieve maximum crop protection.

AU8000 specifications include a two-stroke petrol engine with 77cc capacity and 5hp output. Tank capacities are two litres for petrol and 14 litres for the solution and the weight is 10.7kg with empty

holistic

34 African Farming - July/August 2013

High-tech hands-on

tanks. Performance data for the AU8000 include a 20 cu m/min air output with 125 m/sec velocity and approximately two litres/hour fuel consumption. Micron also offers the Micronex attachment to convert other makes of knapsack type mistblowers or fogging machines to CDA operation. Micronex fogging units are used mainly for controlling insect pests and for low volume application in horticultural crops, orchards and vineyards.

The American-based Curtis Dyna-Fog company has 75 years of experience in aerosol technology and offers one of the biggest choices of fogging or misting equipment including thermal and cold machines. They also offer small scale equipment for domestic pest control as well as medium and large capacity units for agricultural and industrial applications. Their high output models include the Dyna-Jet L-30 machine for ultra low volume application, an all-electric fogging unit powered by a 12-volt DC motor and with a power-operated articulating head to change the discharge direction. The blower output is 38.2 cu m/min, the tank capacity is 57 litres and the specification includes a remote control facility. Droplets are produced by an electric powered rotary atomiser designed to give a more uniform output with 90 per cent of droplets less than 20 microns.

Dyna-Fog, which has a subsidiary company located in South Africa, also offers the Typhoon 1 and 11 models powered by a 9.5hp Kohler engine and an 11hp Honda respectively. They are designed for general purpose fogging, both in the open and inside buildings, and the specification includes a digital hourmeter, a remote control facility and three different pumping options.

Growth of manufacturing in Asia The long-established companies making fogging equipment are based in Europe and the United States, but they are being challenged by the rapid growth of manufacturing in Asia, and particularly in China, India and South Korea. Some of the more recently established manufacturers are becoming increasingly successful exporters to global markets including African countries.

Vectorfog is South Korea’s biggest fogging equipment manufacturer with a range of thermal and aerosol type machines backed by an international marketing policy. They have a number of distributors already established in Africa and Vectorfog will be exhibiting at this year’s Sahara Expo event in Egypt and at a trade fair in Morocco. Their range includes portable aerosol type cold fogging machines, starting with the C100 with a built-in 3.8 litre tank and a 1250 watt two-speed Samsung electric motor. The flow rate is 60 l/hr and the net weight is 3.5kg.

A recent addition to the Vectorfog range is the H200SF thermal fogger, a medium capacity portable machine that works with water and oil based liquids and is designed for a wide range of applications including crop protection and animal health. It is powered by a pulse jet type petrol engine and the specification includes a 6.5 litre tank and a 30 to 50 l/min flow rate. The net weight is 10.8kg.

Vehicle mounted thermal foggers from Vectorfog include the H500 for truck mounted model designed for covering large areas including plantations and orchards. The H500 has a 150 litre tank, the truck’s battery can be used to start the petrol engine and the flow rate is 200 to 300 l/hr. The smaller H400 model with a 30 litre tank and a 36kg net weight is mounted on a pedestrian operated three-wheel trolley and there is also a H200 version with a 15 litre tank capacity and a 60 l/hr flow rate that can be mounted on a quad bike or a motorcycle. h

www.africanfarming.net

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FOGGING

Plant protection by fogging in greenhouses IN MANY GREENHOUSES worldwide the “traditional” method of spraying is still applied. This means, in effect, a substantial amount of labour time, the use of huge quantities of valuable water and the waste of expensive chemicals by dripping losses.

These dripping losses occur due to the relatively large size of the droplets created by normal sprayers.

As an alternative to conventional spraying, it is possible to apply thermal fogging as well as “cold” fogging by electric ULV aerosol generators. Both types of machines are creating a fog with a droplet spectrum between approx. 1μm and 40 μm, only the way of preparation of the droplets is different.

With fogging, the typical application quantity of water+chemicals+stabiliser (anti-evaporation) is only between two and six litres/1,000 sq m, depending on the height and leaf mass of plants in the greenhouse as well as upon the degree of infestation.

Swingfog high performance thermal fog generators are not only famous for their expertise in controlling mosquitoes, but are also well known for their application for plant protection in greenhouses.

Equipped with the specially designed high performance fogging tube, Swingfog is the only device which can generate a droplet spectrum with water as the carrier, which is almost as good as the droplet spectrum with oil-based spraying mixtures.

www.africanfarming.net

With the portable Swingfog SN 50, it is possible to perform the application quickly, but also with a high capacity, eg, a greenhouse of 1,000 sq m can be treated within approximately 10 minutes (applying a three litre spraying mixture and using a nozzle with an output of 20 l/h). In this case the operator can just direct the fogger through the entrance. If the houses are larger, the operator can walk through the greenhouse. There are also bigger machines within the company’s production programme.

For the “cold” fog technology, Swingtec offers the electric Fontan ULV aerosol generators working automatically or semi-automatically. Thus, no operator is needed and the units can work during the night hours. These units create a controlled air circulation, which is the transport media of the droplets, and distributes them evenly within the greenhouses. Again, a specific feature of the Fontan machines is their special construction of the fans including a stator which prevents the turbulence of normal ventilators. The typical capacity range of the Fontan units is for houses up to 2,500 sq m (Compactstar and Turbostar) and up to 5,000 sq m (Twinstar) just out of one working position. By using additional fans for the circulation the area to be treated can even be extended. The output of these machines is lower than that of a thermal fogger, but as they are usually working during the night, this is not

of relevance, and the exposure time of the insects to the fog is thus longer.

With the Swingtec machines it is possible to create a lot of fog within a short time by an operator using a Swingfog or to provide for a comfortable automatic application with a Fontan without involving an operator (except for preparing the device). In both cases a highly effective application of chemicals with a water-saving technology is guaranteed.

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RICE

The impacts of climate change on rice production and productivity can be summarized by the following factors: heat stress, increased night-time temperature, flooding, drought and salt stress.

Biological vulnerability to climage change

R

ICE IS A tropical crop. It can withstand high temperatures, but unfortunately also rice has its limits. During the vegetative stage rice can withstand night temperatures up to 25°C and day temperatures up to 35°C. Higher temperatures will result in reduced photosynthesis.

Another phenomenon related to high daytime temperatures is heat stress. Heat stress causes spikelet sterility, eventually leading to high yield loss. Rice is particularly sensitive to heat stress at the flowering stage, which may occur when the temperature rises above 35°C. The time of day when rice opens its flower is particularly important, because it is at that moment that rice is most vulnerable to high temperatures. The fact that African rice (Oryza glaberrima) flowers early in the morning, while Asian rice (Oryza sativa) flowers just before noon, unleashed the search for the African rice early flowering trait that enables the rice flower to escape the heat of the day.

The effect of increased CO2 on rice yield is not yet fully understood. It is generally thought that the positive effects of increased CO2 levels, or CO2 fertilisation, will disappear through the simultaneous increase in temperature. Increased night-time temperature has a negative effect on rice grain yield.

After analysing data from Los Banos, Peng et al. (2004) found that the associated grain yield declined by 10 per cent for each 1°C increase in minimum temperature in the dry season, while there was no clear effect of an increase in maximum temperature.

The latest edition of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report on climate change (IPCC 2007) predicts increased droughts for the African continent. Since most of the African agriculture is rainfed, this will have negative consequences on crop yields.

The same holds for rice production. An estimated 80 per cent of the rice-growing area in Africa is devoted to rainfed rice production, while 48 per cent is for upland and 32 per cent for rainfed lowland production. While rainfed upland rice production will be hit hardest, the rainfed lowland production may be negatively affected too.

Although better protected against drought, rainfed lowlands face an increased probability of being confronted with flooding. While rice can easily withstand flooding it can withstand complete submergence only for a short time.

New rice varieties that have been introgressed with the Sub1 gene can stand submergence for three weeks as was reported by IRRI (Wassmann et al. 2009). At AfricaRice, studies are under way on producing rice with less water.

Increased temperature will lead to an increase in evaporation.

Increased evaporation may lead to increased salinity and sodicity inland, while in coastal areas sea level rise will increase salinity. As a result, an increase in salt stress associated with climate chance is expected to occur.

Rice is moderately tolerant to low levels of salt, while mangrove rice varieties are known to withstand high levels of salt. Efforts are being made to identify the genes that confer salt tolerance.

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AfricaRice currently has two research projects studying the effect of climate change on pest and diseases. One is studying the effect of climate change on the virulence and distribution of blast and bacterial leaf blight, while the second is concentrating on the effect of climate change on the vigor and distribution of parasitic rice weeds.

Socioeconomic vulnerability to climate change Africa is one of the less-researched continents in terms of the potential consequences of global warming. Trends suggest that the variability of rainfall will increase and the monsoon regions may become drier, leading to increases in drought-prone areas in the Sahel and southern Africa.

Equatorial zones of Africa may receive more intense rainfall. The overall spatial distribution of future rainfall remains uncertain, however, particularly for the Sahel for which there are a number of contrasting projections.

Climate change is expected to lead to major changes in rainfall distribution, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and generally rising temperatures and CO2 levels. Farmers have great experience in dealing with climate risk, but the fast pace of change means that their local knowledge and technologies may not be sufficient as new conditions emerge. We need to anticipate such changes and provide alternatives or measures for farmers to adapt to lower and erratic rainfall, higher demand for water, changing river discharges, and so on.

New climate-resilient varieties and crop-and resourcemanagement technologies and institutional innovations such as insurance against crop failure may help them adapt to these rapidly changing environments. Mitigation opportunities are also important.

The impact of the predicted enhanced use of Africa’s lowlands for rice, slash-and-burn practices in upland environments, and increased use of nitrogen fertiliser needs more study to develop as much as possible ways to limit additional release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

In short, a global effort to develop targeted technological options to help African farmers to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change is needed. h AfricaRice www.africanfarming.net

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CEREAL PROCESSING

UNIDO has emphasised micro/small-scale business development in its technical assistance programmes as a mean to contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa in general and Uganda in particular.

Small-scale cereal milling

C

EREAL PROCESSING OFFERS good opportunities for small-scale businesses in Uganda because raw materials are readily available, most equipment is reasonably affordable and if the products are chosen correctly, they have a good demand and can be profitable.

However, small-scale cereal processors are confronted with strong competition in the domestic and regional markets.

To be profitable it is essential to have high quality products, an attractive package where appropriate and a well-managed business.

UNIDO has developed a manual to guide the small-scale cereal miller and baker in Uganda to optimise their processing methods and implement GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and quality assurance schemes and build their technical capacity for improved market access and competitiveness.

Different types of food processing can be categorised into: ● Primary processing (post-harvest operations including drying, milling, etc). ● Secondary processing (eg, baking, frying etc) in which raw materials from primary processing are transformed into a wide range of added value products that are attractive and add variety to the diet.

The manual covers technical aspects of cereal processing to produce safe and high quality products. It does not deal with the many other aspects of operating a successful small business such as marketing, business and financial planning and management skills.

There are also training opportunities being developed by the Uganda Cottage Scale Food Processors Association under the UNIDO Uganda Integrated Programme.

Hand in hand with good manufacturing, hygiene and management practices, all partners in the food supply chain must remain aware of the expanding number of domestic and international food safety laws and regulations. Several incidences of food contamination have led the Codex Alimentarius Commission to develop additional food safety standards to enhance consumer health protection.

These food safety laws, regulations and standards are mandatory.

To access markets, food commercial enterprises must meet them through the application of Good Manufacturing/Hygienic Practices (GM/HP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). The implementation of sound quality assurance programmes is also a must to increase their competitiveness.

Milling and processing Both milling and secondary processing are major sources of income for thousands of people in Uganda. In custom milling (also known as ‘contract’ or ‘service’ milling), customers bring their grain to a mill and have it ground for either a small fee or a proportion of the flour. It is popular in rural areas and in less affluent districts of urban centres, where it provides a service to low-income customers who may not be able to afford packaged flour from retailers.

However, in Uganda the majority of millers pack their flour into retail bags. Retail packs compete with flour that is sold in open 38 African Farming - July/August 2013

Fortified maize flour from Uganda.

To be profitable it is essential to have high quality products, an attractive package where appropriate and a well-managed business. markets from sacks, usually at a lower price.

The miller must therefore offer potential consumers a reason to buy more expensive flour in packets. Benefits such as guaranteed quality; freedom from stones or other contaminants; and a guaranteed weight can be promoted as positive benefits to consumers.

Wholesale or institutional markets are more diverse and include sales to schools and colleges, other government institutions (prisons, army barracks etc.), international food relief operations, bakeries and wholesalers (who in turn supply retailers and/or bakeries). Wholesale or institutional customers are more likely to be professional buyers who are experienced at negotiating prices, terms and conditions of sale and buy flour using contracts and open tenders.

After cereals have been ground to flours, they can be processed in a variety of ways and combined with potentially hundreds of other ingredients to produce a vast range of processed cereal products.

Wheat flour is an essential ingredient in most bakery products, but it is not produced at a small scale in Uganda.

Wheat is either milled in large-scale centralised mills (eg, at Jinja) or flour is imported.

Successful small-scale bakers offer a range of bakery products (such as cakes, pies and pastries) and not just bread. This is because they are in competition with larger bakeries that have greater economies of scale and can sell bread more cheaply. Although a range of products needs more careful production planning, it spreads the financial risk and these products have higher profit margins than bread. When bakers make a wide product range, they gain a reputation for innovation and attract customers who are looking for something different, or place special orders (eg, for birthday or wedding cakes, snacks for parties etc.). It also demonstrates the skill and professionalism of the baker and customers then gain confidence in the quality of the products.

In recent years new, non-traditional cereal products have entered the Ugandan market to meet the changing demands of richer urban populations and visitors. Bakery products such as cakes and pastries and ‘fast- foods’ such as pizza, pies and fried cereal products (eg, samosas and doughnuts) have growing markets in urban centres.

Cereal processing, therefore, offers very good opportunities for small-scale enterprises. www.africanfarming.net

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CEREALPROCESSING

The technology is available and affordable, the demand for products is high and the level of skill and expertise needed to produce high quality products is lower than in many other types of food processing.

The main types of milled and baked products produced by smallscale processors in Uganda are shown below.

Table 1 – Types of processed cereal products Milled products Composite flours Maize flour Finger millet flour Rice flour Legume flours Sorghum flour Cakes Doughnuts

Bakery products Biscuits/cookies Breads Pizzas Pastries

Pastries Pies Samosas

The building All cereal processing businesses should have a hygienically designed and easily cleaned building to prevent contamination of products. Buildings in rural areas may cost more to construct because of higher transport costs for building materials, but rents in rural areas are usually lower than urban centres. The investment in construction or the amount of rent paid should be appropriate to the size and expected profitability of the business.

Within the building, raw materials and food products should move between different stages in a process without the paths crossing. This reduces the risk of contaminating finished products, as reducing the likelihood of accidents or of operators getting in each other’s way.

There should be enough space for separate storage of raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials and finished products.

Toilets should be separated from the processing area by two doors or in a separate building.

www.africanfarming.net

Lack of maintenance is one of the most common problems that cause small-scale millers and bakers to lose money.

Equipment maintenance One reason for lost production is delays caused by waiting for spare parts after equipment breaks down. As a minimum, cereal processors should monitor the state of equipment that is likely to wear out and as their experience grows over the years, they should buy spare parts or send the machine for servicing when they expect that a component is due to be replaced. There are likely to be a few parts that wear out more quickly than others (eg, mixer bearings, heating elements in bag sealers, drive belts and hammers in mills). These should be identified and spare parts kept in stock.

Processors can make an agreement in advance, possibly involving a small annual fee, to ensure that electricians or mechanics repair equipment as a priority.

Lack of maintenance is one of the most common problems that cause small-scale millers and bakers to lose money. Machine breakdowns arise from a number of different causes.

They reduce productivity and increase production costs. Poorly maintained machines also produce substandard products and can contaminate products with metal fragments, as well as being a potential hazard to operators. Another common cause of failure is when those who operate or maintain a machine arbitrarily alter it. Proper maintenance ensures that machinery operates correctly and safely and prolongs its life, thus reducing capital and operating expenditure. h

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GREENHOUSES

Greenhouses protect crops from too much heat or cold, shield plants from dust storms and blizzards, and help to keep out pests. This is according to Vegtech 2000’s Alex Hofmeyr, who adds that light and temperature control also improves food production in marginal environments.

Greenhouses: the future of agriculture

V

EGTECH IS A South African company with over 16 years’ experience in greenhouse projects, growing, construction, and accessory supply, and has completed more than 300 projects across Africa.

Vegtech is able to provide its clients with complete solutions for greenhouse agriculture, from access to financing through to the design and construction.

“Firstly, we visit the client and discuss their requirements and needs. Vegtech then examines the climatic conditions at the proposed site. After that, the system is designed with the right kind of ventilation and irrigation systems,” Hofmeyrhe stated. Once the system is designed, Vegtech finalises the documentation and exports the greenhouse to anywhere in Africa. The company can also send a team to build the project from scratch.

Greenhouses are most suitable for the cultivation of higher-value crops that utilise the space in the greenhouse effectively.

Which crops are suitable?

Hofmeyr noted that greenhouses are most suitable for the cultivation of higher-value crops that utilise the space in the greenhouse effectively. These include tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, as well as melons and herbs. Many of these crops are in high demand across the continent.

www.africanfarming.net

Another popular use for greenhouses in Africa is for the production of cut flowers, which can be exported to Europe. He said that a number of companies have already invested in cut flower production in Africa.

Who should consider investing in a greenhouse?

Hofmeyr explained that the company has worked on a variety of projects, varying from 240 sq m in size up to 10 ha. “Our clients range from government institutions and wealthy businessmen to small-scale farmers.”

Greenhouses in Africa Vegtech has been involved in a number of greenhouse projects on the continent. One of these is the Terra Verde project, located outside Luanda, Angola. The farm, a joint Angolan-Israeli business utilising international expertise, was set up at the end of the war in 2002, and has been harvesting various crops, including tomatoes and cucumbers, for a number of years.

Hofmeyr said it is encouraging to see that after so many years the project is still going strong. “The crops, marketing, and management is good, which means that there is lot of demand for what they are producing at this stage.”

Vegtech is also currently involved in establishing two greenhouses for Puntoverde in Equatorial Guinea for vegetable production. Although the project is still in its early stages, he says that it holds a lot of promise. h

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POWER SUPPLY

Providing people with clean and affordable energy supplies is crucial and coming up with innovative energy solutions is key to transforming the lives of communities across the continent, for without energy farmers cannot feed their families, their villages, or wider society. As to who provides these innovations is where USAID’s ‘Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development’ programme is set to make a major difference in the coming years, Tim Guest reports.

Powering Agriculture A programme of innovation and hope

P

OWERING AGRICULTURE: AN Energy Grand Challenge for Development has been devised by the USAID development agency to bring together public and private partnerships, clean energy technologies, development strategies and agriculture in order to transform typically inefficient agricultural practices used in Africa and other developing countries. To do this, it is actively seeking technology-based, scalable, clean-energy solutions from the global scientific and technology communities.

At one of the first Powering Agriculture conferences in mid-2012, Dr Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the UN Industrial Organisation UNIDO, said that 2012 had been declared “as the year of sustainable energy for all” by the UN and added, “access to energy is crucial in the fight against poverty”. Yumkella made his points personal, saying that having been born in Sierra Leone he had witnessed post-harvest losses of between 40 and 60 per cent for various commodities and stressed that with access to energy, such post-harvest losses could be reduced, making more food available in the food supply chain.

Empowering women Yumkella also stressed that energy access is about empowering women in Africa where they account for about 80 per cent of the labour force involved in agriculture and food processing.

“Imagine what would happen,” he said, “if they [women] had access to technology that could be powered because they have access to energy. They would save a significant amount of time in pounding food, in grinding, in preparing food for market.”

Yumkella added that the Powering Agriculture programme is all about, “innovation and deploying technology that will enhance the productivity, particularly of women, in my part of the world in western Africa”.

Changing development methods A major part of USAID's Grand Challenges for Development initiative, the Powering Agriculture programme is run by the agency's Office of Science and Technology, whose team collaborates with the global science and technology community to unearth breakthroughs and innovations that can help solve major development issues.

“Our belief is that when applied to issues like agriculture, science and technology can change the trajectory of development,” a USAID spokesperson told African Farming.

“As a development agency, USAID's first task is to ensure that the hungry have food and those under duress have safety and solace, but our second task is to ensure that every person on the planet has the chance to craft for themselves a life of their own choosing.

42 African Farming - July/August 2013

Dr Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the UN Industrial Organisation UNIDO.

“Our Agency must serve as a platform that connects the world’s biggest development challenges to development problem solvers all around the world. We recognise that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not” - Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator.

USAID created Powering Agriculture to find emerging science and technology innovations and practices that can help us meet both of these responsibilities, helping us to address, at least in part, some of the most pressing issues of the 21st Century: hunger, energy access, women’s empowerment, poverty in the agricultural sphere and climate change.” www.africanfarming.net

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POWER SUPPLY

Energy access Access to energy, something which can radically increase yields and the ability to process food, remains low, particularly in rural areas where, in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, rural electrification rates average at as little as 14 per cent. With so many issues intertwined in the agricultural/food processing picture, to overcome each will be a major struggle in the years ahead. FAO figures make the point very clear: if the world’s ever-growing population is to be fed over the next 40 years, agricultural intensity must increase by 70 per cent, particularly in regions already suffering from the effects of climate extremes where diminished yields are prolific.

USAID believes its Powering Agriculture programme will solve many of the issues, in turn giving women and children the opportunity to spend more time together on things like education and caring for their families.

“Energy access enables targeted crop irrigation, opens doors to value-added processing, and reduces product losses by making cold storage possible. It means products that were once spoiled long before reaching market can be quickly dried and packaged for shipping, regardless of the weather, or chilled at the end of a hot market day to make them available to be sold on the following day,” the USAID spokesperson said.

Private sector involvement USAID is partnering with the private sector, development partners, developing countries and others in the Powering Agriculture programme, and while traditional development institutions, such as USAID, have a central role to play in meeting the needs of the rural poor, Powering Agriculture

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showcases the critical importance and value that is added through partnerships among public and private entities.

As a result of this thinking, USAID joined with the Swedish government and Duke Energy to launch Powering Agriculture, for which more than US$25mn has been mobilised so far. Both partners are said to understand the importance of private sector participation in development and are equally committed to the goal of energy access for all.

“Through this Grand Challenge, we are turning to the global science and technology community - including inventors, engineers, entrepreneurs and academics - and to the marketplace, to uncover solutions that make sense and scale organically, offering sustainable and practical agricultural solutions far into the future,” said the USAID spokesperson.

“Powering Agriculture's role is effectively seeding growth at the nexus of science, technology, energy and agriculture.”

USAID administrator Rajiv Shah commented, “Our Agency must serve as a platform that connects the world’s biggest development challenges to development problem solvers all around the world. We recognise that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.”

The Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development Grand Challenge seeks market-based clean energy solutions for agriculture and annually invites private sector companies, organisations and individuals from any country to submit applications for individual awards ranging from US$300,000 to US$1.5mn. h For more information on the programme and how you or your company can get involved, visit www.poweringag.org.

www.africanfarming.net

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Mahindra tractors, enabling farmers to rise in Africa FOR MILLIONS OF Africans, farming is the only source of income and food. Agriculture accounts for about 60 per cent of the continent's active labour force, contributes 17 per cent of Africa's total gross domestic product and accounts for 40 per cent of its foreign currency earnings.

Given that the continent possesses 733mn hectares of arable land, agricultural development is the most effective strategy for boosting economic growth. In the last couple of decades, only a few countries, mainly in southern and northern Africa, have been able to overcome the challenges in the development of the agricultural sector and have become truly competitive. However, for the majority of Africa, it is only now that they have embarked on their journey towards agricultural revolution with a vision to unleash the untapped potential of millions of small-scale farms and drive sustainable growth with appropriate mechanisation.

We are the only Indian tractor company, and among the few in the world, that have helped set up tractor assembly facilities in Africa.

The benefits of a strong system of agriculture in Africa are great.

The benefits to the world are equally so, as most of the arable land left in the world is in Africa. More and more the world looks at Africa to be its breadbasket; it will be the Africans and the African farmers who will profit from becoming the world’s breadbasket.

Farm productivity must increase dramatically Farm productivity will have to increase dramatically and knowing that agricultural mechanisation is indeed the missing link, Mahindra, for decades now, has been working with African farmers providing them with not only an efficient range of tractors but also with innovative agri-mechanisation solutions.

“We are the only Indian tractor company, and among the few in the world, that have helped set up tractor assembly facilities in Africa.

Today Mahindra tractors are assembled in five countries across the continent and with some customisation, have helped us in providing

www.africanfarming.net

Mahindra, for decades now, has been working with African farmers.

farmers with tractors that are best suited for the local conditions. These assembly facilities also help the local economy by offering employment opportunities,” said Sanjay Jadhav, Sr. GM, international operations, automotive & farm equipment sectors of Mahindra.

Close on the heels of the success it is enjoying in Tunisia, Algeria, Tanzania and a couple of western African countries including Mali and Chad, the company plans to establish or consolidate its distribution network in many other countries namely Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Benin.

The main impetus for this sense of urgency could be attributed to Mahindra’s ambitious plans for Africa. Unlike many other Indian tractor players that seek opportunities in Africa through bulk deals, Mahindra’s sustainable growth plan includes having strong retail markets. Today, Africa contributes about 20 per cent of the company’s exports, but with the launch of new products and a wider distribution network, the company plans to double their exports to Africa .

“Mahindra has a vision of delivering farm-tech prosperity. In order to do this, starting within India, Mahindra has transformed its tractor sales and service dealerships into Mahindra Samriddhi Centres.

Mahindra Samriddhi is a strategic initiative that envisages rural prosperity through dissemination of innovative farming technologies.

These innovative farm technologies are sourced from various agricultural institutions. We understand that the springboard for growth in agriculture is having efficient farm business solutions and hence we plan to bring Samriddhi centres to Africa too, in the near future.

Also, staying close to the customers and having products specific to the market requirements, would be the cornerstone of our company’s success. Over the last couple of years, the company has invested in developing higher HP tractors, specifically for the African markets. As the African story is now unfolding very fast, we would like to be part of this growth story in a greater manner,” Sanjay added.

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NEWS AND EQUIPMENT

Large Brazilian cashew firm to set up US$25mn processing plant in Ghana A BRAZILIAN PROCESSING company, Usibra Ghana Limited, is to establish a US$25mn cashew processing plant in Ghana. The plant, which is expected to process 300 metric tonnes of cashew daily, will provide about 2,000 direct jobs in the country.

The director of Usibra Ghana Limited, Tarisco Falcao, announced this when he paid a call to the minister of trade and industry, Haruna Iddrisu, in Accra. Usibra is the largest cashew nut processing company in Brazil, with two units capable of processing 70,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts per season.

The company has a subsidiary, Nutsco, in the USA, which processes and distributes cashew and other nuts in the US market. Usibra has an investment potential of US$45mn.

Briefing the minister, Falcao said 80 per cent of the cashew processed in Ghana would be exported to the US and European markets. He stated that growers would be paid a good price for their cashews, in order to stimulate further production.

HSW injection bar with disinfection container HENKE-SASS WOLF'S (HSW)new injection bar is equipped with a HSW disinfection container to make the process of injecting animals easier and cleaner than ever before. It is available in two sizes (total length of 61cm and 102 cm) and has been made suitable for mass injections.

The improved distance to the animal has enhanced user safety and also reduced animal stress, thus improving animal welfare.

The new HSW injection bars stand out because of their durable carbon-metal design which has the capacity to ensure less weight and a strong durability. The tightness and robustness of the injection bars has enabled its use in the field.

In order to offer higher comfort to the user, it has been equipped with a disinfection container which ensures disinfection everywhere quickly and easily. The container has been made suitable for up to two injection bars and comprises a total volume of 3.5 litres when completely filled. The disinfection container is totally appropriate for disinfection, storage and transportation of the injection bars due to its disinfectant-resistant material.

Colombo wins favour with peanut growers FOR YEARS, KMC and Amadas have led the industry in peanut combines, but another company is starting to make headway in the market.

And the reason is simple – the machine is simple.

“The main reason (we chose Colombo) was the lack of maintenance,” said Andy Thornburg, one of about a dozen farmers in the Mobile, Alabama, area who have switched to Colombo in the past few years.

In 2011, Thornburg replaced one of his Amadas self-propelled combines with a Colombo. The next year he replaced the other.

He’s happy with his choice. Colombo says more than 150 farmers in the US have made the same decision.

When Colombo first introduced its machines to farmers in the southeastern US a decade ago, the company already had a long history in Latin America.

The company started in the early 1970s, when the Colombo family of Brazil created a machine to meet their own needs growing beans near Sao Paulo. The family needed to mechanise the harvest and simply invented

equipment to meet their own needs.

“This simple home solution started to grow,” said President/ CEO Leandro Santos.

“Neighbouring farmers requested use of the Colombo family machines in their crops.”

The company, Indústrias Reunidas Colombo, was born.

The machines use a FABI-Fluxo system and low-impact axial system, which allows farmers to harvest dry, partially moist and green beans.

The company grew over time to manufacture the drive shafts and spiders that are in Colombo machines, and almost all agricultural machines sold in Brazil.

One of the main reasons peanut and bean producers like Colombo is that the simplicity of the machine means it requires little maintenance. But that doesn’t mean the design is rustic or unrefined. Colombo engineers have met with farmers in his area and incorporated their ideas into the equipment.

Reducing maintenance isn’t as much about avoiding expense as it is about avoiding downtime.

“Those who grow on the land need to work without having any downtime in the most important moments of each season,” Santos said.

The Colombo design also allows the machine to work under damper conditions, the company and farmers say.

Adjustable rotor pins allow the machine to pick in a wider variety of conditions, and the axial rotary system is not as harsh at the conventional cylinder machines that competitors use.

“The flexibility in harvest time is a major advantage. Having that extra time every day to continue picking adds up to huge savings,” Santos continued.

New Holland impressed with full range at Nampo 2013 NEW HOLLAND AGRICULTURE participated with an impressive stand in the Nampo Harvest Day in May near Bothaville, in the Free State, Republic of South Africa. The full range of tractors, from the powerful T9 and T8 Series at the top of the range, to the best-selling T6000, and the fuel-efficient TD5 and TT Compact Series launched last year. In pride of place was the new 2WD version of the TDF orchard tractor specially designed for the South African market, which was officially introduced to the public at the show. The CX5090 combine harvester and BR round balers on display also attracted lively attention from the public.

The TDF Series was designed to meet the specialised needs of orchards, olive groves, wide vineyards and full-field horticulture farms. The robust, simple TDF combine proven design features with cutting-edge technological

46 African Farming - July/August 2013

excellence. With power ranging from 65 to 80 hp the three models of the series run an extraordinarily efficient 3-cylinder Tier III compliant engine designed for fuel efficiency and great performance with torque reserve up to 46 per cent. The big 80 litre fuel tank capacity allows for a full day’s work without stopping. The reduced front wheel track width puts the TDF Series tractors easily within the maximum overall width limit of 1.5 m requested by horticultural companies, while the front axle and four-wheel drive system provide maximum agility even in narrow spaces.

Representatives of New Holland’s distributor, New Holland South Africa, welcomed visitors to the stand to present the products and explain how they can support them through their network of 102 dealer outlets and two branches, as well as the New Holland training centre in Johannesburg.

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S12 AF JulyAugust 2013 Equipment_Layout 1 11/07/2013 16:14 Page 47

EQUIPMENT

Array of environmental sensors for John Deere’s Field Connect EXPANDING ON THE John Deere Field Connect soil moisture monitoring system introduced last year John Deere has added new environmental sensors and features to provide additional information to producers of all types of agricultural crops.

The new environmental sensors include: weather station, rain gauge, temperature sensor, pyranometer, and leaf wetness sensor.

In addition to the soil moisture data provided by the Field Connect system, the new sensors provide data on temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, solar radiation, leaf wetness and rainfall. The sensors are installed in customer fields as part of the Field Connect Gateway.

Nicholas Shafer, product manager for the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, said the new environmental sensors, along with the multiple capacitance soil moisture sensors, give customers a more comprehensive and accurate picture of what's going on in their fields.

"With this detailed site-specific information, producers are able to more efficiently utilise water resources, as well as schedule and perform other agronomic practices dependant on soil and environmental conditions," Shafer explained. "This results in more efficient use of inputs, fuel and labour saving and additional yield potential from the crop."

Field-specific soil moisture and environmental data is transmitted to a secure website for viewing, and customers can programme the system to receive alerts based on set parameters. Field Connect charts the data from the readings over time, allowing producers to identify trends. The

system can be customised to each field depending on the objectives of each customer to more effectively optimise the productivity of each field.

"These sensors provide key information to producers, helping them to make better agronomic decisions that will pay off with higher yields at harvest," Shafer says.

New input system for MultiMix WELTEC BIOPOWER, A full-service provider, has developed a rugged liquid input system which prevents outages and thus safeguards the technical stability of AD systems. Productivity is increased at the same time due to the possibility of flexibly mixing the input materials as an alternative to using expensive maize silages.

The energy potential of grass silage or whole plant silage (WPS) is very high. Frequently, bacteria are not capable, though, of completely processing carbohydrates and proteins to biogas as a result of their long, smooth surfaces. With MultiMix, an innovation from Weltec Biopower, fibrous and sticky input materials such as grass silage, solid manure or co-substrates are comminuted, thus increasing their surface so that it is suitable for bacteria. In addition, MultiMix separates foreign matters like rocks or metals prior to input and thus decreases the risk of

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the pumps and agitation systems incurring damage as well as build up occurring in the fermenter and in the pipelines.

The operating principle is simple: the retrofittable system is installed between the dosificator and the fermenters. The substrates are taken from the dosificator and added to the MultiMix where they are mixed with recirculate. This mashing process is supported by a screw system which roughens the fibres at the same time. Before the long-fibre substrates and lumpy materials are transported to the macerator and are effectively comminuted, an upstream process reliably separates the extraneous materials prior to being conveyed to the pump.

The decisive advantage: during input in the fermenter, the previously long-fibre substances do not only have the optimum size, but are also prehomogenised by being mixed with the liquid. The

fermenter is thus supplied with the mashed biosuspension. Robert Tholen, head of Engineering at Weltec Biopower, explains: ”The biogas system of a Czech customer has been operating at a continuous full load with the aid of our MultiMix just after a four-week start-up. Normally that takes six to eight weeks with uninoculated slurry till this level can be reached.“ As a result, MultiMix supports biological decomposition and thus allows for a faster and greater gas yield. At the same time, it also significantly reduces the risk of floating or sinking layers developing in the fermenter. That in turn decreases the amount of agitation required and the wear and tear of the entire system. The lower vulnerability to damage results in a significant increase in the pump‘s typical service life, boosting in turn the system‘s availability.

African Farming - July/August 2013

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NEWS AND EQUIPMENT

Namibia to buy tractors for crop growing regions THE MINISTRY OF Agriculture, Water and Forestry has announced that it is currently in the process of buying more tractors for the crop growing regions of Caprivi, Kavango, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Kunene North.

In a statement issued by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Joseph Iita, the ministry’s current fleet of about 65 tractors is not sufficient to serve all the constituencies; therefore more tractors are needed to equip each constituency with a minimum of four tractors and their accompanying implements.

According to Iita, the Ministry has realised that to maintain the current fleet of tractors is a major challenge due to the unavailability of garages specialising in the maintenance and repair of tractors as well as the provision of spare parts.

“Currently, most of the tractors and implements in the regions are parked, waiting to be serviced and repaired in preparation of the next cropping season,” Iita stated.

The Ministry is also in the process of constructing Technology Centres in

48 African Farming - July/August 2013

Ongwediva and Rundu where the two fresh produce hubs are located. The centres will manufacture parts, as well as repair and maintain tractors and farm implements, test and adapt agricultural equipment and implements to the local conditions.

Research and design methodologies on agricultural technology adaptation will also be conducted at the centres where aspiring farmers and local entrepreneurs will receive training.

Iita said the Ministry has received requests from farmers and private

entrepreneurs to make use of the tractors and implements during the off season period but in the absence of the technology centres, the Ministry cannot afford to rent out tractors due to inadequate specialised garages in the regions to service and repair tractors and implements on time for the next cropping season.

“The inability to repair and maintain tractors and implements well on time will delay the operations of the Dry land Crop Production Programme (DCPP) for the subsequent cropping season,” said Iita.

The Dry Land Crop Production Programme is one of the projects the Ministry currently promotes as part of its mandate to increase food production. The programme supports a majority of households who depend on rain-fed crop farming for their livelihoods and is aimed at enhancing knowledge on appropriate farming techniques for the Northern Communal Areas, increase household food security levels and eventually contribute to the reduction of poverty and income inequality.

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EQUIPMENT

New Holland’s fuel-efficient offering steals the show at SIAM 2013 NEW HOLLAND AGRICULTURE showcased its full offering at the SIAM 2013, which was held in Morocco recently. The tractors on display included the highly successful TD Series with three models from 80 to 98 hp; the proven TT Series with two models ranging from 55 to 75 hp; and the T4040F orchard tractor, which has received international awards for its innovation. Also on the stand were a TC5040 combine harvester, a BC5060 small square baler and a VX7090 olive harvester. The show also saw the official launch of New Holland’s new TD5 Series tractors. The 1,120 sq m stand, which for the fourth time in two years won the Best Stand award, remained crowded with interested visitors throughout the show.

The sales teams from New Holland and its long-time importer SOMMA Groupe Auto Hall, were on hand to explain to visitors how they are able to support them in their businesses with products and services. In addition, New Holland specialists held a conference on the mechanisation of olive harvesting, which attracted great interest.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the show,” stated A. El Mouadden, managing director and sales manager of SOMMA Groupe Auto Hall. “We started serious purchasing discussions with more than 1,000 prospective customers and closed the show with an impressive order book. I am confident that the ongoing negotiations started on the stand will lead to many more sales in the months to come.”

The official launch of the new TD5 Series was also very successful, as El Mouadden commented: “The TD5 tractor range has been carefully designed to meet the high expectations and very specific requirements of this important segment. The launch was a resounding success, with a number of orders that exceeded our expectations.”

The new TD5 Series carries over well-loved elements from its predecessors, such as mechanical transmissions and easy maintenance,

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The New Holland TD5.

coupling them with a new high-comfort operator area and a columnmounted optional hydraulic PowerShuttle, offering a modern take on a traditional favourite: 1. Fuel efficiency with new Tier 3 engine. The four models of the new TD5 Series, ranging from 75 to 110 hp, are powered by new, Tier 3 compliant turbocharged - intercooled Iveco-based 8000 series engines that deliver more power, torque and fuel economy.

2. Comfort with a redesigned operator area. It is available in ROPS & cab versions, offering optimum comfort and ergonomic excellence.

3. Versatility with the new PowerShuttle transmission.

4. Productivity with the factory fitted new front loader designed in-house specifically for this range. The loader’s low mounting brackets guarantee excellent forward and downward visibility.

5. Power with the new 110 hp model. The range has been extended at the high end with the new TD5.110 model.

African Farming - July/August 2013

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Yamaha introduces new multi-purpose utility vehicle YAMAHA IS ROLLING out the all-new Viking, which will be replacing the Yamaha Rhino. The Viking was engineered as a robust and highcapacity utility vehicle for a fun, confidence-inspiring experience in an agricultural, hunting, or recreational setting.

One of the most noticeable differences between the Rhino and the Viking is the seat configuration. The Viking has three individual bucket seats with headrests and seatbelts. To give passengers more room in a tight space, the middle seat is reclined slightly and the headrest is set back.

The Viking is equipped with Yamaha’s most powerful 686-cc, liquidcooled, fuel injected power plant. A four-valve head with 10.0:1

compression delivers optimum torque for varying workloads and up to a 30 per cent gain in fuel efficiency The Viking features an Ultramatic transmission with dual-range (hi-lo) drive and reverse. An automatic centrifugal clutch maintains constant belt tension for reduced belt wear. Three-position On-Command fourwheel drive lets you dial between two-wheel drive, limited-slip fourwheel drive, and fully locked differential four-wheel drive.

The rear steel cargo bed was built for durability and convenience. Large enough to carry a fully loaded pallet, the assisted dump bed can pack up to 600 pounds of equipment.

Humidifier reduces carcass weight loss THE JETSPRAY HUMIDIFIER from JS Humidifiers is helping abattoir equipment specialists, GM Steel, reduce carcass moisture loss after slaughter by up to 1.5 per cent. By maintaining a consistently high humidity in the chill down area, GM Steel has been able to reduce the moisture loss of a carcass from around 2.5 per cent to less than one per cent.

For an abattoir processing 3,500 carcasses per week and an average cost of beef at US$4/kg, this technology could increase profits by more than US$2mn per year by preventing more than

500,000kg of beef evaporating into its chill store’s atmosphere.

Robert Ten Cate, consultant at GM Steel, explained the process, “A carcass coming from the slaughter line is wet and warm. When it is introduced to the chill store, the cold dry air strips moisture from its exposed surface. The amount depends on the abattoir’s cooling technology but it can be anywhere between 1.2-2.5 per cent of its total weight, and sometimes even more. By maintaining a high humidity in the chill store with a JetSpray humidifier during the initial cooling, moisture loss from

A D V E R T I S E R S

the carcass is inhibited and can be reduced to less than one per cent.

“Independent testing has shown that by maintaining the optimum humidity during cooling, carcass weight loss is reduced without any condensation forming inside the chill store or on the meat.

Humidification of the air does not introduce moisture to the surface of the carcass or increase microbial growth.

Robert continued, “In fact, client tests showed that the high humidity actually reduced microbial growth rather than promote it. The higher humidity improved the conductivity

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