African Farming March April 2012

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www.africanfarming.net March/April 2012

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

Big farms for Africa

and the real role for smallholders

Rice

Integrated crop management

Seed drilling

Serving

AGRICULTURE for

32

YEARS Managing the poultry barn environment.

www.africanfarming.net

Increasing efficiency

S01 AF March - April 2012 Start_Layout 1 21/03/2012 14:43 Page 2

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CONTENTS

Contents

www.africanfarming.net March/April 2012

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.

Crop Protection

Big farms for Africa

10

and the real role for smallholders

Integrated crop solutions for African farmers - a recent presentation by Syngnta at the 2nd Commercial Farm Africa event.

Rice

Integrated crop management

Seed drilling

Poultry

12

Serving

AGRICULTURE for

Managing barn environment key to controlling respiratory disease.

32

YEARS Managing the poultry barn environment.

Dairy Farming

16

In the past two decades, there has been a rapid advance of maize as a major food crop in Africa.

A new breed of cattle could change the fortunes of dairy farmers. The Fleckvieh breed has been introduced to Kenya from South Africa and is expected to give the Friesian breed stiff competition.

Nigeria

www.africanfarming.net

Increasing efficiency

18

In Part III of our interview with Chris Okeke, he discusses non-competitive seeds, input and output markets, as well as the real role for smallholders.

Food Security

22

The recent AGCO Africa Summit called for a new vision for agriculture in Africa.

Rural Communications

24

The air movement from ventilation helps keep the birds cool, as well as removing moisture from the barn.

The growing role of mobile telephones in agriculture.

Rice

26

To feed the world in 2050, investments in agricultural research and extension must be substantially increased, and AfricaRice has shown that integrated crop management is a promising way for SSA.

Irrigation

30

Irrigation and crop management.

Seed Drilling

32

Many of the newest seed drills have design features to improve work rates and increase efficiency.

John Deere’s 750A No-Till drill can work in uncultivated soil.

Managing Editor: Zsa Tebbit Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, David Clancy, Andrew Croft, Prabhu Dev, Immanuel Devadoss, Ranganath GS, Prashanth AP, Ian Roullier, Genaro Santos, Nicky Valsamakis, Julian Walker 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 Italy Nigeria Russia Singapore South Africa Qatar UAE USA

Representative Wang Ying Tanmay Mishra Camilla Capece Bola Olowo Sergei Salov Tan Kay Hui Annabel Marx Saida Daha Camilla Capece Michael Tomashefsky

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African Farming - March/April 2012

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EVENTS

Farming Calendar

IPM Essen 2012 sees nearly 60,000 visitors

March 21-23 IFTEX 2012 www.hppexhibitions.com 26-29 6th International Poultry Conference www.mpn-wpsa.org

NAIROBI ALEXANDRIA

April 18-20 2012 FMB Africa Conference & Exhibition fmb-group.org.uk 19-20 Africa International Soft Commodities 2012 www.cubicglobe.com 23-27 Shea 2012: Shared Value www.globalshea.com

AGADIR LONDON COTONOU

May 1-3

2nd All African Organic Conference www.oppaz.org.zm

8-9

Farm Chemicals International Trade Summit www.farmchemicalsinternational.com

LUSAKA ACCRA

July 11-13 East Africa Irrigation Technology Week www.irrigationweek.com

NAIROBI

August 5-9

XXIV World Poultry Congress www.wpc2012.com

2012 AVIANA Africa 2012 www.avianaafrica.com

SALVADOR LUSAKA

THE RECENT IPM Essen exhibition was attended by 59,600 trade professionals who visited 1,517 exhibitors from 44 countries. The show formed the economic barometer for the worldwide green sector, with 36 per cent of visitors coming from overseas – a rise of 10 per cent. This rise in international visitors was reinforced by the fact that 74 per cent of IPM visitors were decision takers, characterising the great success of the 30th IPM Essen.

"The 30th IPM Essen was superlative," said Frank Thorwirth, Chairman and CEO of Messe Essen, and Egon Galinnis, Managing Director of Messe Essen.

Information about innovations, market orientation and maintaining business contacts were crucial for trade visitors' participation in IPM Essen 2012. In this respect, the fair once again proved to be a meeting place for decision takers and a first-rate networking platform: 74 per cent of visitors have an influence on purchases and procurements in their companies.

One in three visitors placed orders directly at IPM or planned to order something during their visit to the fair. Another 28 per cent are expecting to conclude contracts after the fair on the basis of the information they attained and contacts they acquired. Visitors were also positive about the variety on offer and for the international reach of the fair. 88 per cent of visitors made a positive assessment of the current economic prospects of the sector.

High satisfaction levels were reflected in the intention of 93 per cent of this year’s exhibitors and visitors to attend next year’s IPM Essen, which takes place from 22-25 January, 2013.

www.ipm-messe.de

Strong exhibitor demand for EuroTier 2012 THERE ARE CLEAR signs of exceptionally high exhibitor participation from home and abroad in the world’s top event for animal husbandry, EuroTier, to be held in Hanover from 13 to 16 November 2012.

According to the information supplied by the organiser DLG, stand bookings by more than 1,400 companies to date indicate that well over 2,000 exhibitors can be expected at the event in November. All the world’s leading suppliers of machinery and equipment for modern animal husbandry will be presenting innovative solutions and comprehensive information about innovations and trends in Hanover.

200 first-time exhibitors will be coming. At the last event in 2010, EuroTier with more than 1,900 exhibitors from 49 countries supplied information to over 145,000 expert visitors, including 24,000 international visitors.

Participation from the poultry industry sector will be unique at EuroTier 2012 and cover the entire industry with its brand leaders from the fields

of breeding, husbandry and processing. This will make the “World Poultry Show” the highlight of the entire international poultry industry this year. Further drawing power for visitors from the poultry sector is exerted by the cross-species exhibition areas such as feed and feed storage, animal health or climate control technology in animal housing that are not presented as comprehensively at any other exhibition.

“BioEnergy Decentral”, the global forum for decentralised energy supply, is also encountering a high level of exhibitor interest. Also the Federal Association of Practising Veterinarians is now scheduling its annual congress and associated specialist exhibition “Veterinarian Medicine” to overlap with EuroTier for the third time.

EuroTier is the most important future forum addressing all aspects of professional animal husbandry. Traditionally this is where both technology trends are pointed up and all important questions of modern.

NAMPO 2011 sets the tone once again NAMPO’s HARVEST DAY 2011 succeeded in its objective of supporting agricultural producers on their way to sustainability by once again presenting a variety of exhibitions of a high standard at a single venue. The attendance figure for the four days was 73,552, which is higher than the previous year.

“We receive many compliments on the Harvest Day as a whole – many of them on the high

4 African Farming - March/April 2012

standard of the exhibitions. As may be expected, the general feedback from exhibitors is also positive about the Harvest Day as a business opportunity,” said Mr Jub Jubelius, Chairman of the NAMPO Harvest Day Committee.

Interest in the Harvest Day from international exhibitors, as individuals or as part of a government initiative, is still growing. The participation

of a group of exhibitors from the US and Argentina achieved permanence last year, while Germany and Canada have already indicated that they intend becoming involved.

The number of visiting groups from foreign countries, especially from Africa, also grows by the year.

This year’s NAMPO Harvest Day will take place from Tuesday, 15th to Friday, 18th May.

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NEWS

US agri group to partner Nigerian government in “Africa’s biggest rice farm” DOMINION FARMS LTD, an US-based farming company that produces rice in Kenya, agreed to start a rice farm with the government in Nigeria that would be Africa’s biggest, with production at 300,000 tonnes a year.

The US$40mn rice farm will reduce Nigeria’s rice imports by 15 per cent and cut rice costs by $342mn (54bn naira) a year, Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina said in Abuja, at a press conference attended by officials from Dominion Farms Nigeria Ltd. Terms of the ownership were not announced.

“There’s absolutely no reason in the world for Nigeria to be a food importing nation,” Adesina said. Nigeria must be a “food self-sufficient and food exporting nation.”

“Nigeria is the world’s largest importer of rice, at 2.3mn tons a year on consumption of 4.9mn tons, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Demand in the country will be 35mn tons by 2050,” Adesina said. “Nigeria will produce enough grain in four years to cover its needs, which would allow it to export to other West African countries and compete with Thailand and India.”

The farm will stretch over 30,000 ha in Taraba state in Nigeria’s east, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. About 90 per cent of the land will be operated by contract farmers, and the rest will be run as a corporate farm and for training purposes, according to the Ministry. The farm will require 15,000 workers.

Dominion Farms is based in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and operates a 17,000acre leasehold in western Kenya, according to the company’s website.

Agriculture accounts for 44 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), and contributes to about 77 per cent of all employment in Nigeria, Adesina said. Africa’s top oil producer spends “well over” 1.3tn naira annually to import the four basic food items of wheat, rice, sugar and fish, he said.

Nigeria plans to add 20mn tonnes of production over the next four years of crops including rice, cassava, corn, soybeans, sorghum and cotton, Adesina said.

New vaccine alternative against PRRS FOSTERA™ PRRS*, A modified-live vaccine for growing pigs from Pfizer Animal Health, brings a new high standard of innovation to the costly battle against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) respiratory disease.

Demonstrating its commitment to high standards, Pfizer Animal Health's research and development team made a significant breakthrough. They created unique cell lines that were able to express a newly discovered key receptor protein for the PRRS virus (PRRSv). This innovative thinking was pivotal in bringing Fostera PRRS to the pork industry.

"With more than half of weaning-age PRRSv-negative pigs becoming infected before going to market, this innovative vaccine option helps growing pigs defend themselves against a PRRSv challenge," says Steve Sornsen, DVM, MS, senior director, Veterinary Business Solutions at Pfizer Animal Health.

A challenge study demonstrated that Fostera PRRS, which is the first and only PRRSv vaccine to earn the label claim aid in prevention of PRRS respiratory disease, reduced lung lesions by 84 per cent and reduced overall respiratory clinical signs by 80 per cent. Additionally, results showed vaccination with Fostera PRRS improved average daily gain by 2.5 times compared to pigs in the placebo group.

"Fostera PRRS helps optimise performance by minimising the adverse effects of a subsequent PRRSv challenge, thereby allowing growing pigs to maximise their post-challenge weight gain," says Doug King, DVM, senior veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health.

Fostera PRRS is the second product to launch under the Fostera brand name and is supported by in-field support, resources and diagnostics to help veterinarians and producers tackle this critical disease challenge.

*Vaccine virus may be shed and transmitted to other populations of swine in direct or indirect contact with vaccinated swine.

Malawi’s Mzuzu Coffee experiences steady gains MZUZU COFFEE PLANTERS Co-operative Union in Malawi has in ten years gone from producing 90 tonnes of coffee per year to today’s 450 tonnes per year. Prices for its branded Mzuzu Coffee average US$6 per kg.

According to Chief Executive Officer Harrison Kalua, 2011 was one of the company’s best years, with the global coffee outlook promising continuing good prices in 2012.

In 2011 Mzuzu won the Japan External Trade

Organization (Jetro) Cupping of Taste of Harvest Coffees competition in Tokyo. The results showed that a sample from Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative of Malawi received the highest score among competing coffees from Uganda, Burundi and Zambia.

Kalua said the company would continue to attend international coffee events as part of its marketing efforts.

Drying Mzuzu coffee.

African Farming - March/April 2012

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NEWS

Tanzania horticulture TANZANIA IS SEEKING new markets in the Middle East and Asia to triple its horticulture exports and grow its annual revenues from US$350mn to $1bn.

Officials say that their strategy will include expanding export market outgrower schemes and building capacity of farm associations to deliver high quality products to export markets.

The horticulture subsector has been a vital engine in fighting poverty in rural Tanzania. Currently, the subsector generates more than $350mn per year and offers direct employment of 350,000 people.

The last three years have seen substantial expansion of the industry.

In 2010, Tanzania received $1.3mn from USAID to strengthen horticulture export linkages and domestic farm-to-market channels for the high value vegetables through increased productivity and increased management of natural resources.

Over 500 smallholder farmers will be linked into profitable horticultural value chains generating employment and increasing household incomes.

The vegetable and fruits subsectors are expected to expand in the new markets in Middle East and Asia.

Ceva Animal Health introduces poultry vaccine CEVA ANIMAL HEALTH has launched Vectormune HVT-LT, a vector vaccine, to the poultry industry at the 2012 International Poultry Exposition in Atlanta. According to Ceva, this vector vaccine protects against both infectious Laryngotracheitis and Marek’s Disease.

Vectormune HVT-LT can be administered in the hatchery, in ovo, or at one day old to provide lifelong protection.

Argentine experts to assist Mozambican fruit industry ARGENTINA PLANS TO share its agricultural expertise with Mozambican farmers to help increase yields and productivity in a range of crops, including bananas, citrus and exotic fruit.

A delegation from the government-backed National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) recently met with farmers to discuss starting a pilot project between March and April. The move follows a research project in neighbouring South Africa that was launched in late 2011.

INTA international technical co-operation general manager Daniel Díaz, said his organisation would be looking at how to replicate Argentina’s successful Pro-Huerta project, which helped 600,000 families develop their farmland, in Mozambique.

“The areas of co-operation with the African country would be animal and plant health, direct sowing, biotechnology, irrigation, technology transfer, development of crops,” he said.

Diaz said he was confident the new initiative would be successful because of the Mozambican farmers’ agricultural experience and willingness to learn. The Mozambique National Farmers Union has welcomed the project as a major boost for its plans to increase the country’s agricultural development.

Mozambique has 36mn ha of potential farming land but at the moment just 10 per cent of its land is devoted to crop growing. The country has a population of 21mn with 3.5mn small producers, living off plots of land of 0.5-5 ha, accounting for 98 per cent of all farms.

In addition to fruit the country’s main crops are beans, cassava, rice, soya beans, palm oil, sunflower oil, sweet potatoes and cotton.

Brighter outlook for Egyptian livestock sector

KAHL Extruder OEE for Fish Feed

LOWER INPUT PRICES for corn, soybeans and day-old chicks compared to last year are more than offsetting a decrease in broiler and table-egg prices in Egypt.

This is expected to generate better marginal profits for Egypt’s poultry sector, according to Dr. Hussein Soliman, US Grains Council director in Egypt.

As profits increase, higher wages and growing consumer demand in Egypt will lead to industry expansion, Soliman predicted.

Increased demand for animal protein has also pressured farm-gate milk prices, cattle prices and buffalo prices upward, in fact, improving profitability in cattle and buffalo feeding.

“The Council has been instrumental in preparing this project expansion,” Soliman said. “The present market climate indicates great expansion in all sectors of animal protein production, which will translate into additional grain usage this year.”

Soliman further noted that Egypt has increased its corn imports by two million metric tons in the last five years.

Agriterra’s cattle ranching operations in Mozambique on target New KAHL fish feed extruder plant in Africa

AMANDUS KAHL GmbH & Co. KG, Dieselstrasse 5-9, D-21465 Reinbek / Hamburg, Phone: +49 40 727 71 0, Fax: +49 40 727 71 100, info@amandus-kahl-group.de,

www.akahl.de

6 African Farming - March/April 2012

AGRITERRA LTD CONTINUES to expand its Mozambican cattle ranching operations. The total herd now stands at 3,750, on course to reach 10,000 by 2015. The 5,000 target for 2012 is within reach.

Support infrastructure is being expanded, including a new 48bn litre dam expected to increase per hectare capacity from 1.5 to seven head, as well as new feedlots and an expanded stud ranch. The dam will be capable of irrigating 4,000 ha and provide 132kV of hydroelectric power for the irrigation pumps.

In its efforts to encompass all aspects of the beef business, the company has opened a number of butcheries. A new abattoir with a capacity of 4,000 head per month will commence operations in August 2012. Average carcass prices range from US$835 to $1100 each.

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NEWS

Nigerian regional govt in deal with Spanish investors THE GOVERNMENT OF Kwara State in Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with investors from Spain to develop rice cultivation, processing and packaging. The deal is said to be 'worth US$44mn (70bn Nigerian Naira).'

The state government is to provide 30 per cent of the total cost, including 20,000 ha of land. The Spanish investors are to provide the remaining 70 per cent of the total cost of the investment for the period of four years.

The Spanish company and the representatives of Kwara state government agreed that the investment will be in stages. The company is to invest $91mn annually for the period of four years, making a total investment of $364mn. Based on the agreement, the state government will allocate 5,000 ha of land for the process for each stage. It is expected that each stage of 5,000 ha of land is expected to yield 40,000 tonnes of rice annually.

Ethiopia records its first banana exports THE ETHIOPIAN HORTICULTURE Development Agency (EHDA) has celebrated a key milestone as the east African nation began exporting bananas for the first time ever.

In a nation where agriculture is the foundation, Ethiopia’s economy has for a long time relied heavily on thriving coffee yields as its main cash crop. In recent years the EHDA has been encouraging Ethiopian farmers to acquire new farming techniques and new crops.

In February the country recorded its first shipment of 40 tons of organic banana to Saudi Arabia to meet growing demands for the produce in that market.

According to the EHDA, at least 11,400 farmers are involved in the project covering 3100ha. It added that Ethiopia was in the process of exporting 200 tons of bananas per week for the Jeddah market following an agreement with a foreign company interested in exporting.

Mango processing plant to open in Malindi A US$900,000 (75mn Kenya Shilling) mango processing plant is set to open this month in a key cultivation region of the fruit, Malindi. The plant will crush 60 tonnes of raw mangoes every day. Another factory is also set to open in Hola, Tana Delta. With a combined capacity to process 90 tonnes of raw mangoes in a day, the new factories are expected to significantly improve farm gate prices paid to farmers.

Malindi and Tana Delta are the main producers of Ngowe mango, which is preferred for juice making.

Malindi alone produces over 70 per cent of the total production of the variety in the Coast province.

The new plant was set up by the Malindi Farmers Co-operative Society, which has been buying raw mangoes from its members for sale to the juice manufacturers. The project was funded by the Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT) that receives

support from Danida, a Danish funding institution. The project was built from last year on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) arrangement and MESPT will transfer it to the co-operative once the capacity to run it is established.

The pulp can be stored for a long period of time and will also reduce the cost of transport associated with selling raw mangoes, which sometimes go bad before they even secure a market. Total wastage is estimated at 40 per cent of the total collections.

In Malindi, there are over 12,000 mango farmers with an estimated 120,000 trees lying on 1,700 ha of land, according to the results of a baseline survey on the crop carried out in 2009 by Institutional Development and Management Services (IDM), a research firm.

Since mango is a seasonal crop, an addition of equipment to the machines that were imported from Italy will create capacity for the factory to

process passion, pineapples and water melon, Nyale said.

The new plant has increased the Coast province processing capacity to 260 tonnes of mango every day. In addition to the two new factories, other major processors in the region include Allfruits EPZ limited in Mikindani, which processes about 100 tonnes of mango every day for export to Europe, and Milly Fruit, famous for the Picana brand that is able to crush about 70 tonnes of mangoes per day.

Rwanda aims for rice self-sufficiency by 2016 NONE OF AFRICA'S major riceconsuming countries are self-sufficient in the cereal. Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and several others have rice-growing efforts of various levels, but none seems close to significantly reducing imports from Asia.

Apart from cultivation and other difficulties that plague these schemes, the locally grown rice varieties have sometimes also faced consumer resistance because of their differences in appearance, taste, ease of cooking and so on, compared to the imported varieties many have become accustomed to.

Rwanda has an ambitious plan to supply all its own rice needs by 2016. As part of the plan, a 1750 ha wetland in the country’s Nyagatare District has been set aside for rice cultivation.

According to the New Times newspaper, the minister of agriculture said 200 ha of the wetland had been reclaimed for rice cultivation under the

8 African Farming - March/April 2012

World Bank-funded Muvumba Marshland Rehabilitation Project. 750 more hectares were expected to be ready for the beginning of the rice planting season at the beginning of January 2012.

“Our target is to harvest 22,000 tonnes of rice every year from the marshland, which will significantly reduce the current importation burden,” agriculture minister Agnes Kalibata said. “From our plan to cultivate in 100,000 ha of land under the Rwanda Self Sufficiency Programme, 50 per cent of which will be used for rice production, we are certain that within seven years we will have enough rice, not only for local consumption, but also for export.

According to Kalibata, the country consumes approximately 55,000 tonnes of rice every year.

A rice farmer in Rwanda.

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CROP PROTECTION

Syngenta has world-leading technology solutions and a strong R&D pipeline with focus on providing growers with integrated crop solutions that suit their farming needs. Andy Watt recently gave a presentation at the 2nd Commercial Farm Africa event in Dubai.

Integrated crop solutions for African farmers

S

YNGENTA IS EXTREMELY well placed to support the development of agricultural productivity in Africa, indeed anywhere in the world. One of its core aims is to support a step change in agricultural productivity through technology, innovation, footprint and thinking like a grower to bring pertinent solutions to the farming business.

According to Andy Watt, three elements build the foundation for a sustainable production system in which technology enables better solutions for farmers to increase productivity and profitability, to increase resource efficiency, and help reach food security. These are technology, land and people.

40 per cent of the world’s food would not exist without crop protection products.

Weeds, insects and disease have attacked food supplies throughout human history. Only very recently, however, has modern science discovered effective ways of controlling these threats to crop yield.

Development in Africa is challenging, and it is important not to become disillusioned if things don’t always work as expected immediately.

Under irrigation, yields for wheat can exceed 10 tonnes per hectare.

After 30 years of rapid growth in agricultural production, the world can produce enough food to provide every person with more than 2,700 calories per day, a level which is normally sufficient to ensure that everyone has access to adequate food, provided distribution is not too unequal 1. Without crop protection products, the world’s farmers could only harvest about two-thirds of current production. The last time that 60 per cent of current production was enough to feed everybody 2,700 calories per day was when world population was about four billion. That was in 1975. Crop productivity improvements since 1961 have forestalled habitat conversion to cropland of some 970mn hectares globally. This makes up an area almost as large as the total land area of the United States. Crop protection products are absolutely essential for raising yields and keeping pace with rising demand.

As Andy says, development in Africa is challenging, and it is important not to become disillusioned if things don’t always work as expected immediately. However, the trend is up and the development potential is great. The focus on food security is a key driver but with available land and water, a willing workforce and growing worldwide market potential, the opportunity to build a sustainable export business is also a major driver for growth.

Technology enabling high productivity In Zambia, Syngenta is working with growers to bring traditional solutions as well as using products to provide crop enhancement.

It is providing crop programmes around pest, weed and fungus

10 African Farming - March/April 2012

control. This is a well run project producing corn, soy and wheat for the regional markets. Under irrigation, yields for wheat can exceed 10 tonnes per hectare and maize over eight tonnes. These match the best yields in Northern Europe for example and make the Zambian large scale farmer a force to be reckoned with.

In Mozambique, open field tomatoes grow extremely well with yields in excess of 100 tonnes per hectare. In recent trials, Syngenta’s varieties came out in the top quartile in terms of yield and brix levels and, coupled with the company's crop protection programme of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, provide high quality tomatoes for making paste.

Syngenta's integrated crop solutions would give the grower the productivity and quality needed in order to increase factory throughput and asset utilisation.

Sustainable commercial-smallholder farmer partnerships Syngenta is also working with growers in Tanzania and Ghana to transfer leading technology from Asia Pacific and Latin America to Africa, trialing seeds, crop protection and good agricultural practices. Currently 10 million tonnes of rice are imported into Africa each year so the company is working with African growers to provide technical support with expertise from APAC/LATAM and is aiming to increase yield in all rice growing systems from traditional rainfed paddy to irrigated, commercial farms.

In addition to the crops mentioned above, Syngenta can bring solutions to growers for most major crops in Africa. The company has experience in vegetables, cocoa, sugar, coffee, fruit and nuts,

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CROP PROTECTION

and bananas with either seeds or crop protection and frequently even both. Coupled with African expertise and a willingness to tailor solutions to individual needs, Syngenta makes an ideal partner for a developing African agribusiness.

Working with both large-scale and small-scale farmers is very important.

Working with large and small farmers Syngenta is truly global with a strong presence in Africa and can transfer technology and ideas from other parts of the world to Africa to accelerate improvements. A good example of this is malting barley; they have been developing solutions for this in Kenya based on the company's success in the UK and Northern Europe. Harvestable yield in Kenya has increased by over 50 per cent and the company is now in the process of commercialising these offers in Kenya.

Working with both large-scale and small-scale farmers is very important; small-scale farmers are the traditional backbone of African agriculture and the company is working hard to train this group of farmers as well as making its technology available through suitably sized and priced packs of crop protection products and seeds. "Frequently the large farm can provide a reliable route to market for the small scale neighbour and we are partnering with some large scale farmers to provide training, skill building and making technology available to increase the smallscale farmers’ business alongside that of the large-scale farm," says Andy.

Malting barley crop in Kenya where harvestable yield has increased by over 50 per cent.

"Last and by no means least, understanding the individual needs of a farm at the end of a 100 km-long dusty road is really important to get the best yield and quality possible. We are very keen to work with the farm to trial our solutions, understand what works best and fine tune the recommendations to suit the unique situation that the farmer faces. By thinking like a grower we can partner to deliver cost-effective business solutions and contribute strongly to the further development of African agricultural productivity." h *Andy Watt is the Head of Large Scale Farming for Syngenta in Africa and the Middle East and can be reached at africa.solutions@syngenta.com.

1 (FAO: Agriculture and Food Security).

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POULTRY

Respiratory disease represents a significant threat to poultry flocks.

Managing the poultry barn environment is a key to controlling this.

Managing barn environment key to controlling respiratory disease

S

TRICT ADHERENCE TO good management practices throughout the poultry operation, especially the watering system, is the only way poultry producers can reduce the impact of respiratory disease on their flocks and profits.

If the birds are showing signs of infection, a producer can respond with medication. But all too often, the birds exhibit no signs of infection other than underperformance. Respiratory disease is not a single virus or bacteria; it is generally a complex of both, making prevention and treatment far more complicated. Even though farmers are vaccinating most flocks, respiratory lesions still turn up at slaughter on a regular basis; and these defects hurt weight gain and carcass quality.

The US Department of Agriculture reports: "As we enter the 21st century, the single most important issue for poultry farmers will be how to lessen the direct and indirect cost of disease. A threshold has been reached where poultry farmers will have to either produce more birds to overcome the current cost of disease or produce the same amount of birds at a lesser cost with value-added disease control measures."

The single most important issue for poultry farmers will be how to lessen the direct and indirect cost of disease.

Ammonia is primary culprit The primary culprit in respiratory disease is ammonia, which is a result of moisture reacting with poultry droppings in the litter.

Ammonia destroys the cilia (hair like projects that trap dust and other particles) in the chicken's trachea. This leads to erosion of the tracheal lining. The irritated tracheal lining is more susceptible to infection by viruses or bacteria, and this can cause additional

Birds can be placed at higher densities as long as correct environmental conditions are provided.

12 African Farming - March/April 2012

Good management practices are essential, especially the watering system.

destruction of the trachea. Finally, E. coli bacteria from the litter gets into the trachea and the bird develops airsacculitis.

It makes sense, then, that you can reduce the incidence of respiratory disease by controlling ammonia in the poultry house.

One strategy for controlling ammonia is to keep the litter dry; a second is to remove ammonia with ventilation. Ziggity recommends a combination of the two.

Because of its makeup, litter in a poultry barn will always contain a certain amount of moisture, most of which comes from the birds themselves. Birds retain only about 30 per cent of the water they drink. About 20 per cent goes into the air as the birds exhale, and they excrete the remaining 50 per cent in their faeces.

Keeping moisture to a minimum While some moisture in the litter is inevitable, farmers should strive to keep the moisture content to a minimum - about 20 to 25 per cent. This will keep the litter friable.

The following are some tips on how to keep the litter dry: â—? Prevent leaky drinkers. Establish a regular programme of high pressure flushing for the watering system. This will remove biofilm and sediment buildups that can clog drinkers and cause them to leak. Ziggity recommends using a hydrogen peroxidebased cleaner to scrub the interior of the water pipes before flushing. Also, when you determine a drinker is leaking, replace it immediately. â—? Have adequate ventilation, summer and winter. Another reason for wet litter is inadequate ventilation to dry the litter and move

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POULTRY

Because of its makeup, litter in a poultry barn will always contain a certain amount of moisture, most of which comes from the birds themselves. â—? Maintain correct pressure settings. During the drinking process,

birds can only retain a certain amount of water in their beaks. If more water discharges from the drinker than what the bird can retain, the oversupply spills onto the litter. The key to achieving the correct pressure settings for your system is to take litter readings. Again, strive for friable litter.

The air movement from ventilation helps keep the birds cool, as well as removing moisture from the barn.

the moisture out of the poultry barn. In warm weather, it makes sense to ventilate the barn. The air movement helps keep the birds cool, as well as removing moisture from the barn. � In cooler weather, you’ll find it necessary to heat the barn, not only to protect the birds from cold, but also to continue the evaporation process. Too often, farmers will attempt to save money by cutting back on heating. Research by University of Georgia poultry scientists shows, however, that the money saved on fuel is far outweighed by the money lost on underperforming birds as a result of elevated litter moisture and ammonia levels.

Many farmers use their watering system to vaccinate their flocks against respiratory disease. If you do, it is a good procedure to flush the water lines about 24 hours prior to vaccination to remove any biofilm and sediment in the lines. Then immediately after the vaccination, flush the lines again. This will remove any nutrients in the lines left over from the stock vaccine solution. Also, be sure that when you administer the vaccine, the lines are fully charged with the vaccine solution. If they are not, you will have birds drinking plain water instead of the vaccine.

Respiratory disease is a serious threat to the poultry industry.

Each year, it determines for many producers the difference between making a profit and suffering a loss. The best way to combat respiratory disease is to fight ammonia in the poultry barn. h Source: Ziggity Systems Inc.

African Farming - March/April 2012

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S04 AF March - April 2012 Poultry_Layout 1 21/03/2012 14:47 Page 14

Veyance wins contract for South African poultry farm VEYANCE TECHNOLOGIES AFRICA, a subsidiary of Veyance Technologies Inc and the exclusive distributor of Goodyear Engineered Products, was recently contracted to supply Hutchings Hydraulics (Pty) Ltd with 7,500 m of Fortress™ 3000 wash-down hose. The hose is used by a leading hygiene and sanitation service provider for cleaning applications at one of South Africa’s biggest poultry farms.

“Our clients were forced to replace their hoses every two to three months, increasing the cost of cleaning significantly. The hose, used in the cleaning of chicken houses both inside and outside, is often dragged across concrete floors, causing it to wear out and burst. This causes unnecessary downtime,” says Paul Newman, Financial & Marketing Manager at Hutchings Hydraulics. For this reason, Hutchings Hydraulics required a cost-effective, but durable hose that would be suitable for use with a high pressure trailer unit.

“The Fortress™ 3000 wash-down hose is exceptionally durable and will last between six to nine months, depending on the application it is used in,” explains Scot Arnold, KZN Sales Manager, Veyance Technologies Africa. The hose is suitable for use in various cleaning applications, including dairies, packing houses, bottling plants, breweries, canneries and creameries.

“Bacterial growth is a constant worry in the food production industry, especially in chicken farms where food poisoning bacteria are easily spread in unhygienic conditions.” says Arnold.

Goodyear Engineered Products’ Fortress™ 3000 wash-down hose is currently the only product on the market that incorporates Microban antimicrobial technology, which inhibits the growth of harmful micro-organisms.

14 African Farming - March/April 2012

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NEWS

New 7R Series tractors from John Deere DESIGNED AS VERSATILE workhorses for contractors and medium-sized to large arable farms, John Deere’s newly styled 7R Series tractors feature more power, manoeuvrability and operator comfort than their 7030 Series predecessors. There are five models in the range, developing a maximum of 230 to 310hp with Intelligent Power Management (IPM), according to 97/68EC ratings.

For added security, 7R Series tractors are fitted as standard with CESAR Datatag and immobiliser systems, with a unique transponder based key. In addition, new models will be supplied with complimentary JDLink Ultimate telematics plus Service Advisor remote monitoring and diagnostics systems for the first year.

Having optimised the performance of its field-proven and operatorfriendly high-pressure common rail (HPCR) PowerTech Plus engine technology, which consistently achieves leading fuel efficiency results in independent tests, John Deere has maintained the single fluid, diesel-only approach on these latest models to conform to Stage IIIB emission standards.

The 9-litre PowerTech PVX engine on the three larger models – 7230R, 7260R and 7280R – features a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT), cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and exhaust filters, which include a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The two smaller models – 7200R and 7215R – are powered by 6.8-litre PowerTech PSX engine using series turbochargers, which combine a lowpressure fixed geometry and a high-pressure variable geometry turbocharger. With IPM, both engines deliver an additional 30hp for transport and non-stationary pto applications.

The newly designed structural chassis of 7R Series tractors takes advantage of the high power density to cope easily with demanding load and draft applications.

New Holland Agriculture supports new rhino orphanage with tractor donation NEW HOLLAND AGRICULTURE has announced, at the official inauguration of Ntlo ya Lerato Rhino Orphanage, the donation of a TT55 tractor to support the wildlife reserve located in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The tractor will be used for general maintenance of the extensive territory of the sanctuary, whose name means “place of love” in Pedi. The reserve takes in rhinos orphaned as a result of poaching, and rears them to adulthood, preparing them to be released back into the wild.

New Holland’s distributor, New Holland South Africa, and their dealer network also rallied to support the sanctuary and will provide at no cost the scheduled servicing and maintenance, including parts, that will be needed for the donated tractor. In addition, dealer Janpret Trekkers will donate a purpose-built implement.

Sanctuaries like the Rhino Orphanage are vital to the survival of this endangered species. As an agricultural equipment solutions provider, New Holland has a long standing relationship with South Africa and feels the responsibility to support this initiative that helps safeguard this country’s rich wildlife and nature for future generations.

African Farming - January/February 2012

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DAIRY FARMING

A new breed of cattle could change the fortunes of dairy farmers. The Fleckvieh breed was introduced to Kenya from South Africa late last year and is expected to give the Fresian breed stiff competition.

New cattle breed to improve dairy fortunes

K

ENYAN DAIRY FARMERS are used to the common exotic breeds of dairy cows such as the Holstein-Friesians, Ayrshire, Guernsey or even Jerseys. For two years now, a new cattle breed has attracted the attention of Kenyan dairy farmers. Fleckvieh is a high-yielding, dual-purpose cow that can be used for both dairy and beef production. Kenyan farmers, who have discovered the qualities of this breed, have introduced them into their herds. So far, more than 20,000 farmers in Kenya have adopted the breed.

Fleckvieh (or Miling Simmental) is the second largest dairy breed in the world - and one of Europe's oldest. Through many years of selective breeding, Fleckvieh has acquired some of the characteristics that dairy farmers are looking for. The Fleckvieh breed was introduced by Fleckvieh Genetics East Africa (FGEA) from South Africa in 2009.

"We have inseminated various cows for cross breeding all over the country. The Fleckvieh breed is a low maintenance dualpurpose breed which produces milk steadily for 305 days without decline in yield," said Mr Gerard Besseling, who is also the FGEA's managing director.

What makes Fleckvieh different from other breeds is that they are economically productive.

Strong and high-yielding Fleckvieh are said to be strong and high yielding dual-purpose cattle. Mr Besseling's company has crossbred the cattle with other locally available exotic breeds like Holstein-Friesian, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Jersey. Indigenous species like Boran have also been crossbred to replicate the high production, fertility and disease resistance qualities.

Compared with other breeds, Fleckvieh owners will not have to incur huge veterinary bills due to the breed's ability to withstand some of the common livestock diseases, such as mastitis, which is an inflammation of the udder that cuts down milk production. The infection is caused by somatic cells (dead cells) from the bloodstreams that get into the milk in the udder.

Fleckvieh cow milk has lower numbers of somatic cells compared to other dairy breeds, meaning that Fleckvieh is less prone to mastitis. There is another advantage. Less somatic cells means that the milk lasts longer without refrigeration.

What makes Fleckvieh different from other breeds is that they are economically productive. The breed has a more efficient feed conversion rate compared to other dairy cattle. Studies show that the breed can give more milk with the same amount of feed that is given to other breeds. For example, if a FriesianHolstein diary cow is given 60 kg of feed, the amount of milk it will produce is equal to what a Fleckvieh cow will produce with only 45 kg of the same type of feed. With good management,

16 African Farming - March/April 2012

The breed has a more efficient feed conversion rate compared to other dairy cattle

Fleckvieh dairy cows have been proved to produce between 2530 litres of milk per day. On second calving, it produces 30-35 litres, increasing this to between 30-40 litres after the third calving. The breed has a consistent milk production throughout the lactation period - this is a big plus compared to other breeds.

It produces milk steadily for 305 days a year without any decline.

The breed has been known to produce up to 10,000 litres of milk in every lactation with good management.

Some farmers in Machakos, Central Kenya, Coast, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western regions already have the cows.

Kenya is the third African country to introduce the breed known to produce up to 10,000 litres per lactation season. The breed had been earlier introduced in South Africa and Namibia.

Deputy director of livestock production Samuel Matoke says the Friesian breed still dominates 60 per cent of the livestock industry.

"Fleckvieh is a new breed which is good in its performance and is also a dual purpose animal but it is still at the trial stage.

There are times when it is hard to change Kenyans from what they are used to," added Matoke.

According to the livestock department, the Fleckvieh breed has not been distributed across the country, thus making its rating a bit sensitive, even though it's a dual-purpose breed meant for beef and milk.

One of the new cows, obtained from South Africa, costs about Sh150,000 but farmers in Kenya are currently acquiring the livestock through artificial insemination.

Depending on management, natural conditions and feeding intensity, herd performances of 7kg of milk with 4.2 per cent fat and 3.7 per cent protein are achievable.

Male calves fatten fast and provide supplementary income.

Under intensive fattening conditions young bulls reach daily weight gains of more than 1.3kg with a slaughter age of 16 to 18 months, according to the promoters. Culling cows reach a slaughter weight of 350 to 450kg. h

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NIGERIA

Dr Terry Mabbett concludes his meeting with Chris Okeke who discusses noncompetitive seeds, input and output markets, as well as the real role for smallholders.

Big farms for Africa

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N THE PREVIOUS issues, Chris Okeke, large-scale farmer and agricultural entrepreneur, told African Farming why Nigeria is so far from feeding itself and set out some of the hard facts and figures underpinning the gap between its food consumption and home-grown production.

Easier access to credit and improved infrastructure will not solve the third problem which is low productivity caused by limited access to high yielding varieties expressing full potential under Nigerian conditions. “We don’t have exactly the same problem with cassava, compared to rice, maize and soya,” says Chris “because cassava planting material is vegetative ‘sticks’ or cuttings, but we still need investment to produce the material on the massive scale required, which means it all comes back to money.”

Nestlé are trying to establish a supply of African starch focussing on cassava.

Actual amount is important but so is the way it is targeted, says Chris, returning to the theme of contemporary aid and development programmes for Africa and how, in spite of good intentions, they adversely affect input and output markets in agriculture. “For the most part they are designed around small peasant farmers with repercussions for commercial farmers in supply of inputs,” he said, using the supply of soluble fertilisers and pesticides to illustrate his arguments.

Agrichemicals are invariably supplied in half litre plastic bottles for small farmers which almost require a supporting plastic recycling project simply to clear up the waste packaging. Packaging soluble nutrients or pesticide in half litre plastic bottles is fine for lots of small farmers using portable knapsack sprayers but totally inappropriate for large scale broad acre farms like those belonging to Chris Okeke.

“Agrichemical manufacturers would not dream of supplying large farms in Europe and North America in this way so why make an exception for Africa.

Why do intelligent scientists and businessmen and their organisations keep on making the same old mistakes in their

18 African Farming - March/April 2012

Cassava furnishes the purest form of starch - it is pure white and does not require bleaching with acid.

dealings with African agriculture, decade after decade?” asks Chris Okeke.

“Whatever the motivation they should sit down and work on the problem with those on the ground in Africa who know about the nature and extent of problems faced.

Otherwise it is a complete waste of my time,” says Chris. A classic case in point is multinationals trying to establish a supply and a market for cassava starch which Chris Okeke understands first hand.

NSM Ltd is supplying Nestlé and other multi-nationals with cassava starch to remedy the ridiculous situation whereby Nigeria continues to import huge volumes of corn starch sourced from the North American MidWest. Nestlé are trying to establish a supply of African starch focussing on cassava and working with IITA at Ibadan, which boasts some new varieties with high resistance to cassava mosaic virus.

“Nestlé should know better than to rely on IITA” Chris Okeke tells African Farming “because it’s remit is just to supply new planting material with NSM having to provide tractors, tillage and other inputs. As a consequence the whole set up stalls after the ‘seed’ stage. We need more big-organisation inputs further down the line,” says Chris, “into later stage agronomy and processing. These

skills are out of IITA’s remit – they simply don’t know anything about it.”

Historically it has not been possible for Nigeria to supply Nestlé with the starch it needs from home-grown cassava so Nestlé has understandably ‘hedged its bets’ and carried on importing corn starch. “There is a need to break this deadlock” says Chris.

“If I don’t have the output market I can’t do it. I need Nestlé to confirm long term contracts,” says Chris.

The bottom line is the international market place not understanding African farming.

Likewise agriculture is deemed too high risk by banks who display a historic reluctance to take a proper look at agriculture and subsequently failing to invest in the sector even though it is the only major growth sector in Nigeria and even bigger than oil and gas.

“The market can’t see this and is therefore losing out on opportunities in agriculture” says Chris Okeke.

Most starch still imported Virtually all (90 per cent) of starch used in Nigeria is still imported, mainly as corn starch despite cassava furnishing the purest form of starch. Cassava starch is pure white and does not require bleaching with acid. It is a waste of time for Nigeria to try and compete directly

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NIGERIA

with imported corn starch. Attempts to grow maize fail due to high levels of pests and diseases sustained in Nigeria.

Another ‘string to cassava’s bow’ is the traditional position as the ‘famine reserve’ able to grow and yield in conditions that no other staple crop could cope with. But, according to Chris, this has turned out to be a ‘double edged sword’ with cassava perpetually relegated to small farmer subsistence crop status. He says people involved in African farming who know what they are doing start from a different basic premise than do aid and development organisations. “They focus on inputs whereas we focus on expertise – i.e. who will drive the tractors,” he says.

He believes Nigeria can achieve and sustain this human resource requirement amongst small farmers by apprenticestyle education and training.

Distribution another problem The next big problem to overcome is distribution – such as whether you should own your own trucks or rely on haulage vehicles from dedicated transport companies. “This is why overseas projects organised and operated from overseas invariably fail on the ground in Nigeria. They miss all the essential points of a project’s establishment and operation,” says Chris. Adding how NSM Foods is manned from top to bottom by people who know what they are doing.

ahead on a wider diversified front. He is consolidating his expanding business on a key central site at Tsaragi in Kwara State comprising a rice processing plant planned to be up and running in October 2011, a new cassava starch and flour mill with maize and soya projects planned.

Projected production figures for cassava are impressive at 800 tonnes of raw cassava per day. The rice mill will process 25,000 tonnes of paddy per annum to give 16,250 tonnes of rice per annum. Backed up with a facility for farm chemicals storage and a workshop for tractors and other farm machinery and equipment, the site will be completely self-sufficient.

The proposed ‘Farm Centre’ on its 50 ha site is strategically placed with Shonga and its Zimbabwean cassava farmers to the north, the capital city of Ilorin to the south, and to the east is the River Niger and the key rice growing belt at Lafiaji with the ‘old’ Tate and Lyle sugar plantation at Bacita. “I have strategically sited these processing plants near to a guaranteed supply and market using my knowledge of the local road network and its shortcomings to make accurate decisions,” Chris Okeke told African Farming.

Chris will be contracting several Zimbabwe farmers to grow rice. One is already an experienced rice farmer and in the right place at the right time on the River Niger and close to Chris’ new rice mill. Chris himself is already growing rice (paddy and upland) right inside the rice belt alongside many small growers who will be regular suppliers of a combined significant tonnage to the new rice mill.

Real role for smallholders He sees a real role and proper place for smallholders but not the subsistence one carved out by some overseas aid and Onwards, upwards and outwards No-one can accuse Chris Okeke of letting all development organisations. He envisages these real live problems hold back progress smallholders rising on the backs of big farms. of his agribusiness operations now moving “There are many small farms in Nigeria owned and run by reliable people who can provide a sound out-grower base” says Chris Okeke.

Cautioning and qualifying his optimism Chris says the small farmer must understand and appreciate the need to supply big farm processors with the right grade of crop commodity and at a specific time. “Unless you have the right cadre of people who can achieve this then you can forget a role for outgrowers”, says Chris. That The small farmer must understand and appreciate the need to supply big farm said he believes Nigeria processors with the right grade of crop commodity and at a specific time. can achieve and sustain this

20 African Farming - March/April 2012

human resource requirement amongst small farmers by apprentice-style education and training. This he believes will allow Nigerian farmers to rise to their full potential.

Nigeria currently produces around 50mn tonnes of cassava but small farmers are unlikely to lift more than 11 tonnes/ha while IITA trials achieve 30 tonnes/ha. “We must bridge this gap. We have all the new ideas but are lacking the means to adapt them to the small farm situation” says Chris.

IITA and others need to expand their remit into the adaptation phase of development projects. Only when this has been achieved will out-grower schemes be truly sustainable.

Big farms for Africa may not be fashionable amongst overseas aid and development providers but they provide jobs for workers and their families who are earning and eating throughout the year and not just during the harvest period. “These agricultural workers may not be confident and bold enough to farm for themselves but they know what they are doing and will make ideal extension service providers,” says Chris.

But these progressive ideas and concepts of Chris Okeke and others are clearly at odds with overseas aid and development providers who somehow appear to see subsistence farming as the only way forward for Africa.

What their policies and programmes are essentially doing is keeping farmers and their families locked into the subsistence treadmill, keeping them down and inhibiting development. “Why they persist with these worn out ideas is a mystery,” says Chris, “and when they fail they simply blame it on the African mind-set despite our best efforts to point them in the right direction.” Chris Okeke is scathing about this fixation on subsistence farming and singles out UK’s DFID as one of the worst offenders. “I look at realistic things and objectives,” says Chris. “I do what can be done and don’t waste time on those things over which I have no control.”

In September 2011 The Economic Management Team (EMT) unveiled an Agriculture Transformation Action Plan (ATAP) for Nigeria aimed at revolutionising the agriculture sector of the economy in the next four years. The action plan, according to Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, is to treat agriculture not as a development issue, but purely as a business, with emphasis on partnership, investment and accountability.

Rice, cassava, sorghum, cocoa and cotton are listed as key agricultural crops that Nigeria has comparative advantage in and the Federal Government will focus attention on these areas to ensure food security for the country. The goal is right but the way in which it is reached will be the deciding factor in success or failure. h

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FOOD SECURITY

Food security has never been so profoundly challenged. In 2050, it is projected that the global population will rise to more than 9bn people. The recent AGCO Africa Summit tried to address this.

AGCO calls for a new vision for agriculture in Africa

A

GCO, A WORLDWIDE manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, has held its first ever AGCO Africa Summit in Berlin. The Summit is a joint initiative of AGCO, Bayer CropScience and DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH. “With its population poised to double in the next 20 years, it is a global responsibility to develop a new vision for agriculture in Africa,” said Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO at the opening press conference. “Our objective is to promote international dialogue to encourage global businesses to invest in the future of Africa.”

The opportunities Africa lies at the heart of what promises to be a new Agricultural Revolution.

The solution is to develop a systematic approach that develops a strategic partnership to deliver crops that feed increasing populations in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible way. While the challenge is enormous, the opportunities are both substantial and achievable. Farmers are among the main beneficiaries of agricultural development and are at the very core of the solution.

But there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. A lack of infrastructure,

“With 11 per cent of the world’s arable land (86 per cent of which is uncultivated), Africa would benefit from modern, mechanised farming techniques.” mechanisation and technology across the continent calls for marketbased co-operation between farmers, private industry, government and society to establish a new blueprint.

Africa holds the key to ensuring a sustainable food supply, but only if a new roadmap for progress is developed, harnessing both the expertise of the private industry sector and the knowledge of local communities.

The goal of the AGCO Africa Summit was to raise awareness for the needs of the African continent and to discuss the challenges of agriculture with regard to the world food supply problem, declining arable land base and population growth. Guest speakers included Thabo Mbeki (former President of South Africa), Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler (former Federal President of Germany), Dirk Niebel (Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany), and Ilse Aigner (Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Germany). Panelists included Jose Pacheco (Minister of Agriculture of Mozambique), Roberto Rodrigues (Former Minister of Agriculture of Brazil), Bärbel Dieckmann (President of Welthungerhilfe) and Omari Issa (CEO of The Investment Climate

22 African Farming - March/April 2012

AGCO has over 50 years of experience in Africa through its Massey Ferguson tractor brand. Here is the MF 8690 high hp tractor with drilling implements.

Facility for Africa) – to name a few.

Participants at the AGCO Africa Summit discussed the many ways that agricultural mechanisation could secure better futures and how improved cultivation methods could increase yields significantly.

Higher productivity and efficiency would in turn help African countries become less dependent on imported crops, creating better food security. “Large areas across Africa have suitable soil and climate for successful agriculture, but many areas are not yet cultivated or are not productive enough,” explained Richenhagen. “With 11 per cent of the world’s arable land (86 per cent of which is uncultivated), Africa would benefit from modern, mechanised farming techniques.”

With over 50 years of experience in Africa through its Massey Ferguson tractor brand, AGCO already leverages alliances with governments, foreign investors and donors to improve agricultural practices in Africa. AGCO plans to fund the development of Model Farms and Training Centres in Zambia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Libya, Algeria and South Africa that will allow local farmers and dealers to be trained on new farming technology. Hubertus Mühlhäuser, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Europe, Africa, Middle East commented, “The solution for African agriculture is to develop strategic partnerships to deliver crops that feed an increasing population in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible way. With decades of dependency on food aid and the world’s fastest population growth, Africa’s long-term prospects will require increasing degrees of self-sustainability.”

With a global population of seven billion people growing to 8.9bn people by 2050 (estimated by the World Bank), food production has to increase, which means global farm productivity will need to improve to meet the growing needs. Africa holds the key to ensuring a sustainable food supply, but only if a new vision for agriculture is developed, harnessing both the expertise of the private industry sector and the knowledge of local communities. h

For more info contact

jamie.rixton@valtra.com

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RURAL COMMUNICATIONS

By bringing together existing expertise and giving practical direction, mobility can deliver tangible results.

Connected agriculture: the growing role of mobile telephony

T

E L E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S H A S LONG been at the centre of global commerce in driving business transformation. Yet recently, mobile communications has become more widely recognised and accepted as an enabler of sustainable growth, especially in Africa and other developing markets.

It does not have the same barriers to access as other forms of technology. It is simple, inexpensive and convenient to use.

And access to mobile networks is now widely available, even in more remote areas. Soon it will be possible for everyone and everything to be connected.

A key beneficiary will be the development of more efficient supply chains. In particular, mobility will drive substantially improved productivity and income for agricultural producers (a further US$138bn by 2020, according to Accenture estimates), as well as cutting costs and improving traceability for buyers and processors.

“Mobile telephony could have significant potential to help the poorest farmers towards greater food and income security.”

Not only will this provide social and humanitarian benefits for local smallholder farmers but such services are also proving commercially successful – the key to viability and sustainability in the longer term. As Oxfam CEO, Dame Barbara Stocking, has recognised: “Mobile telephony could have significant potential to help the poorest farmers towards greater food and income security.”

Identifying opportunities Vodafone and Accenture recently joined forces together with Oxfam to determine the key underlying issues which could be addressed through the application of mobile technology and to quantify the potential benefits which could be achieved.

24 African Farming - March/April 2012

A Ugandan farmer makes notes on crop conditions and checks market prices.

In helping to meet the challenge of feeding an estimated 9.2bn people by 2050, the resulting study - ‘Connected Agriculture: the role of mobile [communications] in driving efficiency and sustainability in the food and agriculture chain’ - examined specific opportunities which could substantially increase agricultural income. The study explored those areas identified as most important in realising the potential of mobile telephony in helping to feed tomorrow’s world, including improved access to finance and markets and better information and supply chains.

Improving access to finance In the area of financial services, the study focused on three ways to improve the lives of farmers. First, mobile payment systems present a low-cost, secure and quick way to transfer money to other individuals or businesses, allowing them to invest in better agricultural inputs. Second, microinsurance systems offer a convenient and affordable way to buy micro-insurance against crop failure when buying seeds and fertiliser and to receive payouts. Third, micro-lending platforms provide an appropriate means of securing loans from distant investors to buy seeds, tools, machinery or animals to improve output.

Another area of opportunity is in the provision of agricultural information. Poor

transport and communications infrastructures mean that farmers in developing countries struggle to get information about agricultural best practices and new developments.

Using mobiles to increase access to expert agricultural information can provide real-time support in helping rural farmers meet the challenges they face.

Mobile information platforms enable farmers to receive text alerts direct to their mobile phone, tailored to their location and the crops that they grow. Farmer helplines also ensure that smallholders can use their mobile phones to call a helpline staffed by agricultural experts to give them immediate advice.

Improving supply chain visibility Agricultural supply chains in developing countries are typically complex, fragmented and inefficient, involving large networks of small-scale farms, retailers, aggregators, distributors and exporters. In meeting this challenge, the study looked at how mobile technology can be used to manage the supply chain more effectively through improved data visibility.

Smart logistics enables mobile devices to collect data on the location, speed and route of food distribution trucks, for better fleet management. Tracking systems use mobiles to record movements of items

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RURAL COMMUNICATIONS

agricultural supply chain, including governments, NGOs and private enterprises.

However, work is already underway in a number of key areas demonstrating how, by bringing together existing expertise and giving practical direction, mobility can deliver tangible results. For example, the two-way flow of agricultural information in real time is enabling smallholders to improve productivity. At the same time, track and traceability systems using advanced machine to machine (M2M) Improving access to markets technologies is helping African farmers In improving access to markets, mobile and distributors find new markets and meet solutions could help farmers in required quality and regulatory standards. developing countries secure better prices There is a clear need for close cofor their crops and improve competition operation between mobile network in the supply chain through more effective operators, governments, NGOs and the trading practices. private sector to deliver the products, Here, agricultural trading and Mobile solutions could help farmers secure better prices for tendering platforms provide an online their crops and improve competition in the supply chain services and potential benefits highlighted.

The issues and interests of these marketplace for farmers and buyers to through more effective trading practices. stakeholders are converging and it is in trade directly via their mobile phone.

Agricultural bartering platforms also allow community members to their long-term interests to make these initiatives a success. By working together they can use mobile technology to unlock exchange goods and services with each other.

Many of the anticipated benefits from such initiatives will take enormous benefits for the agriculture sector, particularly in Africa time to come to fruition. The systems required to deliver these and other developing economies. h mobility initiatives are complex and fragmented, demanding the combined support of a variety of key organisations across the By Andy McFarlane, head of marketing, Vodafone Global Enterprise. through the agricultural supply chain, from farms to shops.

Using mobile technology to manage supplier networks enables agricultural field agents visiting farms to use mobile phones to record data on farm conditions and expected yields. Similarly, adopting mobility to manage distribution networks allows retailers to keep records of sales of agricultural inputs like seeds, fertiliser and chemicals.

African Farming - March/April 2012

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RICE

To feed the world in 2050, investments in agricultural research and extension must be substantially increased and AfricaRice has shown that integrated crop management (ICM), is a promising way for SSA.

Feeding the world in 2050

T

HE WORLD POPULATION is expected to increase almost as sure as the sun rises in the east. Much of this increase will be concentrated in developing countries, with sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) leading the way, as its population is estimated to double from 770mn in 2005 to 1.5bn by 2050.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global food production must increase by 70 per cent to feed the world - a challenge that has never been as demanding as now, in the face of climate change and soaring food prices, which inflict serious damage on the food security of the poorest households. Moreover, the rate of yield growth of major cereal crops dropped from 3.2 per cent per year in 1960 to 1.5 per cent in 2000. While environmental

Africa still has a large reservoir of underused agricultural land and water resources. degradation heightens in several parts of the world, the potential for an increased use of agriculturally critical natural resources such as land and water is declining. Climate change is aggravating the severity and uncertainty of weather events.

However, lessons learned from the past indicate that advances in science and technology can expand the world’s agricultural frontier and sufficient food can be produced to nourish the growing population in the future.

We believe that SSA will play a significant role in global food security in the coming decades. Unlike Asia and Europe, where the availability of potential land and water for agriculture is declining, Africa still has a large reservoir of underused agricultural land and water resources.

Only 150mn ha out of the total cultivable area of 875mn ha are currently harvested.

The continent is using about four per cent of its water resources and has annual renewable water resources of about 5.4tn cu m.

26 African Farming - March/April 2012

Experimental rice field at the Africa Rice Centre.

Moreover, several staple food crops are produced at competitive costs in SSA. The recent upward trends in agricultural commodity prices reinforce the competitiveness of agricultural production in SSA. Investing in agriculture To feed around nine billion people in 2050, agriculture in developing countries needs a net investment of about US$83bn per year, says FAO. In the last two decades, agriculture was neglected by both developing countries and donors. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that official development assistance to agriculture fell by 43 per cent between the mid-1980s and 2008.

In SSA, agriculture remains a powerful engine for economic growth, food security, and poverty reduction, accounting for 35 per cent of GDP, 75 per cent of employment, and 40 per cent of exports. Estimates say that a dollar of farm income increases the overall economy (e.g., $1.88 in Burkina Faso and $1.48 in Zambia). Despite this, SSA governments have failed to prioritise the sector and to reverse decades of policy bias against agricultural production.

In 2003, African countries adopted the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme in Maputo, Mozambique, and pledged to increase agricultural spending by at least 10 per cent of the total government budget by 2008. But, only eight countries have reached the 10 per cent budget quota for agriculture, and the continent’s average is only 4–6 per cent.

Without consistent investment in its own domestic agricultural resources, SSA cannot fully seize the opportunity for transforming this strategic sector.

Supporting agricultural R&D To feed the world in 2050, investments in agricultural research and extension must be substantially increased, particularly in SSA, where agricultural productivity generally lags behind the rest of the world. A case in point: annual paddy yield in Asia almost doubled from 2.06 tons per hectare in the 1960s to 4.06 tons per hectare in the 2000s, while in SSA it just increased from 1.81 tons per hectare to 2.31 tons per hectare over the same period.

Given the context specificity of agriculture, technology transfer has limited effectiveness.

In the 1960s, a stock of proven agricultural

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RICE

AfricaRice’s recent simulation illustrates this point well. By bridging the attainable yield gap in the three main rice technologies (upland, rain fed lowland, and irrigated), while doubling the areas under irrigated and lowland rice production, SSA can meet its requirements in rice and even produce a surplus of five million tons for export.

RIce planting in Mali.

technologies in Asian countries was assumed to be effective and adaptable to African conditions.

But, many imported varieties failed to outperform local species. In fact, out of more than 2,000 Asian varieties of mangrove rice for testing in the African environment, only two performed comparably to the best local varieties. Generally, varieties imported from other regions into SSA were not adapted to local conditions.

The failure of direct technology transfer underscores the need for developing endogenous research capacities in SSA. Although the internal rate of return on agricultural research is above 20 per cent, agricultural R&D has suffered from decades of inadequate investments, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. A recent report, however, indicates a 20 per cent increase in spending between 2001 and 2008 on agricultural R&D. Agricultural extension and advisory service represent another key area of investment to stimulate agricultural productivity in SSA through widespread dissemination of new information and knowledge.

Institutional and infrastructural development However, even with proven agricultural technologies, dissemination and adoption by farmers are hampered by limited effective demand, restricted access to information and credit, as well as poor institutional and infrastructural development.

Despite the availability of improved seed technologies developed by agricultural research organizations in Africa, adoption by farmers remains limited. Greater public involvement is needed to overcome market failures that are affecting the national seed system.

In addition, core infrastructure such as electricity, storage, and rural

Integrated crop management (ICM) is a promising way for SSA. Closing the yield gap AfricaRice has shown that integrated crop management (ICM), a step-wise approach of integrating new technological options into production systems with full farmer participation, is a promising way for SSA, in view of the large gaps between actual farmers’ yields and attainable yields under better management. In Mali, ICM technological options increased its average rice yield in irrigated areas from two to six tons per hectare.

With improved technology, average yields of cassava more than doubled from 8.6 tons per hectare to 20.8 tons per hectare under farmer management. And, the use of inorganic fertiliser can increase mean maize yields from 1.4 tons per hectare to 3.9 tons per hectare.

Closing the yield gap for the main staple food crops in SSA is critical to increase agricultural productivity while meeting the regional and global food security challenge

Processing the World’s Crops – for 60 years

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RICE

BRIGGS & STRATTON Sales & Service Organisations

roads is vital to transform SSA’s agriculture.

For instance, better road infrastructure would help reduce transportation costs and improve access to markets.

ALGERIA SARL Farid Outilux Vente en Gros Cite des orangers, lot 52, groupe A, El Hamiz, Algiers Tel: +213 (21) 869717 Fax: +213 (21) 860349

ANGOLA Ecoserv-Equip Commercio & Services Av. 4 of Fevereiro No. 97, Luanda Tel: +244 (2) 395 074 Fax: +244 (2) 392 486 E-mail: ecomotor@snet.co.ao

BOTSWANA Adima Hire Prvt Bag BR12, Gaberone Tel: +267 731 3136

EGYPT General International Supplies GISCO 47 Ramses St., Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 2575 1200 Fax:+20 (2) 2575 13 71

ETHIOPIA Hagbes Prvt. Ltd. Co. Bole Rd. Africa Avenue, Servita Bldg., Adis Ababa Tel: +251 (11) 1552233 Fax:+251 (11) 1551113 E-mail:hagbesatb@ethionet.et

GHANA Agria Machinery Services & Co Ltd. C523/4 Downhill St. Kokomlemle Tel: +233 (21) 238 169 Fax: +233 (21) 222 621 E-mail:agria@ghana.com

KENYA Car & General (Kenya) Ltd. Cnr. Lusaka, Dunga Rd. Industrial Area, Nairobi Tel: +254 (20) 554500 Fax:+254 (20) 554668 E-mail:pthiongo@cargen.com

LIBYA Agri Tech Co Gargarsh Road, KM 7, Tripoli Tel: +218 (91) 2157234 Fax: +218 (21) 3330669 E-mail:info@agritech.com.ly

MALAWI Toppers 19 Haile Selassie Rd, PO Box 42 ,Blantyre Tel: +265 01 62981 Fax +265 01 620692 E mail:lambatgroup@malawi.net

MAURITIUS AMCO Ltd. Cauden Dev.Bldg. Allee des Manguires, Pailles Tel: +230 286-2674 Fax:+230 286-0977 E-mail:alexandrem@intnet.mu

MOROCCO Le Monde du Jardin 57 Rue Abou Al Alaa Zahar, Casablanca Tel: +212 22 861693 Tel: +212 22 860120 E-mail:driss@lemondedujardin.ma

NAMIBIA Cymot S.W.A. 15 Newcastle St. North Industrial Area, Windhoek Tel: +264 61 295-6000 E-mail:headoffice@cymot.com

NIGERIA Boulos Entreprises Plot 10, Block D Acme Rd. IKEJA, Lagos Tel: +234 (1) 492-0156 E-mail:boulos@micro.com.ng

SOUTH AFRICA Briggs & Stratton RSA Pty. Ltd. 1055 Ridge Road, Honeydew Ext 15 2040 Gauteng, Johannesburg Tel:+27 (11) 7948190 Fax:+27 (11) 7941724 E-mail:norman.candy@briggs.co.za

TANZANIA Car & General Trading Ltd. Maktaba Street, Dar Es Salaam Tel: +255 (22) 2113016 Fax:+255 (22) 211-3015 cgtrade@raha.com

TUNISIA SIA Ben Djemaa & CIE 220, Ave des Martyrs, Sfax 3000 Tel: +216 (74) 408-409 Tel: +216 (74) 408-065 E-mail:bendjemaa@topnet.tn

Core infrastructure such as electricity, storage, and rural roads is vital to transform SSA’s agriculture.

A rice farmer in Rwanda.

The average amount of fertiliser applied in SSA was only about 9 kg per hectare in 2002, agains tthe global average of 101 kg. This gap clearly indicates that African agriculture has enormous productivity potential if only it had better access to fertilisers.

A combo four Yet, producing enough food at the aggregate level will not necessarily translate into adequate food security and equitable access to food by all. Improving agricultural productivity should be a constitutive part of a pro- poor growth strategy that sustains the generation of sufficient off-farm jobs.

To feed the world in 2050, an intelligent combination of four factors is essential: appropriate technologies, good infrastructure, favourable economic and institutional environment, and the preservation of natural resources. Only then can science be certain of making the greatest impact on resource-poor farmers and the burgeoning urban population in 2050. h Dr. Seck is the director general of the Africa Rice Center.

IRRI releases two new rice varieties in Burundi A COLLABORATION BETWEEN the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the African country of Burundi has resulted in farmers having two new rice varieties that are set to boost rice production.

Rice was first introduced into the country in 1890 but only took off as a major food crop and staple in the 1980 s. However, the country’s farmers were not able to grow enough rice to keep up with demand. Based on a collaborative effort with the Philippineheadquartered IRRI that began in 2008, farmers in Burundi will soon have two new rice varieties, IRRI’s IR77713 and IR79511, which were chosen over Burundi’s local grown varieties because they produce more rice, have higher grain quality, and taste better.

These two varieties can produce one and a half tons more rice than local varieties and they mature two to three weeks earlier, meaning that farmers can grow two crops in the same season.

“I am happy that the varieties I selected are now released. I would like to get seeds now, to be among those who will multiply seeds, so that my income can increase,” said Ms. Scolastique Simbandumwe, one of the farmers who helped pick the new varieties.

The rice varieties were released by IRRI-Burundi ahead of schedule, after only four growing seasons. These varieties are targeted to be planted in the low lying areas around the country in the hope of boosting food production and matching farmer and consumer needs.

“We do, of course, still have a long way to go. We will actively assist Burundi’s Ministry of Agriculture to multiply the seed of these new varieties so that they can reach farmers as soon as possible,” says Mr. Joseph Bigirimana, IRRI’s liaison scientist and co-ordinator in Burundi.

UGANDA Car & General (Uganda) Ltd. Plot No.81, Jinja Road, Kampala Tel: +256 (41) 234-560 E-mail: med@cargen.co.ug

ZAMBIA M&G Spring & Forge Ltd. Plot 7307 Chibengele Rd. Light Ind. Area, Lusaka Tel: +260 (1) 289-622/3 Fax:+260 (1) 289-624 E-mail:mgspring@uunet.zm

ZIMBABWE G North & Sons Pvt. Ltd. 27 Lobengula St. Southerton, Harare Tel: +263 (4) 663-717/8 Fax:+263 (4) 666-414 E-mail:sales@gnorth.co.zw

Burundi releases two new rice varieties for better lives.

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IRRIGATION

Irrigation management has always been important but now, with the world having to grow more food with less resources, it is becoming even more vital. Peter White, Soil Moisture Sense Ltd, discusses irrigation and crop management.

Increased yields with less water

N

OT ONLY MUST water be used optimally but growers must learn to use nutrients more efficiently while at the same time improving yield and quality.

Many growers spend large amounts of money and time feeding their crops with little regard to whether the crops really need it and where the feed goes within the soil.

Excessive watering causes leaching below the root zone and then, when rain arrives, these nutrients are washed further into the soil and eventually into the rivers and seas, causing environmental problems.

Soil Moisture Sense Ltd (www.soilmoisturesense.com) has been active in Africa for a number of years. SMS Ltd was formed from Peter White Water Management and sells in-field (or greenhouse) sensing equipment with training, services and advice on all aspects of irrigation management and crop management.

SMS aims to improve yield and quality, save water if possible and save or at least optimise nutrient use.

Peter White started working in Africa in Kenya in 2001, at the request of Hygrotech.

They bought a number of diviners (portable soil moisture monitoring probes) and White gave onsite training and advice.

Initially, the main crop being monitored was runner beans, where there were problems with consistent yields and quality.

White’s advice was to set up some trials to conclusively find the ‘correct’ way to irrigate to overcome these problems. Yield was greatly affected by flower set and White suggested that poor irrigation practices were causing the problem.

Once flowers set, then the next need was to get optimum yield and quality and this was also greatly affected by the way the irrigation was applied. Within a very short period the managers were able to ‘see’

30 African Farming - March/April 2012

Hypericum being monitored using an EnviroSCAN in Kenya.

what was correct – increased yields of 33 per cent were achieved while using less water and fertiliser.

From this small beginning, more growers became interested in what the company could do for them. SMS can monitor any crop that is irrigated both in soil and substrate, and also crops that are not irrigated. To date, the company monitors a large range of flowers in both soil and substrate. Many vegetables - coffee, avocados, various fruit crops - have benefited from this work.

Simple aims The company’s aims are simple – SMS aims to improve yield and quality, save water if possible (although some growers who under-irrigate use more) and save or at least optimise nutrient use. As power and fertiliser become more expensive there is more and more need for growers to know what they are doing. They are also under increased pressure from supermarkets and the environment.

SMS markets a range of products and

sensors. All of the company’s systems automatically send data to its server where the data is collected, put into graphical format with advice and then put back securely online. It can then be viewed by anyone with the correct login and password either on their PC or, increasingly, on their smartphone. To view some example data go to www.soilmoisturesense.com and login using demo and password of demo, then click on My Account and then click on the various boxes.

Some success storires SMS has achieved a great deal for its growers in many countries – a few examples are: ● Pepper production in Spain in plastic greenhouses – almost 50 per cent saving in water and fertiliser use while improving yield and quality. This resulted in the grower saving US$1,300 per month per ha from fertiliser alone for an outlay of just $1,300 – good business.

But more improvement is still possible: When studying the data in detail, slow

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IRRIGATION

In many cases you can save water, fertiliser and power while at the same time improving yields and quality.

Monitoring soil moisture content coffee in Tanzania using a diviner

downs of water use for two days after every irrigation can be seen - a suggestion of temporary water logging. ● Flower production in Kenya: some growers are already better at irrigating than others so smaller gains can be made, but even a 10 per cent reduction in water and fertiliser use can result in substantial financial improvements. ● Wheat irrigation in Kenya has resulted in substantial gains for the growers, and one of SMS’s growers - a dry land wheat producer - has learned a great deal about his growing, making a big financial contribution to his business. Growers interested in what they can achieve should visit www.soilmoisturesense.com/index.php?pid=259 SMS has identified temporary water logging in many soils and helped the growers make changes to their irrigation system and soil structures, leading to vast improvements.

SMS does not profess to be a nutrient expert although the company does have considerable experience of helping growers save fertiliser. Firstly you must get your watering right, however. In the company’s experience, most growers over-feed.

When using drip irrigation you need to be able to identify water spread as well as depth – SMS can help with this. Many growers assume their water spreads, as seen in adverts, ‘like an onion’ – often, in the company’s experience, it spreads more like a carrot!

With correct management this can be improved dramatically. You can imagine that with poor water spreading you may be only watering 10 per cent of the root volume instead of the 50, 70 or 90 per cent that may be needed for optimum growth.

In many cases you can save water, fertiliser and power while at the same time improving yields and quality.

The environment Everybody is aware of the global need to look after the environment, whether by saving water or by avoiding leaching and pollution and, in most cases, both. A perfect example of what could be done is the case of irrigating from a lake.

Growers may pump too much water from a lake, fill the water with nutrients and then over irrigate, the water full of nutrients will filter back to the lake causing serious problems. SMS can help avoid this type of problem. h

SMS’s agronomic beliefs: Only irrigate when you really need to – this will encourage your crop to develop a proper, large root system. This will help the plant to cope when the demand is at its maximum, due to high temperature and water use or during different crop stages such as fruit fill. Remember that too wet is often worse than too dry but neither is good and lack of oxygen can be a big problem in some soils.

Identify rooting depth from SMS’s data so that when you do irrigate you refill the soil to the bottom of the root zone. Many growers do not apply enough to fully re-wet the soil and, in time, certain root layers run out of water and cease to help provide for the needs of the plant.

Salad onions irrigated with a Pivot near Lake Naivasha.

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SEED DRILLING

Increasing output to save time and costs is among the crop establishment priorities, and many of the newest seed drills have design features to improve work rates and increase efficiency.

Seed drill progress

O

NE OF THE obvious cost-saving developments is designing seed drills that need less initial seedbed preparation. It is a trend that started more than 30 years ago and still continues, and there has already been a big reduction in the number of cultivations carried out on many farms to allow significant savings in time and fuel consumption. Although the number and type of cultivations needed is determined to some extent by soil type, the crop to be grown and, in some cases, by problems such as soil compaction and weed infestations that need special treatment, the general trend is to economise on seedbed preparation.

The ultimate in cultivation saving is no-till drilling when the seed drill works directly into undisturbed soil. This can mean attractive cultivation cost savings, although there is also likely to be increased dependence on

The ultimate in cultivation saving is no-till drilling when the seed drill works directly into undisturbed soil. herbicides for weed control. An example of this approach is John Deere’s 750A No-Till drill which has the versatility to work in undisturbed stubble, into land that has had just a primary cultivation with a plough or a set of discs, and also into a fully prepared conventional seedbed.

John Deere’s No-Till drill has pneumatic seed delivery and is available with 3.0, 4.0 and 6.0m working widths and with hopper capacities of 1,000, 1,800 and 2,300 litres respectively. Sowing depths can be adjusted between 13 and 90mm and work rates up to 6ha/hr are available with the 6m version.

Power requirements start at 80hp for the 3.0m drill.

One of the benefits of establishing crops with reduced cultivations and no-till drilling systems is moisture conservation. Moving soil in a traditional sequence of cultivations increases the exposure to moisture loss, and crops sown into dry soil germinate more slowly and unevenly, often bringing lower

32 African Farming - March/April 2012

John Deere's 750A No-Till drill can work in uncultivated soil.

yields. Another advantage in some situations is that stubble and other residues from previous crops are left on the surface between the crop rows, and this helps to reduce the risk of wind erosion.

Strip tillage is another form of reduced cultivation and an effective way to reduce soil moisture losses when establishing maize and other crops sown in widely spaced rows. It is widely used in the US and has become increasingly popular in parts of Europe and other areas where conserving soil moisture is an important factor. Strip tillage also significantly reduces the amount of tractor time and fuel needed to establish each hectare.

Cultivator-drill combinations Cultivator-drill combinations offer a different approach to reducing time and fuel costs for crop establishment. It is a system that is widely used in Europe, especially for small to medium acreages and for a wide variety of crops. The combination consists of a p-t-o powered cultivator plus a seed drill, both working together and mounted on the tractor three-point linkage. The cultivator is usually a power harrow and most of the leading manufacturers offer a power harrow that can be used either on its own or with a special seed drill attachment. Disadvantages of the till-and-drill combination include relatively

slow work rates because power harrowing is not a high-speed operation, but the power harrow can be used after a single primary cultivation or, in some conditions, can work in undisturbed soil and it can be much more effective in hard soil than tined cultivation.

One of the design features that can improve drilling work rates is the size of the seed hopper, with more capacity reducing the time lost for refill stops. Amazone uses a 2,000 litre hopper on the 3.0 and 4.0m wide versions of the AD-P Super combination drill.

It can work at speeds up to 15 kph, the makers say, and it is teamed up with Amazone’s KG series power harrows equipped with RoTec Plus coulters with a wedge type rear roller to consolidate the soil around the freshly sown seeds.

A 2,000 litre seed hopper is also featured on the 3.0 and 4.0m versions of the Venta series drill from the French manufacturer, Kuhn Farm Machinery. The Venta combi units include Kuhn’s HR1003 series power harrows and a special feature of the drill design is the new Seedflex coulter system that can be adjusted to exert 35 to 40kg downward pressure, 25 per cent more than the previous design and said to offer better penetration and depth control in difficult ground conditions.

Kverneland’s top selling seed drill is the recently introduced TS Evo offered with

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SEED DRILLING

Close-up view of a 4.0m wide Kuhn Venta series combination drill.

working widths from 4.0 to 6.0m and with three hopper capacities from 1,200 to 2,200 litres. Design features include a pneumatic seeding mechanism with a hydraulically powered fan, the main frame is in three sections for improved contour following and there are five rows of tines giving more efficient trash clearance than the three rows on Kverneland’s previous TS series combination drill.

The fact that power harrow/drill combinations are mounted on the rear linkage means the hopper capacity has to be limited by the tractor’s lift capacity, but one option for overcoming this problem is to carry an additional seed hopper on the front linkage. The frontmounted hoppers are available from some of the leading combination drill companies to provide additional capacities of 1,000 litres or more.

For those who want a seed drill with a bigger working width and a much larger hopper capacity, the choices are likely to be among trailed machines which are not restricted by lift capacity. Simba Great Plains offers the recently introduced Centurion trailed drill in 4.0 and

6.0m widths with a 4,100 litre hopper. The specification includes 4mm discs to open the slots for the seeds and the options include weigh cells to check the seed hopper contents.

The company, owned by American based Great Plains, has also produced the V-300 drill series to suit smaller acreages and 100hp tractors. Seed only and seed plus fertiliser versions are available and the seeding mechanism includes 19 Turbo Coulters that can operate with up to 250kg of downward pressure for working in hard soil conditions. As well as arable crops, the V-300 drill can be used to sow grass and clover seed for livestock.

Hopper capacity on the 6.0m wide Lemken Compact-Solitaire drill is 5,000 litres. It is based on the Lemken Heliodor cultivator and it can be supplied in either seed only or seed plus fertiliser versions. For sowing fertiliser the hopper is supplied with a dividing wall that can be moved to vary the ratio between the seed and fertiliser capacities. The special OptiDisc double-disc coulters place the fertiliser between the seed rows.

Precision drills are important for crops where accurate seed spacing is important, and they are used for large scale production of salad and vegetable crops and for sowing maize. The new arrival in this sector of the market is Vaderstad of Sweden which introduced the Tempo drill for sowing maize seed last year. It is based on a number of new features designed to improve spacing accuracy while allowing faster working speeds. An example is the position of the seed release, which is immediately in front of a press wheel to prevent the seed rolling as it falls on to the soil.

Two versions of the Tempo maize drill are available initially, sowing six and eight rows and with four row space settings from 700 to 800mm. Each of the sealed seed hoppers holds 70 litres and the options include fertiliser placement and micro-granule hoppers. h

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CLAAS to introduce new single rotor rakes FOR 2012, CLAAS has introduced three new single rotor rakes and added an additional wider working model to its trailed twin rotor rake range. The new CLAAS Liner 3100 is designed to meet the needs of those who want the wide raking width of a four-rotor rake, but with the compact dimensions of a two-rotor rake for ease of transport.

The new two-rotor Liner 3100 is therefore ideal in this respect and with a working width that can be infinitely adjusted from 8.70m up to 10m, the ability to put four 3.00m swaths into one makes this ideal for those running QUADRANT balers or medium size Jaguar foragers.

Each of the rotors incorporates a constantly lubricated hub and is fitted with 14 tine arms, that are secured using the PROFIX quick change system for easy removal for transport or in the event of an arm being damaged. To ensure accurate ground contour following for a clean finish, each of the rotors has Cardan suspension and is carried on a six-wheel chassis, with the wheels positioned as close to the tines as possible, so that the rotor can quickly adapt to ground undulations. The rotors are mounted so that when they are lifted, they stay parallel to the ground, and the lift height is adjustable up to 90cm. Individual rotor lifting is available as an option, as is electrohydraulic adjustment of the raking height.

For transport, in order to stay below 4.00m, it is necessary to remove just three tine arms, which are then securely carried on the main frame for easy access. In addition, as they are lifted the rotors are dropped hydraulically and secured by a mechanical locking device. In addition, integrated wheel weights are fitted as standard to ensure optimum transport stability and to also allow the LINER 3200 to be transported at up to 50km/h.

For next season, CLAAS will be offering three new single rotor rakes: the new LINER 450, 420 and 370.

A D V E R T I S E R S

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S08 AF March - April 2012 Planting & Seeding_Layout 1 21/03/2012 14:55 Page 35

for field vaccination

EFFECTIVE PROTECTION AGAINST GUMBORO DISEASE

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S08 AF March - April 2012 Planting & Seeding_Layout 1 21/03/2012 14:55 Page 36

SUPERIOR ENGINEERING COMES IN RED

MF 5650: PURE GOLD www.masseyferguson.com/puregold

Robust, easyeasy-to-operate -to-operate and ver veryy versatilee MF 5650 combines are ca capable pabble of har harvesting vesting a huge range of crops and and including maize, cereals, cereals, rice, soybean, soybean, edible beans and grass seed conditions including seeed There is also specialist equipment crops ps equipment aavailable vailable for directly cutting bean crop These ruggedly built combines light ht coombines blend simplicity of design and ligh cconstruction onstruction with some som me of the latest laatest t technology technology to produce a highly highlly flexible rrange of machines at at superb value-for-money value-for value for-mone moneey profits High speed and high yield means you can maximise your profit ts

is a worl worldwide dwide brand of AGCO.