ProAgri Zambia 58

ProAg Pro Agri ri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a No 58

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Happy animals choose Tal-Tec Enter the nut game with Orion Irresistible Pecans

The Best Deep Water Abstraction Solutions www.agri4all.com

www.proagri.co.za

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*Order a new Agrico centre pivot with an Advanced control panel and get your Internet control subscription FREE for the first 24 months.

Contact details: Alfred Andrag | c: +27 82 824 1214 t: +27 21 950 4111 | f: +27 21 950 4208 | alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za

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Sales and Service with branches across Southern Africa: Aliwal North | Bellville | Bethlehem | Bloemfontein | Brits | Caledon | Ceres | Christiana | Cradock | De Doorns | Douglas | Ermelo | George | Hartswater | Humansdorp Kakamas | Kimberley | Kokstad | Kroonstad | Lichtenburg | Lusaka | Mkushi | Nelspruit | Nigel | Nylstroom | Pietermaritzburg | Piketberg | Rawsonville | Tzaneen Upington | Vredendal | Wellington| Winterton

Cover

Letter from the Editor

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lueberries are labelled as a superfruit. This fleshy fruit is very popular in developed countries due to its appetising deep blue colour, unbelievable health benefits and the important nutrients it contains. It is low in calories but high in fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K, and has one of the highest antioxidant levels of the fruit and vegetables we know.

Blueberries protect against aging, cancer, and cholesterol damage in your blood. There are also indications that they may lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease. It can help maintain brain function, improve memory, and may have anti-diabetic effects.

Zambia is a proud producer of blueberries, and the export value of this convenient snack is huge. China recently became a destination for Zambian blueberries after a three-year application process. The prescriptive temperature control and phytosanitary conditions are tight, but in July 2020, it was announced that Zambia had been granted access to the Chinese market for locally produced blueberries.

The hard work did not stop there, for all the necessary access protocols had to be finalised. In September, the Zambezi Berry Company received an

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official confirmation that their application was approved for exports to this gigantic East Asian country. The first shipments of Zambian blueberries will leave in 2021.

Honourable President Edgar Lungu also supports this drive and will soon flag-off this exciting break-through during a ceremony at the Zambezi Berry Company in the Chongwe District of Lusaka Province.

The slow, but growing trend in the Zambian crops sector has been a gradual shift from crops such as maize, soya beans, rice, wheat, cotton, sugar and tobacco to higher-value items such as macadamia nuts, ground nuts, avocados, blueberries and chillies. The lucrative overseas markets are driving this decision shift among farmers.

Although the northern hemisphere still dominates global berry production, Africa will soon get their slice of the pie.

This month we offer a wide variety of articles, from the pecan industry to the rapid growth in the trucking and transport sector.

Farm smartly!

Du Preez de Villiers dupreez@proagri.co.za

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3.

Keep your borehole safe with Carl Hamm technology

5.

Ctrack Freight & Transport Index returns its best quarter yet

7.

Novatek: Optimising milk production with NovaMilk 35

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11.

Tiger Feeds: Biosecurity is an essential farm routine

13.

Dip easily, dip today, dip with Tal-Tec

14.

Create the perfect environment for your dairy cattle: Part 13

21.

Invest in your growth with Valley Irrigation

23.

Reinke makes rain in the desert

24.

Irrigation made easy: Part 8

27.

Stretch water and reduce costs with Agrico

28.

Far becomes near with Freight Innovations

29.

Bayer prevents the COVID-19 health problem from turning into a hunger problem

31.

PlantCatalyst: Deal with fertiliser shortage and increased costs: Part 1

35.

Orion Irresistible Pecans: The pecan nut trees that thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa

37.

SeedCo: Managing weeds in your fields: What is the best approach?

ProAgri Zambia 58

Carl Hamm is very particular when it comes to the design of their borehole systems. Their aim for perfection lies in constantly refining their designs to pass specific stress tests. Read more about this top manufacturer on page 3.

ProAgri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a

Nangwenya House No. 7352 Nangwenya Road Rhodespark +26 (0)97-769-9786 www.proagri.co.za Copyright © 2019. All rights r­ eserved. No m ­ aterial, text or p ­ hoto­graphs may be r­ eproduced, copied or in any other way t­ ransmitted without the written consent of the publisher. O ­ pinions ­expressed are not n ­ ecessarily those of the publisher or of the e ­ ditor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their r­ espective o ­ wners.

ProAgri shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon.

ProAgri Zambia Editor Du Preez de Villiers > +27 82-598-7329 dupreez@proagri.co.za Reporters Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za Benine Ackermann > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Jaco Cilliers > +27 71-893-6477 jaco@proagri.co.za Senior Production Manager: Zainab Pandor > +26 (0)97-769-9786 zainab@proagri.co.za Marketing Manager Diane Grobler > +27 82-555-6866 diane@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Candice Rieger > +27 83-292-3150 candice@proagri.co.za Johan Swartz > +27 71-599-9417 johan@proagri.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 82-698-3353 tiny@proagri.co.za Anelda Strauss > +27 74-424-0055 anelda@proagri.co.za Gerhard Potgieter > +27 74-694-4422 gerhard@proagri.co.za Creative Director Christiaan Joubert > +27 72-419-3990 christiaan@proagri.co.za Design Michelle Kruger & Esta van Niekerk Enquiries Engela Botha > +27 12-803-0782 engela@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Schluter > +27 12-803-0782 accounts@proagri.co.za Business Manager George Grobler

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GENUINE BALING PERFORMANCE FOR GENUINE FARMERS

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL JOHN DEERE DEALER FOR MORE DETAILS

Keep your borehole investment safe with Carl Hamm technology. Don't throw money into the water Factors in safe water abstraction installations

Selecting components based purely on a pressure rating is very dangerous and you could possibly lose your equipment. Carl Hamm considers every variable.

by Jaco Cilliers

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uying the cheapest products is often the most expensive option. Many companies offer cheap products that might end up costing you your borehole.

Chris Munnick, CEO of Carl Hamm SA, explains: “People only take the pressure into consideration when choosing the pipes that they attach to their borehole pump. This can be fatal for the borehole. If the weight of the water, pipe, cable, pump, and motor

For your own risk management the supplier must sign off the design incorporating: • Pump shut valve pressure • Pump and motor weight • Cable weight • Pipe and coupler weight • Water weight • Surge • Safety factor between 2 and 3

are not also considered, the coupling can fail, which means that all your expensive equipment will drop into the borehole.”

This is why Carl Hamm provides a

unique water abstraction solution to every client. They ensure that all the variables are taken into consideration and then multiply the results by two to three times to ensure safety.

During the development of the ZSM coupling that joins the pipes, every stress point is identified and thoroughly tested to minimise accidental failures.

Carl Hamm specialises in industrial applications as well, and installs borehole water abstraction systems varying between 50 mm and 1 400 mm in size.

One of the reasons for Carl Hamm’s success is the ZSM connection coupling that they use, along with the quality of the pipes that can withstand pressures of up to 150 bar.

For more information on the products and services that Carl Hamm can provide, contact Chris Munnick on +27(0)10-900-2005 or send an e-mail to chris@carl-hamm.co.za. Visit their website at www.carl-hamm.co.za.

ProAgri Zambia 58

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Always Visible

Agri Solutions Ctrack’s tracking solutions help farmers save on costs and improve performance through better planning and decision making regardless of crop type, farm or fleet size. By providing critical information about your equipment, you can efficiently

manage your assets, time and money investment. Our suite of GPS tracking devices are built for the often rough and remote conditions in South Africa so you can rest assured that your agricultural equipment will always be properly monitored.

Features: Machine usage (operating hours)

Real-time alert (geo zones)

Pattern of use (direction when used)

Potential asset theft or tampering alerts

www.ctrack.co.za | sales@ctrack.co.za | Call Centre: +27 (0)860 333 444 4

ProAgri Zambia 58

Ctrack Freight & Transport Index returns its best quarter yet T

he South African Logistics sector has just completed its strongest ever quarter of growth to date. As it often happens, the biggest decline was followed by the highest growth. With September being the end of the third quarter, Statistics SA is expected to release the updated GDP figures soon, and all indications are that it will show the strongest growth per quarter in our lifetime. Sub-Saharan Africa will follow closely in these footsteps.

In June 2020, the Ctrack Freight Transport Index showed that the logistics sector recorded a decline of 17,6%, compared to the previous quarter, while the growth over the second quarter has improved with 11,8%. According to the Ctrack Freight Transport Index, only two subsectors recorded a decline. Those were Pipelines, which is the smallest subsector and Storage, which is historically very difficult to predict.

“The Ctrack Freight Transport Index has been recording these trends for a considerable period of time and we have never seen such growth and recovery, which is excellent news for the economy,” Hein Jordt, Managing Director of Ctrack SA, says.

Freight transport tracks the economy in the near real-time, and shows that the third quarter GDP will be the highest on record too. The Ctrack Freight Transport Index has a very close relationship with GDP, and is also strongly correlated to the coincident index.

This is of course why we now expect the strongest GDP on record for South Africa and many other countries too.

While this recovery might seem remarkable, one must remember that if your turnover is cut by 50% from R1 000 to R500 in one year and you get a 50% increase on the R500 turnover the next (year two), your turnover is now only R750, which is still 25% lower than in year one.

However, this does not take away from the strength of the bounce or the

behind the same quarter last year. A complete recovery is only expected in a year’s time.

The recovery in the road transport sector may be due to the move towards courier type transport, however long-distance freight transport was at a similar level in September as it was in September 2019. That being said, September 2019 featured plenty of strike action and was also a weak economic

Table 1: The Ctrack Freight Transport Index measured changes record-breaking nature of the recovery, but it does indicate that everything is not back to normal yet. With normal meaning the logistics sector returning to where it was before the slowdown in mid-2019.

The effects of the second wave of COVID-19 are yet to be seen, however now it seems to have hit Europe the hardest. China has recovered and is growing strongly, while indications are that the recession in the US was not as bad as feared.

“We expect some negative effects, but we believe that they will not be as devestating as those of the first wave,” Hein says.

Internal sectors are faring better than those with a bigger foreign trade factor.

The Ctrack Freight Transport Index covers six sub-sectors in the logistics arena. They all behave differently, particularly during a world-wide crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Land based transport shows improvements Rail and Road recorded similar increases of 16% and 16,8% compared to the previous quarter. While both major forms of land transport report disruptions, such as border delays and illegal strike action, they are both only 7%

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quarter for the overall South African economy.

Pipelines reported the biggest decline at 38,7% quarter on quarter.

This is due to the storing of massive amounts of fuel during the second quarter and it may be another month or two before we see quarterly increases again. With many motorists still not driving due to widespread work from home policies, fuel usage remains below par (apart from diesel for trucking which is close to normal).

“South Africa is on the verge of climbing on the economic recovery train with companies keen to recover losses and restore their turnover figures. However, if business and the public do not continue to adhere to the basic hygiene and protection guidelines, we could be back into lockdown before we know it. Companies that barely survived the first lockdown will be sent off a cliff in a second round, and the economic consequences will be significantly more severe if this happens,” Hein says.

Become part of a winning team.

Visit www.ctrack.co.za for more information.

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AFGRI Equipment Sales Hotline Wholegoods Mobile +26 (0) 76 217 2412 Email sales@afgri.com.zm Offer valid until 30 November 2020 6

ProAgri Zambia 58

Optimising milk production with NovaMilk 35

by Mulele Nakweti

T

o get the best results on a dairy farm, a farmer must pay extra attention to the nutritional needs of a dairy herd. It is, therefore, important to provide the animals with a balanced feed in order to achieve higher milk production. Dairy cattle are ruminants and have the ability to utilise roughage such as grass and crop residues as a source of food. This means that the cattle are able to chew the cuds regurgitated from their rumens, which helps keeping their big stomachs in a healthy condition.

In most cases, grass is used as a source of roughage. However, due to different weather patterns, the quality of the grass will vary during the course of the year. During the rainy season, the grass is fresh and green and will provide a higher nutritional value. During the dry season, the grass is brown and harder, and will generally provide a lower nutritional value. As a result of these variations, farmers who rely on grass as the only source of food will experience very low milk yields in the dry season. To meet the nutritional requirements, a farmer must adjust the total feed ration and, for example add a feed concentrate.

At Novatek, we produce the NovaMilk 35 concentrate in order to help farmers meet the animal’s nutritional requirements. This concentrate can be mixed with raw materials such as No 3 meal, maize bran, cotton cake, sunflower cake, soya, and wheat bran. Due to variations in the quality of grass during the year, a farmer can use the NovaMilk 35 concentrate to make a Dairy 16 feed when the grass is green, and a Dairy 19 feed when the grass is dry. The Dairy 19 will have a

higher protein content (19% crude protein) than the Dairy 16 (16% crude protein) and it will provide the necessary nutrients, enabling the animal to break down the dry grass.

Lactating animals need to be fed according to milk yield and the stage of lactation. High yielding animals will consume more feed than low yielding animals. Feeding of dairy cattle starts before calving. This helps maintain the body condition of the pregnant cow and build calcium reserves. At calving, dairy cattle go into a negative nutrient balance, meaning they are not able to obtain all the nutrients required from the feed. As a result, the animals begin to utilise nutrients from their body reserves. A dairy animal with insufficient

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calcium reserves is likely to develop milk fever. To avoid this condition, a farmer needs to flush feed at least two weeks before calving to help the animals build up body reserves.

Nutrition will also influence the quantity of milk. With the right information and guidance, any Zambian farmer will be able to optimise milk production on his or her farm.

You may contact Wiehan Visagie at wiehan.visagie@novatek.co.zm, or MarnĂŠ Visagie at nutritionist@ novatek.co.zm for any information on feeding and feeds.

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Feedlot 85 is a high protein, low inclusion fattening concentrate specifically for use in cattle. The concentrate can be used in different ratios with listed and other raw materials to formulate a beef fattening ration. It comes standard with ionophores as well as essential minerals & vitamins which will optimize energy utilisation in the rumen.

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ProAgri Zambia 58

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July 16

Orders: Sales: Nutritionist: Sales Manager: Technical Help Lines:

Novatek Animal Feeds Zambia ProAgri Zambia 58

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ProAgri Zambia 58

Tiger Feeds: Biosecurity is an essential farm routine

by Given Hamanungu, Technical Advisor, Tiger Feeds

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he rearing of broilers involves the concentration and maintenance of large numbers of birds in a confined space. This calls for strict farm biosecurity measures.

What is biosecurity?

• It is the system a farmer uses to keep infectious diseases off his farm, • or the process of keeping the farm free from disease pathogens and avoid disease spreading to other farms.

For this reason, it is important to have knowledge of how diseases are transmitted or spread.

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•

•

Disinfecting is crucial to prevent the proliferation of disease pathogens.

Disease transmission mainly occurs when infectious material travels from infected or recovering birds to susceptible ones. A disease agent is the biological pathogen which is responsible for the passing of infections from one bird to another, or from one place to another. Some can be carried by the wind on loose feathers or in dust.

Some are transmitted through contaminated water supplies. Most are transmitted by faecal material carried on everything from equipment to shoes and hands.

Sometimes unwanted animals around the poultry farm, such as rodents, wild birds, cats, and even dogs, can carry the infectious agents and never show any signs of sickness.

But … without question, the number one way in which diseases move from farm to farm is through people!

For biosecurity to be effective, several principles should be considered, and these are of economic importance. The survival of your operation is at stake.

Flock health management and monitoring: • This is essential for early detection and prevention of disease. Sick

or dead birds must be examined by veterinary experts to determine whether infectious agents may be responsible for the problem.

Birds should be routinely examined to determine and identify the type of infectious agents that may be present on the farm.

When using vaccines, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions or consult the veterinary expert. Do not pretend to know things that you do not know by doing what you think you know!

Only use antibiotics when birds are sick and under the instruction of a veterinary expert. Careless use of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance and prevent the efficacy of the antibiotic when the need arises.

As a serious farmer, stay informed regarding disease problems that may prevail in the vicinity.

Isolation It helps to maintain a safe distance between the birds and potential disease threats.

• Avoid traffic on and off the farm.

• Do not lend or borrow equipment from other farms.

• Do not permit visitors other than authorised personnel on the premises. That means people who really need to be there.

• All visitors to the farm must sign a logbook so that any possible problems can be traced back.

Good hygiene It prevents dissemination of infectious agents by reducing their numbers or eliminating them from the environment.

• House cleaning and disinfection – total cleanout of the poultry facility is a must.

• Litter should not be spread on fields adjacent to poultry houses or on the neighbours’ fields.

• Clean and disinfect removable equipment like feed trays and drinkers shortly before setting the house up for new birds.

• The entire facility, including curtains (inside and out), and equipment must be washed from top to bottom with a detergent spray.

• The entire facility must be disinfected using an approved product at the concentration recommended by the manufacturer.

• All visitors who wish to enter the poultry premise must wear clean,

ProAgri Zambia 58

Wild birds are a prime spreader of harmful poultry diseases.

All vehicles can easily be disinfected with an overhead disinfection station.

•

sanitised caps, overalls, gloves, and boots.

Properly maintained footbaths at the entry to the farm and then to each house are mandatory. These need to include a station for cleaning and removing organic materials and a station for disinfection.

Good management practices It should always be enforced to ensure a healthy environment: • A good objective of broiler management is to achieve the required bird performance in terms of live weight, feed conversion, uniformity, and meat yield within economic constraints.

• Construction of poultry house.

• Ventilation and temperature management.

• Brooding and light management.

• Litter management.

• Feeding and watering.

• Disease management.

• Keeping records.

Contact Given at +260 97-5403834 or +260 96-793-3658 or givenhams@gmail.com for more information.

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ProAgri Zambia 58

Dip easily, dip today, dip with Tal-Tec with 34 jets, and the semi-portable and mobile spray races both have 24 jets, spraying from all four sides to ensure the dip gets onto the entire body of the animal.

The dip mix is recycled as the dip runs back into the tank through a sieve, and therefore you can dip up to 300 cattle with 1ℓ of dip. Cattle can be dipped as often as your programme calls for at minimum cost and using minimum labour while still achieving maximum results.

Tal-Tec has three different cattle spray race models: • Static – is installed by cementing it into the floor • Semi-portable – is moveable, but does not have wheels • Mobile unit – has wheels but is not roadworthy

The semi-portable cattle spray race drenches the cattle in dip fluid through 24 jets, ensuring that no parasite can hide in any hard to reach place.

Tal-Tec livestock spray races increase productivity while reducing cost

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ivestock carry parasites. This is an inconvenient fact, but a fact none the less. Parasites live on livestock and are the vectors of various diseases. To keep your livestock happy, healthy, and profitable you need to dip them regularly, especially during the warm and wet summer months. The process of dipping livestock can be costly, labour intensive and time consuming – unless you own a Tal-Tec livestock spray race.

With your Tal-Tec spray race dipping your flock or herd of livestock becomes quick, easy, and effective.

It is particularly important to know which ticks are in your area before dipping your animals and which dip is mostly used in your area. You will be able to get this information from your vet. The dip ratio is vital to ensure the best results from your dip. Because of the small volume of dip required to operate a spray race, it is feasible to

NEW

The new sheep spray race has 15 jets spraying from the sides, top, bottom and one at the back to spray under the tail. prepare fresh dip for every dipping to ensure the best results.

The cattle static spray race is built

ProAgri Zambia 58

The semi-portable and mobile spray races must be empty when transported. The Tal-Tec static spray race is the most effective model and has been developed and produced for the past 46 years.

The new sheep spray race has up to 15 jets spraying from the sides, top, bottom and one at the back to spray under the tail. It works with a solenoid that is triggered by a sensor once the sheep walks past it. The dip sprays until the sheep moves past the sensor. As soon as one sheep exits the spray race it is ready for the next sheep.

The sheep dip is mixed with water at the recommended ratio. The solution is then sprayed onto the sheep under high pressure in order to penetrate the wool and onto the skin.

Remember to always follow the instructions on the label of the dip. If dip is applied incorrectly, it can either cost a lot of money and not yield any results, or it may cause health risks to livestock.

The spray race sprays between 2 and 3 litres of the dip solution per sheep and is equipped with a 12 V rechargeable battery for powering the sensor and solenoid valve. It can also be connected to an electrical outlet by using the charging cable provided. The sheep spray race is easy to use and operate.

With Tal-Tec Livestock spray races you will be able to dip your animals with ease, with minimum cost and minimum labour. For more information, contact Tal-Tec on+27(0)12250-2188 / +27(0)66-2997939, send an e-mail to sales@taltec.co.za, or visit the website www.tal-tec.co.za 13

Picture 1: Pixabay.com

Create the perfect environment for your dairy cattle: Part 13

Holding pens T

he importance of holding pens at milking parlours is often disregarded. The absence or errors in the form and layout thereof, is the direct cause of poor cow flow at well-designed milking parlours with expensive equipment.

The waiting pen must be large enough to hold the number of cows that can be milked in one hour. The sizes of the groups of cows in the holding facilities must correlate with the capacity of the holding pen, so that cows in one group do not have to be sorted or have to enter the holding pen in shifts.

If a second group of cows overlaps with the first group, an additional 25% of space must be provided to prevent crowdedness and ensure a smooth flow (McFarland, 1992). An area of 1,5 m2 to 1,75 m2 per cow must be allowed in the holding pen. Figure 1,2 and 3 show round and rectangular holding pens.

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Clean area Milk tank room

Machine room

Entrance to milking parlour

Milking parlour Pit

Bathroom Store

Cattle standing level

Office Exit

Holding pen

Dirty area Post feeding unit

Figure 1: Round holding pen.

ProAgri Zambia 58

that the group of cows must be herded together into a single row before they enter the alley of the milking parlour.

A fence around the holding pen, narrowing towards the parlour entrance, gives best results. A rule of thumb to be used to lead cows into the parlour is not to let the cows turn a corner greater than 45°.

On a sloping site, it is better to excavate the milking parlour, so that the holding pen and cow platform in the parlour is approximately on the same level.

Holding pens with solid floors must have a slope of 3% to 5% away from the parlour. This slope makes cleaningup easier and can encourage cows to turn to the parlour entrance. The floor must have a non-slip surface. Some holding pens have slat floors above a manure pit. These types of holding pens are not sloping, as the manure and washing water flow through the Picture 2: Rectangular holding pen. slats to the drainage pit. It is important not to remove the manure in the pit Milking parlour while the cows are in the holding pen.

Roofed holding pens must be well ventilated to prevent problems with gases Cow platform emitted by manure and urine.

Milking pit Holding pens can also be used as Crush gate washing, drip-dry and cooling-down areas. This design can eliminate the Cow platform need for washing udders in the parlour and the occurrence of heat-stress in cows in very hot regions. A single-row brick wall must be built around the exterior boundary of the holding pen Crush gate Handling facilities to prevent manure water and washing Round holding pen water from seeping into the surrounding veld or grazing.

In many systems, mist sprayers are installed on the floor surface in the hindmost portion of the holding pen.

The one half of the holding pen nearest to the parlour is the drip area, so that cows and their udders are relaAlley from/to grazing camps/housing facilities tively dry when they enter the parlour.

Picture 3 and 4 show a holding pen Figure 2: Round holding pen. where mist sprayers are used to spray the udders clean.

In this case, 42 sprayers spaced 1,5 m apart are Milking parlour used. Each sprayer delivers approximately 20 to 15 litres of water per Milking pit Holding pit minute. The sprayers are switched on every 50 seconds.

This routine is repeated for each Entrance to holding pen group of 25 cows.

According to Kahtz (1999) the udders Figure 3: Rectangular holding pen. are already dry when they enter the parlour. Other methods of cooling down cows in the holding pen are discussed Cows should enter the holding pen in that cow traffic can enter the parlour in the next issue. the same direction in which they enter without any turns, as the movement of A crush gate inside the holding pen the parlour. This way, possible probcows are delayed if they must turn to serves well and replaces the services lems with cows that must turn 180° to enter the parlour. This delay is aggraof a labourer. The main purpose of the enter the parlour are eliminated. The vated when many cows are involved. holding pen must be orientated such With wide holding pens, keep in mind crush gate is however to keep the ProAgri Zambia 58

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Picture 3 and 4: Holding pen with mist sprayers. available space for the cows in the holding pen relatively constant. 92% of the cows in the holding pen stand still.

The crush gate reduces the available area in the holding pen and encourages the cows to enter the parlour voluntarily. Electrified crush gates must be avoided. It makes the cows nervous and raises their stress levels (McFarland, 1992).

The transition from the holding pen to the parlour must make a smooth cow-flow possible. Cows must be led

into a single row before they enter the parlour. Cow flow can be improved by excluding the wall at the entrance of the parlour. The opening and closing of doors to control cow flow in the parlour complicate the task of the labourers.

Cows often hesitate at the entrance door before they enter the milking parlour. With no barrier between the holding pen and the milking parlour, it seems that cows enter the parlour more confidently. The operator also has a better view of the holding pen.

Next month we shall look at milking machine systems. Published with acknowledgement to the ARC Agricultural Engineering for the use of their manuals.

Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.

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NoseRing® is available at Livestock Services, Lusaka – Pamodzi Highway, off Nangwenya Road, Showgrounds; Tel: 0211-254497 / 254024; E-mail: admin@livestock.co.zm

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ProAgri Zambia 58

FES is a trusted investor in the region’s agricultural sector and the sole agent for well-known international equipment brands – such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger – in Zambia.

Driven to provide innovative, practical and cost-effective business solutions for each of our clients, we provide tailormade turnkey solutions, training, access to original spare parts, ongoing technical support and backup services.

The Lusaka-based team has local experience and expertise; partnering with a broad customer base of local commercial estates, small- to medium-scale farmers and multinational corporate clients.

Nothing less than excellence will do. Call Jim and his team; Richard (Lusaka) and Rob (Mazabuka).

THE OFFICIAL IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF MASSEY FERGUSON AND CHALLENGER TRACTORS

FES Lusaka team

FES Mazabuka team

Cairo Road, North End, Lusaka

Plot 330, Great North Road, Mazabuka

+260 96 439 6145

+260 96 705 7677

enquiries@feszm.com

enquiries@feszm.com FES is the sole franchise holder for

www.fes.africa

ProAgri Zambia 58

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Please note: Supported brands may differ by region.

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ProAgri Zambia 58

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E-mail: info@neriainvestments.com

www.neriainvestments.com

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Rudy SNYMAN Subsidiary Director of MLT South Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa) r.snyman@mlt-lacing.com

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ProAgri Zambia 58

02/11/2020 10:51:29

19

DON’T REPLACE, RE-PIPE DURABLE PRODUCT AND SUPERIOR SERVICE FROM VALLEY

Zambia

20

Marius Tolken

+27 79 506 3400

marius.tolken@valmont .com

André van Wyk

+260 978 772 550

andre@irritechzm.co.zm

ProAgri Zambia 58

Invest in your growth with Valley Irrigation

by Jaco Cilliers

A

centre pivot can outlive a farmer if it is built using superior quality material, has a robust design, is well maintained and is reliable. These are all qualities that farmers have become accustomed to from Valley Irrigation.

Valley pivots enable the farmer to ensure that his crops will be successful year after year.

Hannes Schutte from Sudami 13CC Farm outside Groblersdal in South Africa acquired his first pivot in 1998.

Since then he has installed a pivot every second year, and today he is the proud owner of 11 pivots.

“The pivots pay themselves in about two to four years depending on the crops planted and the size of the pivot,” explains Hannes.

Valley enables the farmer to ensure success with his cash crops by eliminating the risk of drought. It is not a cheap investment, but it is an inevitable one for any farmer who wishes to expand his cash crop business.

22 years later, the first pivot that Hannes bought still operates on the farm. “Valley provides a good quality product, but the secret lies in taking care of your investment,” says Hannes.

“Farmers like to apply fertiliser and other chemicals through their pivots.

With Valley’s galvanised iron pipes, this is not a problem. But it is still better to flush the system with clean water after chemicals were applied. This is how I have treated my pivots, and why they still look and work like new pivots even after 22 years,” Hannes explains.

There are certain parts of the pivot that have to be checked regularly, for example the sprayer heads and nozzles. Wheels and tyres also have to

This Valley pivot irrigates 90 hectares and has worked season after season without failing once for the past 22 years.

Valley Irrigation uses high quality galvanised iron and a sturdy structural design to ensure longevity in their pivots.

Jannes van Niekerk and Jimmy Ludwig (Loskop Valley Besproeiing), Hannes Schutte (owner Sudami 13 cc Farm), and Cobus Vermaak and Francois Griesel from Valley Irrigation South Africa with a pivot that was erected in 1998. be checked often. “If a tyre goes flat without noticing it in time, you will lose the whole wheel as well,” explains Hannes.

Apart from the regular checks, he services the gearboxes and driveshafts before the beginning of every season.

This ensures that Hannes will not have to worry about breakages and unproductive time.

Valleyfication of ordinary pivot Hannes’s 11 Valley pivots range from 1,7 hectares to 90 hectares in size. “On one farm, we inherited another type of pivot, but over the years I have replaced parts of this pivot with Valley parts,” says Hannes.

Jimmy Ludwig from Loskop Valley Besproeiing in Groblersdal has worked closely with Hannes to develop the infrastructure on his farm. Over the years, both Jimmy and Loskop Valley Besproeiing played a pivotal part in the success of the Sudami farm. “Valley builds lasting relationships with their growers by ensuring that the after sales service matches the longevity of the pivots,” says Jimmy.

ProAgri Zambia 58

The various types of control systems that Hannes uses to keep track of the operations of his pivots are all very user friendly. “Even the oldest pivot was installed with a system that I could pre-programme for two weeks in advance. This was leading edge technology at the time,” says Hannes.

Francois Griesel explains how Valley Irrigation has kept the leading technological edge in the irrigation market over the years. The Valley 365™ platform that was announced during NAMPO Virtual 2020, is an electronic platform that the farmer can load onto his phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

"The platform gives him access to all the various pieces of equipment that he can use to peruse soil and weather conditions, and to control and monitor his pivots accordingly from wherever he may find himself at the moment.

This enables him to exercise full control over the irrigation on his farm,” Francois says.

Apart from the user-friendly management systems that keep Valley Irrigation on the leading edge of irrigation technology, the company also builds strong, robust structures that withstood many storms. Their superior quality galvanised iron, along with a durable structural design, puts Valley Irrigation in a class of their own. “Since I have installed the first pivot on this farm in 1998, not one pivot has fallen over, and we have had some serious storms during this time,” says Hannes.

Valley’s dealer network stretches all over Southern and Eastern Africa with more than 80 service points for technical services. For more information on Valley’s irrigation systems, as well as the 365™ options, contact Francois Griesel at Francois.Griesel@Valmont.com, or +27(0)67-412-9089.

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We can supply and install anywhere in Africa

!

E K N I E R E S O O H C , T O V I P K THIN

Contact us for your irrigation needs.

www.reinke.com Patrick Ellis 22

+27 (0)31 350 4525

patrickellis@reinke.com ProAgri Zambia 58

Reinke makes rain in the desert

by Jaco Cilliers

N

amibia is known for its magnificent red dunes and pristine coastline.

Normally, people associate the country with the fishing industry that is the economic heartbeat of many coastal villages.

Livestock is one of Namibia’s main agricultural export products, despite the country being very arid. The challenge is to produce enough feed for the livestock industry to survive. Many farmers have opted for irrigation solutions to feed their livestock.

Reinke provides tailor-made irrigation systems to suit the needs of the individual farmer. One farmer that can attest to this fact is Danie Prinsloo from Maltahohe district in Namibia.

Danie farms with Dorper sheep and boer goats, and needed irrigation on his pastures. Danie uses a borehole to extract water from the underground water source on his farm. “We installed a 6-hectare pivot on the farm to irrigate the pastures and ensure that the plants perform their best all year round,” says Danie. Pivots are not cheap, but they are a necessary investment for any farmer who wants to expand his farming business. “The investment was worth every cent,” says Danie.

“Every farmer should consider a Reinke pivot for his farm. It allows you to ensure that your livestock will have enough feed all year round by regularly giving sufficient moisture to gain optimal growth,” Danie added.

Agriturf is part of Reinke’s dealership network in Southern Africa and provides irrigation services to the farmers of Namibia. The team from Agriturf had to get creative with the installation on Danie’s farm due to the fact that there is no electricity available near the pivot. “We designed a solar system to power the Reinke pivot and it is working like a charm,” says Marco de Wet, Business Manager of Agriturf. The solar system was designed so that the power generated by the solar panel is

The 6-hectare Reinke pivot was erected on Danie Prinsloo’s farm in Namibia. It was the first Reinke pivot that was powered using only solar power. delivered directly to the pivot. There is no need for expensive batteries for the system to work properly.

Danie explains why he chose a Reinke pivot in the first place. “When comparing cost and quality, Reinke was by far the best value for money.

Second, I really liked the design of the pivot. It is made from durable, lightweight material and has a lower centre of gravity. The management system is simple and effective.”

Danie further explains that the maintenance needed on his Reinke pivot is minimal. Gearboxes need to be serviced on a regular basis as required, and the pivot is lubricated regularly.

Apart from that it simply does what it is intended to do: keeping that pas-

tures wet and growing Danie’s profit.

The service that Danie received from Reinke and Agriturf was exceptional.

“Marco and his team were always available when I needed them,” says Danie.

The lockdown did not have any effect on delivery time.

“We keep Reinke spares in stock here in Windhoek, so we were not really affected by the borders being closed,” Marco explains. “We provide our customers with the best service and products, and Reinke pivots are simply the best,” says Marco.

Reinke prides itself in the innovative design of the pivot structure to cut down on maintenance and operational costs, and to increase the lifespan of the irrigation system. They do not merely supply the pivots, but their network of dealers is also involved in the planning and design of each pivot to ensure that it meets the needs of every individual farmer.

Danie Prinsloo could not be happier with the feed he is able to produce for his sheep and goats with the help of his Reinke pivot.

Contact Patrick Ellis, Director of Reinke South Africa, on 083-3269058 for any further enquiries, or send an e-mail to patrickellis@ reinke.com.

The 6-hectare Reinke pivot was delivered and installed on Danie’s farm in January this year by the team from Agriturf.

ProAgri Zambia 58

23

Irrigation made easy part 8: Irrigation efficiency

•

The effectiveness of scheduling operations.

The effect of wind.

Wind can have a significant effect on sprinkler performance. Spray patterns change, fine water droplets are blown away and evaporation losses in the air are increased. Farmers should, where possible, avoid irrigating when strong winds are blowing.

The impact of losses.

•

•

rrigation efficiency is a term used to describe how much of the water applied through an irrigation system gets stored in the soil within the root zone of the plant and becomes available to the plant.

Atmospheric losses can be significant. With heat, water that is exposed to the air evaporates. Spray droplets in the air, especially small droplets that are suspended in the air and easily transported by wind, evaporate before they reach the plant or infiltrate into the soil.

On hot, windy days these losses can be significant. It is often technically better to irrigate at night, or to avoid irrigating during the hottest times of the day. This is, however, difficult if the farmer lives some distance from the field. Evaporation from the soil surface is reduced when plants provide a full shade canopy, or when a mulch layer is in place. Good irrigation management includes the management of atmospheric losses.

Efficiency is determined by: • How well water is distributed across the irrigated area.

Conveyance losses occur between the water source and emitter. While some of these losses can’t be avoided,

I

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Sprinkler ve al y v ne pl i l p S u rag d to t en m ch ta t a

Evaporation from canal

Seepage W

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Irrigation efficiencies (%)

Crop root zone

Wasted water

leaks should be repaired as quickly as possible.

Soil losses are inevitable. The nature of irrigation is such that the perfect distribution of water is never achieved. If enough water is provided in the drier areas of the field, some water in wetter areas will pass below the root zone of the crop and not be available to plants.

Systems are designed to keep these losses to a minimum. Distribution patterns will, however, change as emitters wear. The way in which water moves through and is stored in the soil is also affected by tillage and land use

practices. When individual types of irrigation systems are discussed in more detail in later sections, typical ranges of irrigation efficiency are given.

These graphs represent the normal range of efficiencies measured in field tests. Further variations can occur as a result of local soil or climatic conditions.

Field tests and systems evaluations can help a farmer to improve maintenance and management, increasing efficiency and production. Farmers should aim to achieve the best possible water use efficiency for their systems.

Less efficient systems have reduced crop yields and waste water, energy, fertilisers and labour.

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Very good management Normal Poor management

Next month we shall look at flood irrigation. This series is published with acknowledgement to the ARC Agricultural Engineering for the use of their manuals. Visit www.arc. agric.za for more information.

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ProAgri Zambia 58

Stretch water and reduce costs with Agrico

by Du Preez de Villiers

soon as the water level in the borehole becomes too low. It switches the pump back on as soon as it is safe again. This ensures that the pump never runs dry and never gets damaged.

The pivots and drip irrigation have different and specific pressure and flow needs. These are met by using pumps with variable frequency drives (VFDs) to regulate the pump’s delivery. VFDs ensure that the irrigation is always efficient and without any energy wastage due to unnecessary high pumping

or computer, Rynier can monitor the water levels over time. This enables him to plan his irrigation schedule in advance. This app is integrated with Agrico's systems, which streamlines the management process. He can adjust the water supply and turn pumps on and off remotely. The app also records electricity consumption, which is very convenient for expense calcula-

Water level and litres pumped daily Click and drag in the plot area to zoom in 8

6

4

0

Kilo liters pumped (kl)

desperate water shortage handicapped Beerseun Farm’s irrigation operations outside Tzaneen in the northern part of South Africa up to a year ago. But it took a dramatic positive turn when they employed the best technology and equipment they could lay their hands on, to get the maximum out of the water at their disposal.

Today, they plant sweetcorn, green beans, pumpkins, brinjals, various cultivars of peppers, papayas, guavas, macadamia nuts, citrus and figs.

They mainly supply the retail market such as Freshmark, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, and will send their surplus products to the market. For Woolworths and Pick n Pay, they pack on the farm and will even stick on the labels for upcoming specials!

Beerseun has been working with Agrico for over 16 years now. Agrico equipment and systems can be seen all over the farm. Rynier Steenekamp, Production Manager, knows how to use every drop of the limited water supply, and Agrico understands and supports him all the way. "We have centre pivot, drip and micro irrigation, but I am in the process of phasing out the microirrigation systems, because the evaporation is too high. The drippers deliver the same volume of water, but place it directly on the ground, next to the plant,” he says.

His pivots are ideal to irrigate full surface areas very efficiently and with high uniformity. Care has been taken to choose the most efficient spray packages, with ideal droplet size, low pressure and at the correct height to minimise possible losses. He also runs the pivots at night to eliminate losses due to evaporation, and the drip irrigation during the day. This is done to utilise the boreholes optimally over 24 hours.

The farm's borehole capacity is under pressure. The boreholes take a long time to recover if too much water is extracted. Agrico worked with Rynier to devise a plan to make the best use of the limited water without damaging the boreholes or the pumps by running dry.

They purchased and installed a very nifty system that shuts down the pump as

Average Water Level (m)

A

On Beerseun Farm, Agrico's pivots work at night to limit evaporation, while their drip irrigation works during the day, enabling them to make optimal use of the erratic water supply from their boreholes.

No. kL pumped Ave. Water Level (pump on) Ave. Water Level (pump off)

2

4. Sep

6. Sep

8. Sep

10. Sep

12. Sep

14. Sep

16. Sep

18. Sep

20. Sep

22. Sep

24. Sep

26. Sep

28. Sep

30. Sep Highcharts.com

Graph 1: This graph, from the monitoring system, displays the water level over time of one of the Beerseun Farm boreholes.

Agrico installed this system for Beerseun Farm to ensure that their borehole pumps never run dry. pressure in the system.

It has been five years since Beerseun received proper rain and the river that flows through the farm does not always run. Efficient and precise management of the scarce water source is therefore essential.

Through an application on his phone

ProAgri Zambia 58

tions, reporting and budget purposes.

Agrico has a branch in Tzaneen, which is conveniently close by. They provide a seamless irrigation service, from designing complete irrigation systems according to the customers’ needs, providing the irrigation equipment and material, and including a very thorough after-sales service. To back up this dedicated service, an extensive range of parts are stocked and technicians are always on stand-by. Agrico's systems are supported everywhere in Southern Africa with local factories in South Africa, an own branch network as well as experienced dealers.

Agrico is always ready to help.

Contact Alfred Andrag at +27 82 824 1214 or +27 21 950 4111, or alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za for more information.

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Far becomes near with Freight Innovations

The team who takes Freight Innovations to even higher and better places.

Russel Burger, Financial Director, and Craig Burger, Managing Director, are the leaders of Freight Innovations. Craig received an award from Success Awards in 2019.

A

frica is becoming a global village in itself with the aid of transport companies. Huge and small trucks are criss-crossing the continent, making it easier and cheaper to bring more and better products to our doorsteps.

Behind the curtains, transport brokers are keeping their fingers on the pulse to make this happen.

Since its inception in 2011, Freight Innovations has been highly successful in rendering an essential service.

This transport broker caters for a niche market in terms of service levels.

Not many start-up businesses on an owner-driver level enter the freight industry as it poses many challenges.

To run a professional operation with advanced service techniques, including an online portal for each customer, requires immense start-up capital and a high level of knowledge and experience.

The formula for success was devised by the start-up group which is a family business. It is headed by Craig Burger as Managing Director. At the tender age of 25, after having been in the industry and after having received expert guidance from a pioneer veteran in the industry, Delia Cooney, Freight Innovations was destined to become a success.

Russel Burger, Craig’s brother and Financial Director, was the junior and at the age of 21, he took up the position of sole driver of the one delivery vehicle in 2011.

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The trio of two brothers and their mother sharpened their skills in the industry and established a close relationship with a few suppliers. This formed the basis of what is today a multi-million-rand business with a turnover of R25 million per year and still growing steadily.

“We offer a national and international logistics service which encompasses all the services with extra advantages.

Although we are not a traditional business, our flat management structure enables decisions to be made swiftly while offering a transparent and unique service which is personalised, even customised to suit the customer’s needs,” says Craig Burger.

The team consists of 22 employees under the auspices of the Freight Innovations management, yet about 110 positions are created through its outsourcing. The challenge was to merge the conventional business model with high overheads but quality service levels into a smaller player that could compete with the bigger role players on service. That has been achieved successfully.

The Company Head Office is situated in Brackengate Business Park in Cape Town, which includes the customer call centre with after-hours assistance.

“Many clients have the need to call after hours when a query arises, so it’s important to us that our clients have the peace of mind that they will get service whenever they need it. The directors interface directly with clients, which provides a seamless service,” Craig says.

“An important focus of the business was to be able to offer a much smaller carbon footprint in the transport in-

The Freight Innovations office in Cape Town is situated in a beautiful office park. dustry,” Delia Cooney states. She is a stalwart of supporting carbon control.

The company utilises existing space and distribution channels to reduce the impact of its carbon footprint.

Neither destination, nor size is a challenge to Freight Innovations. In fact, this team thrives under pressure and welcomes challenges.

Russel Burger coined the service commitment in July of 2011, saying that “success is a journey, achieved through innovation.” The two brothers, Craig and Russel Burger, have certainly achieved that. Their services include a road and air service into Zambia. They also have an international department to assist clients with imports and exports.

Your shipment is safe and straight underway to its destination while in the hands of Freight Innovations. Contact Delia Cooney at +27(0) 86-177-7913 or agri@freight-innovations.co.za.

You can also visit their userfriendly website at www.freight-innovations.co.za.

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Better farms, better lives;

Bayer prevents the COVID-19 health problem from turning into a hunger problem

by Du Preez de Villiers

I

n the fight of survival caused by the lockdown, Bayer Crop Sciences donated 100 tonnes of maize to the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Michael JZ Katambo, for distribution in the six provinces most severely impacted by the pandemic.

Bayer needs no introduction, but their activities, causes and involvement in various projects are worthy of praise. This global enterprise is on the forefront in research in life sciences, health, and nutrition. They have a powerful vision, encapsulated in the slogan: Health for all and hunger for none.

In this regard, their latest programme is to support distressed smallscale farmers as well as smallholder dwellers while stimulating cross value chain engagement, to secure income in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Paul Kapapula, Territory Manager of Bayer, the economy will most certainly recover faster through increased farmer productivity. He noted that this will be achieved through enabling access to innovative tools for Zambian smallholder farmers and reducing their cost burden in the upcoming season.

97% of farms are smaller than ten hectares, but they produce 80% of the food in Sub-Saharan Africa. These smallholder farmers face many challenges accessing the quality and reliable products they need to produce high yields to support their families and communities.

As a result of COVID-19, smallholder farmers and food security are under even more immense stress. Lockdowns have resulted in great logistics challenges and some had difficulties accessing seed and other inputs.

Paul says: “In cooperation with their conservation farming partners, we aim to boost food security as well as aid for recovery and long-term resilience. We strive to equip farmers to grow more, using less, while collectively helping to fight climate change, conserve resources, improve lives and establish food security.”

Paul says: “We believe that better farms produce better food. It is from better farms that we create jobs and generate income. It is from better farms that strong economies are built, especially in many African countries where agriculture is their mainstay.

The Territory Manager for Bayer Limited, Paul Kakapula, Site Lead Director, Mateyo Banda, and members of staff at the launch of the better farms, better lives COVID-19 relief programme on 22 October 2020.

Minister of Agriculture Hon Micheal JZ Katambo, MP, officially launched the Bayer better farms, better lives COVID-19 relief. Looking on is the Territory Manager for Bayer Ltd, Paul Kapapula, and the CEO of Conservation Farming Unit, Collins Nkatika.

In short, better farms lead to better lives.”

The main thrust of the programme will be the provision of free maize starter packs combined with service and knowledge of their collaborators.

“This programme will be implemented on the ground by a conservation farming unit. We shall then support them through value chain linkages. This is what we are following up in the coming year,” Paul says.

This donation is worth slightly over $200 000, and is going to support 50 000 farmers. If we look at a household level of 5 persons per family, it is going to impact on 250 000 lives. But… “this is not going to be a one season

ProAgri Zambia 58

donation. Next year we are going to donate another 100 metric tonnes to farmers,” Paul says. During this period over 100 000 farmers will be supported in Zambia.

After the launch in Zambia, this better farms, better lives programme will also be presented in Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, and Mozambique. Through this programme, Bayer aims to help 700 000 smallholder farmers in Africa between 2020 and 2022.

This programme shows Bayer’s global objective to empower 100 000 000 farmers by 2030. It will strengthen smallholder farmers, who are critical for food security in Zambia and Africa, by providing them with their high-quality hybrid maize seed with continuous technical support until harvest time.

This initiative will put a special focus on female farmers to ensure they get the resources and knowledge they need to make the best of the situation in which they find themselves.

For more information on how you can benefit from Bayer, call Henry Mutelo on +26-096-759-6475 or send an e-mail to Henry.mutelo@ bayer.com, or contact Emmanuel Banda on +26-096-360-4694 or send an e-mail to emmanuel. banda@bayer.com.

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ProAgri Zambia 58

PlantCatalyst: Deal with fertiliser shortage and increased costs: Part 1

I

f we told you there’s a “new” product on the Zambian market that could help you maximise the fertiliser you’re using, leading to better production, even with only two bags of fertiliser, AND increase your profit margins by more than 40%, you’d probably laugh yourself silly, right? Well, you may want to sit down while you read this article.

The US product, PlantCatalyst®, is now available in stores all across Zambia, and if you are not using it, you’re missing out!

Invented in 1965 by the American chemist, Dr John W Willard, and sold in the United States since 1973, PlantCatalyst® is a water additive that helps plants to better absorb and utilise nutrients, develop stronger root systems and build greater resistance to stressful events such as drought.

This means that farmers can get the most out of fertiliser and still see increases in their yield by double digit percentages!

At a stable and low cost of K400 per litre, using PlantCatalyst® will help Zambian farmers to increase their yields, particularly during the recent dramatic fertiliser shortages and price increases, without sacrificing profits or yields.

PlantCatalyst® was first introduced in Zambia in 2016, through a partnership with international development group, iDE, who helps smallholder farmers in the Lusaka, Copperbelt and Southern provinces to find new ways of expanding yields and profits.

When they heard how PlantCatalyst® can help farmers in so many ways, iDE was eager to test the product, and they set up comparison plots throughout the three regions to conduct research on how the product works and how it can be incorporated into Zambian farming practices.

In that same year, the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) also began to conduct research on the effect of PlantCatalyst® on maize, soya beans, groundnuts and cotton. ZARI also focused their research on how using PlantCatalyst® can affect farmers’ yields and profits.

By the second year, World Vision and Conservation Farming Unit (CFU) had both joined the PlantCatalyst® bandwagon with field trials to demonstrate PlantCatalyst® to their members.

The results of these research projects continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of PlantCatalyst® and conclusively prove using it can help Zambian farmers in several different ways. For example, those farmers accessing inputs through the Farmer In-

put Support Programme (FISP) typically do not get enough fertilisers. These farmers can adequately address their needs by adding PlantCatalyst® to their inputs, which would then allow them to significantly increase their yields and profits.

For those farmers buying larger quantities of fertiliser, such as commercial farmers, using PlantCatalyst® would allow them to reduce fertiliser costs while simultaneously increasing yields and profits.

ZARI found that profit increases could be as much as 40% per hectare for some crops!

The photos below show crops that are still growing, which show significantly improved vegetative growth. Each of the compared crops was planted on the same day and on the same field.

Cowpeas under cultivation this season. The PlantCatalyst® treated crop is on the right and the crop without PlantCatalyst® on the left.

PlantCatalyst® is now available!

You can get supplies of PlantCatalyst ® from AgriFocus Ltd. Their headquarters is in Lusaka along Buyantashi Road in the Heavy Industrial area. The other main distribution agents are: Pamoza Agro in Lusaka town along Chachacha Road north end, +260-968-624-712 Pamoza Agro in Mpongwe, +260-974-881-674,

The yields of field beans sprayed with PlantCatalyst® (right) are higher.

You can see a darker, healthier crop of beans on crops sprayed with PlantCatalyst. Similar results were observed in green beans, where yields were increased significantly with very little fertiliser used, as compared to about six tonnes/ha in the plot where only fertiliser was applied.

ProAgri Zambia 58

AgMart in Choma, +260-977-898587 /+260-969-592-925 / +260964-637-637, AgMart in Mkushi, +260-976-264121 / +260-968-265-774, AgMart in Mumbwa, +260-962614-074 / +260-977-855-867, Technical Service Services in Livingstone, +260-976-553-035 /+260-975-270-952, Technical Service Services in Kitwe, +260-078-388-492 /260975-271-065, Technical Service Services in Samfya, +260-975-271-346, and other local based business agents that are being created throughout the country.

31

GENUINE BALING PERFORMANCE FOR GENUINE FARMERS

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL JOHN DEERE DEALER FOR MORE DETAILS 32

ProAgri Zambia 58

ProAgri Zambia 58

33

Made by the manufacturer of AFRITANK Zambia’s Leading Water Tanks • Increases the lenght of time grain can be stores’ GranSilo’s air and water-tight seal • No chemicals need to be applied • User friendly, compact and can be kept indoors • Grain is loaded into, and off-loaded from, it with ease • 30 years expected lifespan indoors • A once-off, affordable, investment with short payback period.

• A unique, purpose-designed and engineered, domestic grain silo made from high quality polymer.

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Volume and weight - approx.

500 litres and 380 kg

Height - approx

1 230 mm

Top & Bottom Dia - approx

740 mm and 640 mm

Zambia’s Leading Water Tank

• Virgin Food Grade Polyethylene

• Dome shaped for extra strenght

• Double Layers for double life

• Easy to transport and install

• Side manhole for easy access

• Up to three inlet points

• 5 Years warranty

• Flat bottomed

• Standard product • Affordable & Readily available

TEL: 0211-289601/602 LUSAKA info@afritank.co.zm

ProAgri Zambia 58

Orion Irresistible Pecans:

The pecan nut trees that thrive in Sub Saharan Africa

T

he pecan industry has a rich and stable history, and the future looks even brighter. Since the 1800s it has shown steady growth, but since China entered the market, that steady growth skyrocketed.

Over the last decade, more and more farmers started planting pecan trees with the hope that they will get a piece of that success. The industry is still in its adolescent phase and continues to establish itself. Much research must be done for further development.

China's interest in pecans acted as the first catalyst to the increased plantings, but the financial opportunity that followed proved to be the most significant stimulus. Farmers who struggled to make a living off traditional row crops turned to permanent crops as a solution to their financial woes.

The boom in nut prices in recent years is expected to continue as consumers opt for healthier foods. This convinced more and more farmers to replace their crops with pecan trees.

While pecan farming can be a lucrative venture, aspiring growers must begin with a solid foundation.

Pecan nut farming is a long-term investment, dependent on the producer making the correct choices early in the business. Choosing the right location, cultivar and land preparation technique are crucial to ensure orchards function optimally from the start, and that the return on investment is maximised.

One of the biggest challenges facing potential pecan farmers is the long wait for a return on investment. It takes six to eight years for a tree to

start producing, and around 10 years until a farmer can start turning a profit.

Orchards expected to bear fruit for multiple generations require perfect planning. Any shortcuts taken in the beginning could cost the farmer for years to come. Farmers considering nut farming must order trees timeously as plant material is scarce nowadays.

Trees are ordered by cultivar and then the nurseries start to propagate them accordingly.

While pecan trees like dry conditions, they also require wet roots, and prefer short, cold winters and long, hot summers. Pecan trees need 285 days a year for growing, with warm nights.

The trees can handle frost, as the low temperature ensures the tree goes into complete dormancy, which ensures even growth in spring.

High-humidity areas are susceptible to scab, therefore farmers in such areas should invest in tolerant varieties.

While pecan trees can grow in shallow soil, the soil should be between at least 100 to 150cm deep for commercial production.

Choose your nursery with care Farmers must source quality trees. Before placing an order, farmers should ask where the nursery gets its rootstock or seed and whether it can guarantee that the variety is pure. Since there has been a shortage of trees, many new nurseries have popped up that are not accredited.

South Africa did not lag behind, and many pecan farms and nurseries sprouted all over the country to supply

Orion Irresistible Pecans take care to breed and grow exquisite quality pecan trees.

The orchards on Orion Irresistible Pecans nursery farm are sprayed with zinc and foliage nutrition. the industry. Some of these nurseries export their young trees to other Sub Saharan African countries. Orion Irresistible Pecans is one of those.

This nursery farm is accredited with all the regulatory bodies, and is located between Wesselsbron and Bothaville in the Free State province of South Africa.

They have over 8 000 trees in their orchard and the nursery offers four varieties - Choctaw, Navaho, Sutex and Wichita. They supply bagged trees in different sizes.

Orion Irresistible Pecans’ bagged trees are grown and prepared in the nursery and are ready to be planted. This method holds many benefits: • The replant success rate is higher • The health, quality and variety are already visible • It reaches the production stage faster Pecan farming is an expensive and long-term investment. If done properly, it could ensure an income for many generations to come. In the US, there are productive orchards over 100 years old.

Jaco van Zyl, owner of Orion Irresistible Pecans, is proud of these bagged small trees, ready for shipment.

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Order your trees before it is too late. Contact Hannes van Zyl at +27(0)82-572-5635 or e-mail hannesvanzyl.hvz@gmail.com, or hannes.vanzyl@orionirresistiblepecans.co.za. Visit their website at www.orionirresistiblepecans.co.za 35

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Managing weeds in your fields: What is the best approach?

T

he summer cropping season is upon us. As we have started planting our fields, here’s SeedCo’s focus on one of the factors that may be limiting the desired yields: Weeds!

Weeds are unwanted plants that grow amongst desired crops in a field.

Among crop pests, weeds are considered an important constraint to food production. Their competition with crops reduces agricultural output (quantity and quality). Weeds can cause over 50% yield loss.

It is for this reason that weed management is important.

Weeds reduce yield by competing with the crop for production factors (space, sunlight, water, and nutrients).

They can also be a host for pests and diseases, whilst some are parasitic and/or poisonous to the main crop.

All weed management has costs and these are paid by the farmer. Weed management benefits the farmer in terms of crop productivity. Prevention of entry is the most cost-effective form of weed control, and eradication of a new introduction is also of good value where possible.

In order to reduce the population of the weeds, it is important to reduce the weed seed bank. The weed seed bank is defined as the sum of viable weed seeds and vegetative propagules that are present in the soil and thus contribute to weed pressure in future crops.

The use of a non-selective systemic herbicide before planting and a selective pre and post emergent herbicide has shown to be effective in reducing the seed bank population. It is important to use a combination of herbicides in a rotated programme, and to adhere to product label instructions to avoid resistance, which has been a big problem lately. Use of the recommended rate is also key in preventing residual effects that can affect the follow-up crop.

Herbicides alone should not be relied upon for weed control. Instead, an integrated weed management (IWM) approach should be taken. IWM combines appropriate weed control options, including mechanical control, chemical control, biological control, and cultural control to achieve effective long-term control. Below is a breakdown of these terms: • Mechanical control is a technique to destroy unwanted plants with farming equipment or manually.

Some practices include hand pulling, tilling, and mowing.

• Chemical control implies the application of herbicides with a knapsack, mechanical sprayer or even irrigation systems to kill weeds.

• Biological control employs plant enemies in their habitats. The most common biological control used in Zambia is grazing.

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by Sangeeta Patel Sales Agronomist SeedCo Zambia Weeds between your crops put you in the slow lane in the race to achieve outstanding yields and profits.

•

- - - - - - -

Cultural control ensures field conditions that are less favourable for non-crops to develop.

The given management approach includes: Planting high-adaptive and competitive species Selecting good seed varieties that are likely to produce strong and vibrant plants Crop rotation Field fallowing Use of cover crops Reduction of space between rows Planting seed at correct depth (thus, crops can grow faster than weeds)

Thus, integrated weed management is the most beneficial option in the long-term. It helps achieve economic and ecological goals with the least efforts and harms, offering a solution even in cases when some techniques are not suitable.

For more information, contact Adrian.chibanga@seedcogroup.com or visit the SeedCo website at www. seedcogroup.com/zm.

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Fert Seed & Grain Ltd MONO AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE (MAP-11 N:52P) SuperFert Mono Ammonium Phosphate is a perfect basal dressing fertilizer that is rich in phosphorous (52%P) and nitrogen (11 % N) to support young plants and promote quick root formation. Improved nitrogen levels also support chlorophyll and photosynthesis in young plants, at the critical stage when its genetic potential is established. Nutrient requirements vary at different stages of plant development, which is why applying the correct fertilizer at the right time will improve your yield, thereby providing the needed food security at household level.

At Fertilizer, Seed & Grain Ltd, we encourage feedback from our farmers so that they can share their experience with our SuperFert fertilizer blends. We wish to thank all our esteemed customers within and outside Zambia for trusting SuperFert as their preferred fertilizer of choice.

SUPERFERT THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Contact us: +260 977 610 498 +260 973 848 229 +260 973 782 627

marketing@fsgzambia.co.zm sales@fsgzambia.co.zm

a UNITURTLE enterprise...

Cell: 0974 990928 / 0973 142990 Fax: 0211287528/0211 287611 Email: infolime@uniturtle.com

Chivuna, Mazabuka Tel: 03 233069

Plot 12913, Mumbwa Road Tel: 286057 / 286064 / 286258

Also available: Stock Feed lime & Stock Feed Grit

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Lime Your Fields, Get Better Yields

Get better Yields: Using Turtle Agri-Lime!

FOR EACH TON OF FERTILISER, THE SOIL NEEDS ONE TON OF LIME

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GREEN E N E R G Y AGRICULTURE SOLAR

SOLUTIONS

SOLAR APPLICATIONS Solar systems tailored for farms, Water Pumping, Agriculture, Fish Farming, Poultry, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Centre Pivots, Fertigation, Water Circulation, and more.

PUMP INVERTERS Solar Pumps, Pump Inverters for daytime Irrigation and water circulation for Agriculture and Fish Farming.

SOLAR SYSTEM SIZES 15KW - 500KW Solar sytems

FINANCING AVAILABLE Stanbic, FNB and Zanaco Bank offer financing for these sytems.

Plot 5031, Great North Rd Emmasdale, Lusaka, Zambia

0976 570 537 0760 790 685

ProAgri Zambia 58

solar@greenenergyzambia.com Green Energy Distributors

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FOR ALL YOUR HYDRAULIC NEEDS Cylinders, Hoses, Fittings, Shafts, Line boring of buckets & More

Tel: +260 211 235 814 Cel: 097 775 58 25 Email: kabwati@yahoo.com

ONE STOP SHOP FOR STEEL & STEEL RELATED PRODUCTS THE BEST DEAL IN QUALITY STEEL! • • • • • • •

Welding Rods Galvanized Wire Cutting Discs Primer Paints Bolts & Nuts Barbed Wire Razor Wire

• • • • • • •

Welded Mesh Diamond Mesh Field Fence Y Standards Roofing U Channels Lipped Channels

LUSAKA BRANCH P.O. BOX 38395, Lumumba Road, Lusaka, Zambia Tel: +260 211 222112 +260 211 223625 Fax: +260 211 221487 saleslusaka@bsisteel.com

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• • • • • •

One stop shop for steel & Roof Screws Steel related products Structural Steel Insulations Reinforcing Bars Light & Medium Sections Steel Plates & Sheets & Many more

KITWE BRANCH PLOT 1304, Chibuluma Road, Kitwe Zambia Tel: +260 212 210670 +260 212 210063 Fax: +260 963 905673 saleskitwe@bsisteel.com

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Everything You Could Need!

We offer a comprehensive range of Yamaha and Lifan Bikes as well as quads at excellent prices.

• • • •

On road bikes Off road bikes All terrain vehicles All terrain buggies

We sell the full range of Kymco ATVs including: MXU150, MXU250, MXU270, MXU450i, UXV 450i, MXU700i, UXV 700i

+260 973 584 778 / +260 964 584 778 / info@bestofbikes.com www.bestofbikes.com

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45

All types of hybrid maize seed | Agricultural chemicals | Horticulture chemicals | Veterinary products Agricultural tools | Hand tools | Protective equipment | Fumigation | All types of seed

Distributors of Dekalb maize seed DKC 80-33 DKC 90-89 DKC 80-53 DK777

Tamanga Early maturing Ngao - Ngao Medium maturing - Shoma Medium maturing

Farmers Barn Ltd. Tel: +260 211 225 352 Cell: +260 977 518 635 Farmersbarn_ltd@hotmail.com

46

Address Plot 51, Chiparamba Road, Lusaka, Zambia

Mumba Road branch +260 975 386 240 Mumba Road, next to Uniturtle, Lusaka

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Imtec Sales SKF Products and engineering solutions

Challenge power transmission parts

Ball and roller bearings Industrial and automotive bearings and kits Mining and special application bearings Agricultural bearings and oil seals Condition based monitoring

V and Wedge belts All types of couplings Conveyor and agricultural chains

Fasteners, bolts, nuts, washers etc.

Sparex Tractor spares and agricultural equipment

Bolts and nuts - MS, HT, SS, EG Threaded bars - SC, EG

Massey Ferguson Ford / New Holland Fiat Case International Landini and Tafe

Workshop accessories Welding accessories Workshop tools - general

Tivoly Cutting and drilling tools for:

Agricultural implements and parts Plough and harrow discs - Ovfas Kongskilde parts - range of tips Ground engaging tools and accessories Twist drills - HSS, SDS MAX

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Concrete, Masonry, Metal, Plastic, Glass, Tile, Hardwood and Composite boards

COPPER BELT

LUSAKA

CENTRAL PROVINCE

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

Tel: +260 212 511 242 Cell: +260 979 773 830 alves@imtec.co.zm

Tel: +260 211 235 383 / 221 085 Cell: +260 978 217 217 imtec@zamnet.zm

Tel: +260 215 362 040 Cell: +260 964 355 746 anitraptors@gmail.com

Tel: +260 213 225 030 Cell: +260 978 777 919 greensolutions.sales@gmail.com

Johnson’s Arcade, Corner of Zaona Avenue & 16th Street, Luanshya

Plot 1663, Panganani Road, Lusaka P.O Box CH 310220

Raptor R us Plot 12/13, Buteko Avenue, Mkushi

Green Solutions Ltd. P.O Box 630 358, Choma

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QUALITY THAT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS Steel shades and warehousing for farming businesses • • • •

Construction of Steel Structures Plumbing and Sanitary Installations Carpentry, joinery, Roofing and water proofing services Precast and Pre- stressed concrete

Repair and installation of variable speed drives and motors Approved channel partner and distributor of ABB

Email: saea.za@gmail.com cheebo.kabamba@saea.co.zm Phone: 097 123 9613 / 097 783 4868 ProAgri Zambia 58

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You cannot protect your crop from drought or floods.

But MGen can help you recover.

We cover your crops against drought, floods, hail and wind storms.

It’s WorthIt!

+260 211 378700-5 A Member Of the Insurers Association of Zambia

A subsidiary of Madison Financial Services Plc visit madison.co.zm to buy insurance online

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How Protected is your broiler chick?

Ross Breeders has proudly invested in new vaccina�on technology in order to improve our customer’s broiler performance as well as enhance protec�on from Newcastle disease and Infec�ous Bursal disease (Gumboro) through the use of Vectormune and Transmune respec�vely in the hatchery. The two diseases can cause huge economic losses amongst poultry farmers when they occur.

“Ross Zambia is proud to u�lise the Ross gene�cs, which is ranked as the world’s number one broiler breeder brand with a product range that offers customers the solu�on for all requirements, rst-class gene�cs and product performance. Ross is considered the breed of choice for the global poultry industry.”

Benets of Vectormune and Transmune to Ross clients.

1. Enhanced and long-las�ng immunity 2. Reduced on -farm vaccina�on frequency 3. Reduced risk of post vaccina�on reac�ons.

4. Applied in the hatchery with each chick individually being vaccinated 5. Be�er protec�on against Newcastle disease and Gumboro.

6. Improved chick performance.

Ross Breeders Zambia Ltd Sales: +260 0966 321 310 Email: rbzsales@rossafrica.com

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NUTRI has evolved out of our understanding of our customers needs. We aim to provide the highest quality protein products for all markets.

Nutrifeeds Zambia Ltd Sales: +260 966 627 765 E-mail: nutrisaletech@rossafrica.com

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Zambian Pig Genetics is the distributor of Topigs Norsvin genetics in central Africa. Built on our global research, innovation and absolute commitment to integrity and biosecurity, our close partnership approach means your farm benefits directly from our experience, energy and passion. The only SPF pig herd in Zambia, which means we supply pigs that are free of diseases such as mycoplasma and APP.

Introducing the TN70 • The TN70 is a cross between the Topigs Large White and the Norsvin Landrace.

Characteristics • Highly prolific, easy in use sow • Amazing weaning ability • Top contribution to finishing pig quality • Produces large litters of strong, uniform

TN70 & TN Tempo: The ultimate combination

THE TRUSTED COMPANY THAT'S A BREED APART.

• TN Tempo brings robustness, uniformity and fast growth potential • The TN70 is an excellent mother which strengthens these qualities by contributing the best feed efficiency to the finisher compared to any other sow in the world • Together, the TN Tempo and TN70 offer you the potential to produce the most output against the lowest cost, combination unrivaled.

GENETICS | TECHNOLOGY | SERVICE +260 762 589 884 | +260 972 788 521 | jgwolhuter@gmail.com The TN70 will be replacing the TN60 as the parent sow from week of birth 10 with delivery to clients commercing in May 2020.

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www.topigsnorsvin.co.za

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Rhino 300

Patrick Moonga

Rainmaker 200

Lusaka

Mobile: +260 (0) 978 386660 Office: +260 (0) 211 241286 moonga@saroagri.co.zm

Rainmaker 200 4x4

Clubman 100

Greenkeeper 200

Sportsman 120

The most versatile irrigation system on the market Cane Master 300

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www.rotrixafrica.co.za

Hose Master 50/100

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PRECISI

N

DRAINAGE AGRICULTURE WATER MANAGEMENT

Planning, design and installation

of subsurface drainage, leveling and farm land improvement.

Contact us for more information Johnnie van der Walt +27 82 672 1182 | johnnie@precisiondrainage.co.za Chris Green +27 81 433 2444 | chris@precisiondrainage.co.za OfďŹ ce +27 87 285 1183 56

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