January/February 2014 Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK £9 - USA $15 Serving AGRICULTURE for 34 34 YEARS The Case IH Farmall JX110 to be distributed in East Africa. Poultry housing in the tropics Coffee New lease of life for small scale farmers in Zimbabwe Sowing seed precisely The latest in precision seed drills www.africanfarming.net
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January/February 2014
Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK £9 - USA $15
ServingAGRICULTURE
for
3434YEARS
The Case IH Farmall JX110 to bedistributed in East Africa.
Poultryhousingin the tropics
Coffee New lease of life for small scale farmers in Zimbabwe
Sowing seedpreciselyThe latest in precision seed drills
www.africanfarming.net
AF JanFeb 2014 Cover_Cover.qxd 24/02/2014 14:30 Page 1
S01 AF JanFeb 2014 Start_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:32 Page 2
Managing Editor: Zsa Tebbit
Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams, Hiriyti Bairu, Sindhuja Balaji, Lizzie Carroll, David Clancy,Andrew Croft, Prashanth AP, Ranganath GS, Rhonita Patnaik, Ian Roullier, Genaro Santos, NickyValsamakis, and Ben Watts
US Mailing Agent: African Farming & Food Processing USPS. No. 015-224 is published six times ayear for US$90 per year by Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, University House, 11-13 Lower GrosvenorPlace, London, SW1W 0EX, UK Periodicals Postage Paid at Rahway, NJ. Postmaster: send addresscorrections to: Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, c/o Mercury AirfreightInternational Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001.ISSN: 0266 8017
CONTENTS
ContentsNews and Events 4A topical digest of news, views and events including Farmers’ Calendar.
Analysis 10The private sector is the key to Africa’s agricultural development.
Poultry 12Poultry housing in the tropics.
Livestock 16Genetic improvement and new technology - are the two really mutually exclusive or can they
live together happily?
Floriculture 18Kenya’s floriculture sub-sector continues to grow but there are a number of challenges ahead.
Rice 20Uganda is attracting attention today as a potential rice basket for eastern Africa.
Coffee 22A coffee break for Zimbabwe’s small scale farmers and control of the coffee berry borer.
Grain Processing 24The only way to avoid loss of grain quality from debris-sponsored overheating is by separating
the debris and removing it from freshly harvested grains by grain cleaning.
Planting and Seeding 28Increased accuracy and faster working speeds are available from the latest precision seed
drills developed by many of the leading manufacturers.
Diesel Generators 32Powering the farmer - trends in diesel generators.
Agricultural Buyers’ Guide 34Our annual Buyers’ Guide to the suppliers of agricultural equipment and services as well as
their agents.
Zimbabwe’s coffee was some of thebest in the world.
The high output Optima TF Maxi drill from Kverneland with 16rows and a 4,000-litre fertiliser hopper.
Air temperature and relative humidity can affectpoultry health and the quality of poultry products.
January/February 2014
Europe m14.50 - Ghana C1.3 - Kenya KSH150 - Nigeria N200 - South Africa R18 - UK £9 - USA $15
ServingAGRICULTURE
for
3434YEARS
The Case IH Farmall JX110 to bedistributed in East Africa.
Poultryhousingin the tropics
Coffee New lease of life for small scale farmers in Zimbabwe
Sowing seedpreciselyThe latest in precision seed drills
4-6 International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTEX) 2014 NAIROBI www.hppexhibitions.com
22-24 Africa's Big Seven MIDRAND www.exhibitionsafrica.com
Farming Calendar
AT THE INTERNATIONAL Agritechnica 2013 show held inHanover, SAME presented its range and the new products whichwill be available to farmers and livestock breeders over thecoming months.
Agritechnica was the ideal occasion to show off the brand'sexisting range of machines for field work - such as the SAMEVirtus - and its specialised offerings for the fruit orchard andvineyard. It was also a chance for SAME to emphasise itsvocation as a manufacturer of practical, reliable machines withtwo new offerings for the mid and high power segments: theVirtus J and Audax.
Offered with outputs from 90hp to 120hp, the new SAME VirtusJ is a versatile tractor that offers outstanding value for money andis ideal for applications with implements such as a front loader.
The new Audax ST on the other hand, with outputs up to220hp, is a sturdy, long wheelbase machine having excellentattributes for transport applications and for tackling heavy dutyploughing jobs, making it the perfect successor to the Iron3.
THERE IS A need to sustain Zambia’s economy, whose 35 per centof GDP is driven by a booming agricultural sector which accountsfor US$4.5bn (K25.5bn) in real money, according to theorganisers of Agritech Expo to be held at the Golden ValleyAgriculture Research Trust (GART) in Chisamba, central Zambia.This will be a business-to-business platform, where key stakeholders,retailers, agents and service providers from across the agriculturevalue chain will convene in one arena to discuss regional plans fordevelopment and agricultural evolution. Unlike other agriculturetrade fairs, Agritech 2014 is for agricultural trade professionals onlyand will not be open to members of the public.Spintelligent of South Africa, the organisers of the event, said theExpo would redefine the agriculture exhibition landscape in Zambia.“The market dynamics of available agricultural land, improvingyields, with investment in machinery and equipment, all pointtowards a dynamic growth market,” said Spintelligent managingdirector David Ashdown.Nawa Mutumweno
Zambia to host agro-trade fair
SAME on show at Agritechnica
“INTERACTING DIRECTLYAND on a personal levelwith governments, the top ofthe business world, decision-makers in the animalproduction chain andshowing them what we cando. And immediately invitingall these people to come toVIV Europe in Utrecht inMay 2014. That was the purpose of our North African mission,” saidDidier Nech from BOI, agent and promoter of the international event forthe livestock, meat, poultry and egg sector since 2000. This newapproach, in which a travelling networking event with master classes anda preview of the exhibition visits five countries, puts VIV Europe 2014prominently on the agenda. It marks the return of VIV Europe to theplace where the organisation, which now operates on a global scale,started initially.
“The reason we are paying so much attention to North Africa isbecause these countries are on the threshold or in the middle of a majorturnaround; and in some cases this turnaround is already complete.Although in some cases there is still political instability, we expect that ourexhibitors and knowledge specialists can help these countries to developor build their animal protein sector. These are countries with a total ofaround 175mn consumers, where a lot of investments will be made in thecoming years in response to the growth requirement. Especially for thepoultry sector, but also for the production chains of cattle, goats andsheep there are enormous opportunities,” Didier Nech summarised.
At the end of November the road show travelled to Morocco, Algeria,Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. The approach differed from country to country. “Inmost countries we have to work extremely circumspectly and comply withthe formal procedures, so in those countries we have direct contact with thegovernment. Through ministers and other highly placed government officialswe also have better access to the top people. That puts us in contact with thebig animal husbandry organisations, leading producers, managers in theprocessing industry and research institutes. We have mapped out everyonewho matters. Around a thousand prominent individuals were invited to ourroad shows, followed by a personal invitation to visit Utrecht in May 2014,”said the French partner of VIV Europe.
VIV organises trade mission to NorthAfrican countries
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NEWS
THE EAST AFRICAN region has harmonised grain standards easingtrade within the bloc and the overlapping Common Market for Easternand Southern Africa (Comesa). This includes issues such as grain moisturecontent, quality, type of grains and infection with aflatoxins.
With the new standards, all grain will be required to have amoisture content of up to 13.5 per cent, rotten grains less than four percent and foreign objects of less than 0.4 per cent.
All traders from the five East Africa Community members will haveto abide with the set conditions.
According to Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) chairman JudahBett, the move will allow verification of grain produce in each countryand ease movement across the borders.
“The adoption and implementation of these standards is mainlyaimed at promoting fair trade and enhance transparency forincreased trade in staple foods, promote trade in quality grains andenhance adoptions of structured trading systems,” observed Bett.
Before the new standards were set, traders incurred huge losseswhen grains were rejected at border points where they failed to reachthe required levels. The new grades and standards were approved bythe East Africa Council of Ministers late last year.
Another rule is that all grain will now be required to fill up sacks notexceeding 50kg instead of the previous 100kg.
With the new rules, producers who meet the quality standards willbe rewarded with higher prices and long term contracts fromgovernments and private firms.
It is also expected that food hygiene and safety will improve withthe enactment of the standards. Mwangi Mumero
THE ONE PARTICULARsector which has seensignificant growth in Africa isagribusiness, said CharlesBrewer, managing director ofDHL Express Sub-SaharanAfrica. This entails the fullvalue chain from agriculturalproduction/farming throughsecondary processing,distribution and retailing to the end user/consumer in Africa and exportmarkets like Europe and the US (farm to fork concept).“There is a greater availability of good quality agricultural produce andprocessed food products than ever before,” said Brewer. He points to therecent report by the World Bank - Growing Africa: Unlocking thePotential of Agribusiness – which revealed that Africa’s farmers andagribusinesses could create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030. Thismeans a three-fold increase from the current size of the market which isestimated to be worth US$313bn.According to Hennie van der Merwe, CEO of the AgribusinessDevelopment Corporation (ADC), based in South Africa, Africa is well-endowed with resources, but often lacks much of the necessary expertiseto unlock the commercial potential of all its agriculture resources.“One of the major limitations on agribusiness development in Africa is ahuman capacity and human skills constraint,” said Van der Merwe. “Theability and experience to develop and manage commercial farming andagribusiness ventures are largely lacking in Africa. Major technologytransfer and capacity building would be necessary in this regard.”
A PROJECT TAILORED to prevent a highly contagious viral disease forgoats and sheep in Zambia has been implemented at a cost of aboutUS$493,000 (K2.7mn), according to the FAO representative toZambia, George Okech.Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague, is an acuteinfectious viral disease of small ruminants, characterised by fever, oculo-nasal discharges, erosive stomatitis and conjunctivitis. The disease is veryprevalent in border districts due to high levels of goat trade andmovement in these areas.‘’In the livestock sector, FAO implemented a project on ‘capacitybuilding to prevent PPR into Zambia’ through the expansion of a livestocksurveillance system mainly targeting border districts at a cost ofUS$493,000,’’ he explained.The trans-boundary nature of PPR requires that surveillance and controlmeasures across border areas are carried out to prevent the diseasefrom spreading. It was discovered that most field technicians and farmersare not familiar with the clinical manifestation of PPR.Small-stock farmers underwent field training exercises, public educationand awareness campaigns to enable them to detect the disease earlyand take up control measures.‘’Interventions such as this prove to be very helpful as an early warningsystem especially in times of disease outbreak, for example, in 2013 theMinistry of Agriculture and Livestock imposed a ban on the trading andmarketing of pigs due to an outbreak of African swine fever in LusakaProvince. It is estimated that over 25,000 pigs were slaughtered toprevent the spread of the diseases in Lusaka,’’ he said.Meanwhile, FAO has assisted the ministry in developing and putting inplace a provincial and national level agricultural statistics managementplatform called country STAT, a web-based database of agriculturalinformation and statistics.Nawa Mutumweno
FAO to avert livestock disease
East Africa grain standards DHL sees booming agribusiness in Africa
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8 - 10 April 2014, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC)Bangkok, Thailand
NEWS
POTTINGER HAS ROUNDED off its range ofNovacat rear mowers: in addition to theNovacat 402, 442 and 352, there are nownew generation Novacat 262 and 302mowers, each available with ED tine-type orRC roller-type conditioner, or with swathformers instead of a conditioner.
The two new rear-mounted mowersNovacat 262 and 302 have workingwidths of 2.62 and 3.04 metres. Thecentral element on these two models isthe unique hydraulic lower linkage armthat enables easy mounting withouthaving to adjust the tractor hitch struts.This guarantees the highest level ofconvenience: using the hydraulic lowerlinkage arm the headstock can always bebrought into the correct horizontalposition - independently of the geometryof the tractor hitch. In addition, thissystem optimises weight alleviation aswell as providing excellent groundclearance (50 cm on the inside) forheadland turns and transport on theroad. Ground tracking is also optimisedas a consequence.
During transport the mower is pivotedhydraulically upwards by 115°: with themower on the tractor centreline thehighest point is right in the middle with thecentre of gravity perfectly in the centre.This ensures compact and safe transportof the mower. The standard parkingposition is to the side in the workingposition; parking stands are alsoavailable so that the mower can be left inthe transport position to save space.
The heart of both mowers is the provenNovacat cutterbar with quick-change knifesystem as standard. Slanted conesurfaces, optimised counter-chop zoneand optimised overlap of the knife pathsensure perfect crop flow, first-class cuttingquality and at the same time optimumprotection of the sward.
THE STATE GOVERNMENT in Kebbi, Nigeria, has announced it will issue a US$24mnloan to farmers in the region as part of its plans to improve agricultural production.According to governor Saidu Dakingarti of Kebbi, 360 tractors will be provided at lowcost to Kebbi farmers. He said that farmers will have access to 2,000 work bulls andploughs, including 2,000 power tillers. According to Dakingari, the youth in the stateshould undertake farming to earn a steady income. A large consignment of water pumping machines would be distributed to farmers tosupport them in dry season farming in a bid to attract youths to farming.The state chairperson of the organisation, Hajiya Rabi Zuru, praised the efforts of thestate government in the development of agricultural production and called for timelydistribution of support to farmers. Further support will also be provided with the statechapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) to enhance agriculturalproduction.
The new Novacat 262 and 302rear mowers where best workingquality meets ease of operation
Nigerian government to distribute US$24mn loan to farmers
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NEWS
CASE IH IS intensifying its distribution activitiesin East Africa, in response to the rapidlygrowing demand for modern agriculturalequipment from the region’s nationaleconomies, such as those of Tanzania, Ugandaand Kenya. The move reflects the growingneed to make cultivation systems more efficientand resource-friendly, with the ultimate aim ofhelping increase quantity and efficiency infood production.
As a first step, the company has signed adistribution agreement with the Japanesecompany Toyota Tsusho East Africa Limited.The focus of the agreement is a co-operationin these countries with regard to distributionand service concepts for Case IH agriculturalmachinery including tractors, combines andsugarcane harvesters.
Toyota Tsusho East Africa Ltd is part of theJapanese Toyota Group and one of theleading vehicle distributors of passenger carsand commercial and special vehicles inNorth, East and South Africa.
“With regard to East Africa in particular,Toyota Tsusho is our partner of choice,having a professional automotive value chainwith extensive experiences, logisticsconcepts, and of course a tight distributionand service network for vehicles,” saidMatthew Foster, vice president at Case IHand also responsible for the distribution ofagricultural machinery in Europe, the MiddleEast and Africa.
“Case IH has chosen Toyota Tsusho as akey partner because of its commitment tocustomers, parts availability and servicemanagement, areas which are key for CaseIH customers who expect to get the mostfrom their machinery investments and
“At the same time, the Case IH productportfolio perfectly complements the ToyotaTsusho distribution system, with regionally-adapted tractor and harvest technologies aswell as special implements.”
In Tanzania alone, Toyota Tsusho has anetwork of 17 distribution centres, while inKenya, the Toyota Kenya Business Parc hasrecently been opened as the centre forlogistics, training and service functions, toprovide a strong hub for its Kenyan networkof 14 outlets, with another 25 to follow to
support devolution.“In addition, the company is actively
involved in the area, which matches ourbusiness philosophy in the sense of regionalcreation of value for sustainabledevelopment,” concluded Foster.
The first tractors under the agreement willbe produced and delivered by Case IH inthe course of 2014, starting from the JXTand JX straddle Series, two lines of productsthat perfectly match the well-known qualityof the Case IH products with the robustnessand the ease of maintenance that areneeded by local farmers.
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African Farming - January/February 20148
NEWS
ZAMBEEF PRODUCTS HAS opened anew butchery and retail outlet on theGreat North Road in Chisamba, close tothe company’s main operational base atHuntley Farm.
The strategic move aims to attracttravellers on the busy main road betweenLusaka and the Copperbelt, as well as
serving the growing population ofworkers and their families in the area.
In addition to the convenient purchaseof meat, dairy and egg products,motorists are able to stop at the storeand buy Zambeef ’s range ofrefreshments including Zamjuice milkblends, ZamSip drinking yoghurts and
fresh milk, as well as bread.Commenting on the growth of the
company’s retail division, ZambeefProducts CEO Francis Grogan said:“Consumers are demanding higherquality meat, better hygiene standardsand more value for money. For thesereasons Zambeef has become thesupplier of choice for householdsthroughout the country, who recognisethat benefits brought by Zambeef ’sinternational standards of food hygieneand meat handling procedures.”
The company has 121 retail outletsacross Zambia, along with threewholesale depots.
In addition to selling beef, chicken andpork products, the shops sell eggs, milkand other dairy products, along withmealie meal.
The company is rolling out aprogramme of shop refurbishmentsnationwide, installing state-of-the art coldrooms, hygienic stainless steel countersand clean modern tiling and design.
Zambeef’s commitment to working withlocal suppliers means consumers areassured of fresh, quality products that alsobenefit Zambia’s economy and help supportrural livelihoods, added Grogan.
VALMONT IRRIGATION, THE manufacturer of the Valley brand ofirrigation equipment, has announced the addition of the Tyre PressureMonitoring System (TPMS) to its international control technologyproduct line. TPMS was not only the first product in the precisionirrigation market to monitor tyre pressure on centre pivot irrigationequipment, but was also a recipient of a 2012 World Ag Expo Top-10New Products award.“With the Valley TPMS, the exact location of a flat tyre can be identifiedat the Valley Pro2 control panel, or remotely with the Valley BaseStation,”said John Rasmus, controls product manager for Valmont Irrigation.The Valley TPMS was developed in response to a need identified by theNavajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) in New Mexico. Withmore than 10,000 tyres and wheel gearboxes in its operation, NAPIneeded a way to monitor for low tyre pressure.“Detecting a low tyre before it fails decreases downtime of the pivot duringthe peak irrigation season, when irrigating is critical to maximising yields,”said Anthony Valdez, NAPI irrigation manager. “The ability to identify low-pressure warnings in the tyres has really helped to reduce service costs.With the tyre pressure monitoring system, we can now preempt labour andfuel costs, as well as time, by knowingwhen a tyre is low.”
RATHER THAN WAITING for farmers on the continent to adoptmodern farming techniques, US agricultural equipment manufacturerAGCO has taken it upon itself to develop the sector.Towards the end of 2012 AGCO announced it would investUS$100mn in Africa over a three-year period. Last month the companyheld its third annual AGCO Africa Summit in Berlin, Germany.“Currently, the majority of power for farming in Africa is providedby draught animals or human hands. This not only severely limitsproductivity but the hard work for so little return also makesagriculture an unattractive occupation,” said AGCO.In Zambia AGCO has invested in a demonstration farm and trainingcentre with the aim of educating local farmers on modernagricultural technology and the latest farming practices.In a recent report, Dutch multinational banking group Rabobanknoted that this initiative is not one with immediate pay-offs forAGCO but rather a more strategic approach to develop farming inthe region and subsequent demand for its own equipment.“Such creative and pre-emptive commercial behaviour is oneimportant way global food and agribusiness companies cancreatively establish themselves in the continent for the longer term,while helping commercial agriculture emerge more rapidly thanwould be the case otherwise and at the same time helping buildlong-term demand for their products,” said Rabobank.“Africa lies at the heart of what promises to be a new agriculturalrevolution,” said Martin Richenhagen, CEO of AGCO. “A newroadmap for ensuring a sustainable food supply has to bedeveloped – harnessing the expertise of the private industry sector,and the knowledge of local communities and farmers.”
Zambeef targets travellers with new outlet
Zambeef's new butchery in Chisamba, overseen by manager Violet Mulonda and her eight staff.
AGCO’s creative approach to Africa Valmont Irrigation’s new tyre pressure monitoring system
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Africa must accelerate its integration into the global economy through jointventures between international and domestic private sectors to achieve amuch-needed economy of scale. Nawa Mutumweno reports.
AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE, inrecent years, demonstratedrenewed commitment towardsincreased and sustainable growth.
This is evidenced by governments embracingthe Comprehensive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Programme (CAADP) as aclear testimony of Africa’s resolve to achievefood security and wealth creation objectivesthrough growth in the agriculture sector.
Thirty countries have already signedCAADP compacts, a commitment to invest10 per cent or more of their national budgetin pursuit of six per cent average growth inthe sector. These governments have alsocommitted to implement prerequisite policyand institutional reforms necessary to createan enabling environment to implementcountry agricultural development investmentplans.
The agricultural sector in Africa grew by3.2 per cent a year during the 10 years ofCAADP implementation. Although this ismoderate, it is the highest average for thelast four decades and is beginning to showsigns of improving the lives of poor people.This growth can be attributed to the CAADPemphasis on increasing productivity as wellas private-public investment in theagriculture sector, NEPAD CEO IbrahimMayaki observed.
Targets are highIt is a fact that the targets set for Africa’sagriculture are high but not far reaching.However, governments, the private sectorand/or development partners are not in aposition to independently deal with Africa’sagricultural development and foodinsecurity challenges.
Separately, these actors either lack theresources or incentives to fully develop theagricultural sector. The transformation ofAfrican agriculture requires innovativeforms of platforms and institutions thatemphasise collaboration, co-ordination,co-operation and communication betweenkey agriculture development actors. Theseplatforms and institutions specifically haveto recognise and align to the privatesector’s ‘appetite’ for quick, decisive andeconomically sound actions.
This is where institutions like the NEPADBusiness Foundation (NBF) come in. NBFprioritises agriculture and infrastructureand this resonates in its flagship projects. Itaims to remove barriers that arehampering investments in these two sectorsat a macro and a micro level. As a result,Africa will be nourished and intra-Africantrade will grow.
“The vision of NEPAD created a uniquereference point for African governments toconsider their national priorities within acontinental context. This provides us with aframework – a collective way of thinkingabout infrastructure, agriculture, capacitydevelopment and natural resourcesmanagement. The vision of NEPAD
therefore is beyond a platform ofconversation – it is an action plan. Itssuccess depends on commitment andprioritisation,” Lynette Chen, NBF chiefexecutive officer said in the Official NEPADYearbook 2013.
Without doubt, the private sector isgenerally more efficient in makinginvestment decisions, implementing viableprojects and successfully establishingsustainable agribusinesses. Despite this,policy and non-policy induced constraintscontinue to undermine private sector effortsto invest and trade in African agriculture.Business’ role could be leveraged evenfurther through the development of enablingpolicies and targeted regulatory reforms inSouthern Africa.
The Southern African AgriculturalDevelopment Partnership Platform (SAADP)was launched by the NBF Removing theBarriers programme (NBF-RtB) on 14February 2012, in Midrand, South Africa.The SAADP is a private sector-led partnershipplatform aimed at identifying and removingbarriers to agricultural development,
Private sector key to Africa’sagricultural development
African Farming - January/February 201410
ANALYSIS
The transformation of African agriculture is getting visible impact, but important challenges still need to be addressed,according to Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, NEPAD Agency CEO.
Collaboration, co-ordination,co-operation and
communication between keyagriculture development
actors is required.
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investments and trade in Southern Africa.The initiative has since been rolled-out inMalawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
SADDP’s objective“The objective of SAADP is to mobilise,institutionalise and increase the voice ofthe private sector in addressing agriculturaldevelopment, trade and investment policyconstraints in Southern Africa. Specifically,the platform seeks to unlock investmentand trade bottlenecks in the region as wellas remove barriers to increased privatesector involvement in agriculturedevelopment. The SAADP is facilitatingcollaborative and co-ordinated dialogueand practical project development,planning and implementation championedby the private sector in active partnershipwith regional governments, developmentpartners and civil society,” an informationbrief on SAADP elaborates.
The SAADP is working towardsmobilising and institutionalising regionalprivate sector voice through threestakeholder-identified thematic workingareas. These are Regional MarketIntegration (market development andintegration, harmonisation of regionalpolicies and standards, transport andborder infrastructure); Alternative FundingStreams (development of funding models,project feasibility, development,packaging, funding and managementcapacity, inclusive business models); andCapacity Building (guidelines for capacitybuilding, mentorship and internshipprogrammes, farmers as change agents,agricultural extension, research anddevelopment). Although the identifiedthematic working areas are inter-
connected, their grouping is based onoperational practicality rather thandistinction. There is a lot of cross-fertilisation among them. These includeinformation management, policy advocacy,governance, monitoring and evaluation.
Removing barriers and constraintsRemoving barriers and constraints inAfrican agriculture requires objective andpractical dialogue between stakeholders,especially the private sector andgovernments. It is equally imperative forgovernments and policy makers to ensurefull collaboration and active response totrade, investment and development needsidentified through a collaborative and co-ordinated multi-stakeholder dialogueprocess.
“This will enhance rather than undermineoverall country development goals.
Southern African governments will,therefore, have to take responsibility insupporting, facilitating and ensuring thedevelopment and supply of the publicgoods (ie, transport andtelecommunication infrastructure) andservices that enable the private and othersectors to engage in sustainableagricultural development and economicactivities that contribute to agriculturalgrowth and food security goals,” the briefadds.
Africa must accelerate its integrationinto the global economy through jointventures between international anddomestic private sectors to achieve amuch-needed economy of scale.Governments should leverage their privatesector competitive advantages andresources to sustain and surpass Africa’scurrent economic success. h
ANALYSIS
Promoting South African agriculture by ensuring market access,promoting fair trade, technology development and exchange.
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Heat, humidity and environmetal stress pose several challenges to poultryhousing in tropical areas.
Poultry housing is often custom-designed for the tropical regionskeeping in mind conditions relatedto latitude and relative importance
of physical factors like temperature,humidity, solar radiation and air movement.Poultry farmers need to design the housingfor the poultry according to the exactconditions experienced in the particulartropical zone.
A wide range of options is available topoultry producers in the tropics to alleviateheat stress in birds. Passive measures suchas house orientation to the sun, poultryhouses designed with open sides and use ofshade trees, shrubs and ground cover plantsare part and parcel of poultry house andfarm design and construction in the tropics.
More proactive measures include the useof fan systems to create air circulation andmist and fogging systems for evaporativecooling of the house and the birds.Manipulation of diet is increasinglyrecognised as an important strategy.Vitamins such as ascorbic acid (Vitamin C),mineral elements like zinc and the plantextract betaine have all shown benefits inthe alleviation of heat stress in poultry.
However, some of the aspects that afarmer needs to consider before making apoultry housing arrangement in tropicalareas are:
Temperature, humidity and solar radiationAmbient air temperature and relativehumidity are closely bound, althoughrelative importance of each varies markedlywithin tropical latitudes. Relative humidity isthe pre-eminent factor at and around theEquator, especially in rainforested areas.Temperature is clearly the most importantfactor in semi-arid and arid (desert) zones.The significance of day length effect whichis most important for laying hens becomesmore critical further away from the Equator.
Everyone knows that air temperature isconsistently and uniformly higher the neareryou get to the Equator, but few stop to thinkexactly why. Virtually all heat energyaffecting the earth at any one time comesfrom solar radiation. Total amounts receivedin various parts of the world are determinedby two simple factors which are the durationand the intensity of solar radiation strikingthe earth. These twin factors are governedby two aspects of global movement – theplanet earth continually travelling aroundthe sun and the globe (earth) constantlyspinning on its own axis.
Those areas receiving solar radiationfrom the sun at its maximum elevation (ie,90° and directly over the Equator) enjoy themost intense radiation because it isconcentrated over the smallest surface areaof land mass. In addition, the solarradiation travels through a shorter distance
of atmosphere to reach the earth thusminimising its liability to diffraction(diversion from its path) caused by mineralparticles in the air. This is why Equatorialregions are always hotter than temperateregions although high frequency of densecloud cover and heavy rainfall over theEquator will modify these conditions.
Altitude plays a part too because theatmosphere is heated from the earth’ssurface upward, so for every 1,000 metresincrease in elevation, ambient temperaturefalls by 5°C. The extent to whichtemperature affects the birds is alsomodified by relative humidity. Air saturatedwith water vapour at high temperaturessignificantly reduces the birds’ capacity tocool down through heat loss byevaporation. Of all the conditionsexperienced by poultry in tropical zones hightemperatures and high humidity in tandem isby far the most stress inducing scenario.
The duration of natural daylight maychange throughout the year and the onlytime day and night are of closelycomparable length (12 hours:12 hours) isat the vernal (spring) and autumn equinoxof 23 March and 22 September,respectively. On the Equator (0° latitude),day length is perpetually a fraction over 12hours. As you move away from the Equator,with progressively increasing latitude (northor south), there is a corresponding increase
Poultry housingin the tropics
African Farming - January/February 201412
POULTRY
Air temperature and relative humidity can affectpoultry heath and quality of poultry products.
www.africanfarming.net
Birds can lose heat through an activity called ‘panting’ whichstarts to occur when body temperature reaches 43°C
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Special themes
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May 20-22, 2014 | Utrecht, the Netherlands
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VIV Europe 2014
S04 AF JanFeb 2014 Poultry_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:36 Page 13
in disparity between the longest day at theheight of summer and the shortest day inthe depth of winter.
For instance poultry produced in theSahel region will typically experience veryhigh June daytime temperatures around40°C, falling by up to half at night. Januarydaytime temperatures may be substantial ataround 25°C but fall to a distinctly chilly10°C or below at night. On the other hand,poultry produced along the Equator incountries such as Kenya, DRC andCameroon, especially near dense rain-forested regions, will experience hightemperatures varying little throughout theyear, although in these locations relativehumidity poses the biggest constraint onefficient production.
For example, average Lusakadaytime/night-time temperatures in Juneare 22ºC falling to 9ºC at night, whileNovember temperatures are 32ºC fallingslightly to 16ºC at night. But this does nottell the whole temperature story. The relativehumidity typically ranges from 28 per centto 100 per cent over the course of the year,rarely dropping below 19 per cent andreaching as high as 100 per cent inDecember/January. Temperature atparticular times of the year is clearly thesingle biggest factor for heat stress in thisregion.
However, Kinshasa in DRC has averagedaytime and night-time temperatures of 28-32ºC and 20-23ºC, respectively,throughout the year and an extremely highday time humidity reaching a stifling 96 percent. Clearly, for the Kinshasa area, hightemperature in tandem with high humidity isthe most significant component causingheat stress.
Environmental stress in poultryThe physiology of domestic poultry and howit interacts with various physical factors inrelation to environmental stress is complex
but there are several key points which helpto explain the broader picture.
First and foremost, the internal bodytemperature of domesticated gallinaceousbirds (chickens) at 41.2-42.2°C ismeasurably higher than that of mammalianlivestock and humans (36-39°C). Theupper temperature limit beyond which livingcells and tissues will progressively fail tooperate is governed by the temperature atwhich enzymes (enzymic proteins) aredenatured or destroyed by loss ofconfiguration and chemical activity. Thisstarts to occur in the region of 47°C andthus poultry have considerably less leewaythan other animals when suffering fromheat stress and quickly succumb to this kindof temperature.
In contrast, the actual body temperatureof poultry can fall as much as 20°C belowthe normal range with birds still making a fullrecovery if carefully re-warmed. Domesticpoultry is clearly less tolerant to heat thancold and much more likely to die from heatstress (hyperthermia) than stress associatedwith low temperatures (hypothermia).
Poultry are poorly adapted and ill-disposed to high ambient air temperaturesbecause they lack sweat glands in the skin
and are therefore unable to gain muchfrom natural evaporative cooling, althoughthere is some direct diffusion of waterthrough the skin tissue. Only the headappendages (eg, comb) are very rich inblood vessels and thus able to act as sitesfor direct loss of heat. The net result ispoultry have few and limited inherentoptions for heat loss in warm conditions.
Chickens dip their faces in water andallow drips to fall from the facialappendages thus encouraging some loss ofheat when the water evaporates from thesurface of the body. Blood vessels in thefacial appendages and the legs vasodilate(come closer to the surface of the skin). Thisaccelerates so-called sensible heat loss(conduction, convection and radiation)from the body in addition to the so called‘insensible’ heat loss by evaporation. Thedistinction is made because sensible heatloss contributes to a warming up of thepoultry environment whereas evaporationactually takes heat out of the environmentby absorbing ‘Latent Heat of Evaporation’.
Be that as it may, most of the heat lossachieved by hens occurs through therespiratory system and more specifically thelungs. The lungs, although small in relationto total body size, have big non-vascular airsacs which play no role in gaseousexchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.Instead they present large areas of wetsurface for loss of water by evaporation andtherefore evaporative cooling. Birds losethis heat through an activity called ‘panting’which starts to occur when bodytemperature reaches 43°C.
When negative effects of high humiditycome into play, additional related problemsspecifically dangerous to poultry are posed.Air saturated (full up) with water vapourprevents further water loss from birdsthrough evaporation. The role of relativehumidity is closely associated withtemperature. At around 20°C relativehumidity can be raised up to 90 per centwith seemingly little effect on either foodconversion efficiency or growth rate but at29°C the elevation of relative humidity toaround 70°C has a discernible inhibitoryeffect on the growth rate of broiler birds.
Birds continually generate heat throughbody metabolism but during high ambientair temperatures of 35 to 40°C, which arenot much below normal internal bodytemperature, they are unable to discharge allof this extra heat through evaporation ofmoisture. Body temperature therefore startsto rise causing even more heat to beproduced and if unchecked can cause acuteheat stress and death from hyperthermia. h
Terry Mabbett
POULTRY
Domestic poultry is less tolerant to heat than cold andmuch more likely to die from heat stress than stressassociated with low temperature
Poultry are poorly adapted to high ambient air temperatures because they lack sweat glands in the skin
S04 AF JanFeb 2014 Poultry_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:36 Page 14
NEWS
ARBOR ACRES RECENTLY hosted and supported Algeria’s firstinternational poultry seminar in the historic city of Tlemcen. Arbor AcresAlgeria (AAA) was founded in 2010 with the main objective of securinglocal poultry production and elevating local poultry knowledge tointernational standards.
Arbor Acres Algeria is one of the eight affiliates that comprise theKherbouche Group Engineering and Commercial Company servingagriculture.
The event attracted more than 200 guests from the Algerian andNorth African poultry industry, who heard from a number of speakersincluding Rachid Kherbouche, the president, and his son HachimKherbouche manager of AAA, who shared future plans and objectiveswith the audience. This session was concluded by a professional videodemonstration of the AAA activities and its brand new state-of-the-artfacilities in Tlemcen.
Alain Silvin, commercial manager of Arbor Acres in north and westAfrica, gave an overview of Aviagen's research and development workand potential future development within the market.
Aviagen's Mohsen Ganjaei, technical services manager for ArborAcres in the Middle East and Africa, explained how to maximise chicknumbers and how to protect and store the hatching eggs fromproduction until hatching time.
In addition, there were a number of guest speakers, includingnutrition expert Seyfi Ay, who stressed the importance of correct malebird nutrition for best performance. Puzant Dakessian, Aviagenregional technical manager, spoke about production performanceimprovement of breeders and broilers and the projection of theseresults through the next five years by genetic development.
G R O W I N G H E A L T HCONCERNS in Nigeria aboutsmuggled imported poultry haveled to a 20 per cent increase inlocal bird production in 2013,according to reports, boostingfarmers' earnings and creatingmore jobs in the local industry.The poultry are now sold by largeemerging superstores spread across urban centres. They are soldraw or smoked and are supplied directly or through distributors, bybig agro companies such as Chi Ltd, which have large farms andcomplimentary processing units. The ready-to-cook chicken stockare supplied in modern packaging and are well preserved throughcontinuous freezing, which supermarkets have the capacity toprovide. These processes are driving up sales in spite of higherprices.The increased demand for wholesome poultry stock by the middleclass has been spurring business expansion among existing poultryproducers and stimulating new investments. Chickens and eggs areeven being branded by producers as an assurance of quality.Dotun Agbojo, president of the Poultry Association of Nigeria,Lagos Chapter, said from the beginning of 2013 to date, customshas seized more than N500mn (US$3.16mn) worth of poultryproducts from smugglers. Agbojo said customs should furtherintensify its efforts and drew attention to the health hazards ofsmuggled poultry.
Algeria’s first international poultry seminar Nigeria poultry production up 20 per cent
CAPE TOWN, IN a country which has thelargest poultry market on the continent,proved to be an excellent location to have ameeting for the Ross distributors and toconsider current trends and review regionalmarket opportunities in the future.
The meeting began with an Aviagenreview which highlighted investment andgrowth in some of the larger poultry marketsglobally. Population growth, poultry demandand consumption in Turkey, Middle East andAfrica (TMEA) were identified and assessedalong with regional company investments tomeet the growth and compete againstimported product. Although poultry meatprices have risen steadily since 2007, it is stillthe cheapest mainstream meat in mostmarkets, giving local fresh and frozenproduct an opportunity to compete and helpinternal country development. Bench markinghighlighted that the regional Ross productperformance was very similar to the recordedglobal average.
A presentation on health of distributorproduction, with particular emphasis ontesting and laboratory support standards toallow more inter-company movement ofparent stock was well supported by asubsequent presentation on a number ofwidely spread regional diseases, effective
vaccination programmes and bio-securitymeasures required to maintain productionlevels.
An interesting visual tour of the newAviagen hatchery at Elmadag in Turkeyrevealed a recent addition in the long-terminvestment strategy of the company. A reviewof future support for distributors to moreeffectively get key messages to customers inthe region was outlined in the Ross marketingstrategy. The emphasis then switched to anupdate of world commodity markets, a lookat underlying causes and the prediction thatvolatility will continue while the industryremains challenged to transfer these costsinto higher meat prices in most markets.Under these conditions, production efficiencylooms as an increasingly important factor inthe management and viability of futurebusinesses.
The following morning involved a tour of alocal processing plant which demonstratedthe product mix being produced by a leadingcompany for the South African market.
The second day of the meeting openedwith an in-depth review of the Middle Eastand African markets, which highlightedclearly production, consumption and tradeare at very different stages of development inmany of the individual countries in TMEA. The
meeting then focused on detailed marketpresentations from distributors in Zambia,Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and also by AviagenAnadolu in Turkey.
"This is an important annual meeting forthe Ross regional team and our distributorpartners as we review business and productperformance in TMEA, assess theopportunities that lie ahead and shareexperiences and best practices. Theinteraction and feedback is always beneficialto us all," commented John Maguire, salesmanager, Ross Middle East and Africa.
Aviagen Broiler Breeders supplies day-oldgrandparent and parent stock chicks tocustomers in 130 countries worldwide underthe Arbor Acres, Indian River, and Rossbrand names.
Ross distributors in Cape Town to review current trends and market opportunities
One-day-old broiler chicks.
S04 AF JanFeb 2014 Poultry_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:36 Page 15
”Genetic improvement” and “new technology” - are the two really mutuallyexclusive or can they live together happily?
THE 2013 OXFORD FarmingConference brought the questionson genetics, new technology, geneticmodification and improvements in
agriculture into sharp focus.At a time when the global population is
growing and growing largely inunderdeveloped and developing countries,the need to produce more food moreefficiently is unquestioned.
It is predicted that by 2050, the world'spopulation will need 100 per cent morefood and, according to the FAO, 70 percent of it must come from efficiency-enhancing technology. FAO also says thatby 2050, the world population will grow to9.1bn, per-capita income will rise by 150per cent and global consumption of meat,milk and eggs will double.
How that increase in production can bemet sustainably and economically is the bigquestion taxing scientists, politicians,farmers, processors and consumers alike.
The problems of feeding a growingpopulation have raised the question amongsome lobby groups over whether thereshould be any livestock farming at all andwhether a vegetarian diet is the mostsustainable way forward. However, not onlyis the global population growing innumbers but it is also growing in wealth andwith that growth in wealth comes a desireand need for a more refined diet thatincludes meat and eggs.
But as this wealthier population demandsmore animal protein, the agricultural sectormust find ways of meeting that demand.
As the Oxford Farming Conference heardlast year, genetics has a big role to play inthe improvements of yield - whether it is incrops or in animal protein - but geneticimprovement is not the sole solution.
Increases in yields of both crops and milkover the last 50 years have been 50 per centdown to improvements in breeding. Theother half of the answer has come down toimproved feed and feeding, improvedhousing and an improved environment andcare of both crops and livestock.
Mark Smith, the global bovine productdevelopment and production director atGenus, said that in the last 50 years,
improvements in pig litters had seen agrowth from 14 piglets per sow to around23 and the improvements in the animal andthe conformation while partly coming fromgenetic selection had also come fromimproved production management. Thishad also led to better feed conversion rates,better conformation and more lean meatand less manure, producing less impact onthe environment.
The improvements between 1962 and2009 had seen 71 per cent more pigs, 38per cent less feed used, 39 per cent morelean meat and 50 per cent less manureproduced. The improvements are 60 percent down to genetic improvement.
In dairy herds, genetic improvements in theherd over the last 40 years have contributedto increased milk yields through geneticselection, by looking at more traits than in thepast to ensure the production of a dairy cowthat is more fertile and more productive.
"We are now looking at selection forproduction and fitness and we are evenlooking at the vet costs in production as well,"he said.
He said that there is going to be a differentenvironment in agriculture and livestockfarming with less land for production, higherin-put and feed costs and challenges from theclimate and from water resources.
Livestock farming units will growSmith said that livestock farming units aregoing to grow and there is going to be lesslabour in each unit and there are going to beenvironmental constraints to produce foodsustainably.
"Genetics have contributed approximately50 per cent of the phenotypic improvementwe have seen over the last 50 years andbasically, we need to produce more from lessand genetic improvement is going to be keyto this," he said.
However, there have been vastdiscrepancies over the last 50 years in theadvances in genetic improvement betweenthe different species and sectors. While thedairy herds have seen a 60 to 70 per centimprovement, the pig herds have only seen a30 to 40 per cent improvement and the beef
How will geneticsfeed the world?
African Farming - January/February 201416
LIVESTOCK
Crossbreeding local breeds of cattle with exoticbreeds can improve milk yield considerably.
Genetics has a big role to playin the improvements of yield,
but genetic improvement isnot the sole solution.
www.africanfarming.net
S05 AF JanFeb 2014 Livestock_Floriculture_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:51 Page 16
herds have had negligible genetic progress.Similarly in aquaculture, with wild fish
stocks declining, more than 50 per cent offish consumed is now farmed but less than10 per cent comes from geneticallyimproved strains. As fish have a highreproductive rate, there is a big potential forimproved efficiency.
Mr Smith said that genomic selection isbeing applied to many species and it willaccelerate genetic progress but it stillrequires a lot of phenotypic data to buildand validate evaluations. However, it willallow greater selection for lower heritabilitytraits and evolution of new traits.
Mr Smith said that by using new technologygene selection can be speeded up andlivestock improvement will come sooner - butoften new techniques hit an ethical barrier.
While selective breeding has been carriedout for centuries and has been establishedas safe for centuries, cloning, where thegenes of the offspring are identical to theparent, which is equivalent to twinning, theintroduction of an additional normal genealready present in the animal and genedeletion could raise other questions.
However, Mr Smith said they are not trulygenetically modified organisms (GMOs)
and do not introduce any genetic materialthat is not already present and so there isno reason to believe that they will harmeither the animal or man.
Gene editing produces only minorchanges and often will be introducingnaturally occurring mutations so againshould not be unsafe in any way.
The introduction of another mammaliangene not normally found in that species, theintroduction of a non-mammalian or plantgene into that species, the introduction of a
bacterial gene into the species and theintroduction of a viral gene into the speciesmay have some risk and need careful analysis.
Mr Smith said: "Scientific breakthroughsin new genetic technologies could hold thekey to step changes in livestockimprovements, with disease resistance andresilience, improved efficiency and humanhealth protection. Genetic improvementhas played a major role in improvingefficiency to date and will probably need toplay an even greater role in the future.
"Some species have greater opportunitythan others, but selective breeding inconjunction with newer technology couldhold the key to step changes in geneticimprovement and deserve consideration,"Mr Smith concluded. hThe Poultry Site
LIVESTOCK
Improved feed and feeding, housing and environment andcare have all resulted in improvements in pig litters.
Scientific breakthroughs in newgenetic technologies could hold
S05 AF JanFeb 2014 Livestock_Floriculture_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:51 Page 17
Kenya’s floriculture sub-sector continues to grow earning the country more thanUS$1bn annually and employing more than 500,000 directly and another one millionindirectly. However a number of challenges are impeding the full blooming of this sub-sector and its contribution to the national economy. Mwangi Mumero reports.
ACCORDING TO THE KenyaFlower Council (KFC), thehorticulture sub-sector contributedthree per cent of the national GDP
with 1.6 per cent coming from cut flowers.The country is the lead exporter of cut
flowers to the EU controlling 38 per cent ofthe market share. Of the exports, 65 percent are sold through Dutch auction for re-export, 25 per cent to the United Kingdomwith Japan, USA, Russia, France andGermany taking up the rest.
According to a horticulture-validatedreport in 2012, the main cut flowers grownin Kenya are roses at 53.6 per cent, Easterlilies at 26.5 per cent, Arabicum at 4.1 percent, carnations at 3.1 per cent andHypericum at 1.98 per cent.
“Kenya supplied 55 per cent of theflowers sold at the Netherland’s auctions and40 per cent of the produce in the EU, placingit in a unique market position”, observed
Dick Raamsdonk, the president of HPP ofNetherlands, a flower event organiser.
To streamline this lucrative sub-sector,Kenya is implementing the NationalCompliance Mechanism by the end of 2015.This will help flower growers and exportersmeet stringent rules of the importing nations.
This code of conduct will also improvelabour practices and environmentalconservation efforts in the sub-sector.
The Netherlands Government hascontributed US$400,000 towards thisprogramme that will require all flower growersto institute internal quality control audits.
Kenya has also been working to accessthe US markets directly, providing analternative outlet for horticultural exports.
Currently, there are no direct flights fromthe Jomo Kenyatta International Airport(JKIA) to the US making it impossible toexport flowers to that huge market.
“We are still negotiating for direct flightsto the US to reduce the cost of exportation.Currently, we have to access the US marketthrough the EU - creating logistical problemsand increasing costs”, said Dr Alfred Serem,from the Horticultural Crop DevelopmentAuthority (HCDA), the industry regulator.
Access to the lucrative US market isexpected to cushion Kenyan growers fromshocks brought about by the Euro crisis aswell as fluctuations in the EU’s low season.
The main cut-flower production areas arearound Lake Naivasha, Mt Kenya, Nairobi,
Thika, Kiambu, Athi River, Kajiado, Kitale,Nakuru, Kericho, Nyandarua, Trans Nzoia,Uasin Gishu and Eastern Kenya. This widegeographical distribution of the flowergrowing regions has increased its economicimpact to local communities, alleviatingpoverty in many parts of the country.
Even with the phenomenal growth of thecut-flower industry, teething challengeshamper its full exploitation.
Among these bottlenecks are stringentexport conditions, taxation, high cost of inputsand increasing competition from regionalnations - Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Consequently, logistical costs andpackaging demanded by flower buyers inthe export markets have slowly eaten intothe farmers’ margins, according to industryplayers. To cushion themselves, growershave been advised to change theirmarketing strategies to be able to competeand increase earnings from flower products.
“Growers should form marketing firmsand team up with exporters. This will givebetter returns compared with what they aregetting through the Dutch auction exports,”observed Jane Ngige, the CEO of theKenya Flower Council.
But it is the imposing of a 16 per centVAT on agricultural inputs, services andequipment that is worrying flower farmers.
“The increased cost of agricultural inputswill make our products uncompetitive asbuyers seek cheaper alternatives. It will also
The cut flower sector
African Farming - January/February 201418
FLORICULTURE
Kenya has also been working toaccess the US markets directly
providing an alternative outletfor horticultural exports.
www.africanfarming.net
Kenya has seen phenomenal growth in itsexports of cut flowers recently.
S05 AF JanFeb 2014 Livestock_Floriculture_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:51 Page 18
lead to Kenya-based farmers to move toother markets due to the high cost of doingbusiness”, lamented Stephen Mbiti, the CEOof the Fresh Produce Exporter Association ofKenya (FPEAK), the industry lobby.
Ngige added that the issue iscompounded by the delayed VAT refunds bythe tax collector.
“The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) isfast in charging VAT but slow to processrefunds on zero-rated items. Our cash flowis affected,” she said.
The high cost of credit is also anotherchallenge hampering farmers as local bankinterest rates head to 20 per cent.
While Kenya’s Central Bank rate hascome down to a low of 11 per cent,commercial banks continue to charge 15-20 per cent interest on loans - slowing theuptake of credit for investment in agricultureand other sectors.
Speaking at a recent occasion, Kenya’sagriculture cabinet secretary Felix Kosgeysaid the government has laid plans thatwould boost the horticultural sector.
“We will partner with financial institutions- both government and commercial banks -to ensure easy and affordable loans forfarmers in the country,” he observed.
The emergence of Ethiopia and Rwandaas flower producers is also creating industryjitters in Kenya. While the cut-flower sectorin the two East African countries is at itsinfancy, it is expected to eat into the Kenyanpie in the near future.
“Kenya will soon face stiff competitionfrom Ethiopia in the export of flowers to theMiddle East. We now have many links to theEuropean countries and the Middle East,”observed Mikyas Bekele Woldeyes, a fieldofficer with Ethiopian HorticulturalProducers and Exporters Association whichrepresents 80 flowers farmers in the country.
He was attending a flower event in
Nairobi aimed at widening his contacts andmarkets for the flower farmers in Ethiopia.
But there is a sign of relief with theanticipated signing of the EconomicPartnership Agreement (EPA) between theEuropean Union and the East AfricanCommunity (EAC) before the 2014 deadline.
An EAC ministerial session in Arushaagreed to remove sticky issues such asexports taxes and clauses in agriculture.
The EU has also softened its hardlinestance on a controversial demand forreciprocal treatment by African States,provided they do not give preferentialtreatment to China and the US.
“The negotiations for a comprehensivetrade pact are 97 per cent complete. Wehope they will be concluded before the2014 deadline so that Kenya produce doesnot attract any import duty, unlike those ofits key competitors in Latin America”, saidNgige of the KFC.
During a visit to Kenya in August 2013,EU trade commissioner Karel de Gucht saidboth groups had settled most the issues,paving way for the comprehensive EPA afteryears of intensive negotiations for a WorldTrade Organisation (WTO) compatibletrade regime. h
Bowl CuttersUsed Fatosa 75 litre Bowl Cutter, 2011Used Rex 200 litre Bowl Cutter s/s bowlUsed Laska 200 litre Bowl cutter with black bowlNew Fatosa 35 litre Bowl cutter s/s bowlMincers and Mixer GrindersUsed Butcher Boy 56 MincerUsed Hobart 56 Mincer, 15 Hp motorUsed Butcher Boy auto 52 MincerUsed Wolfking 140 Mixer GrinderUsed Laska 160 Self Feed MincerNew Fatosa PSA 160 Auto self feed MincerUsed Weiler 11 inch flaked frozen meat MincerVacuum Packers and Shrink TunnelsNew ATM Single chamber for long fish etcNew ATM double chamber vacuum packerNew ATM large single chamber vacuum packerUsed Cryovac CJ 51 Heat shrink tunnelUsed Summan semi manual Dip Tank
Mixers and TumblersNew Fatosa 80 litre paddle MixerUsed IFM 1,000 litre twin ribbon MixerUsed Lutetia 400 Kg vacuum TumblerUsed Ruhle 150 scrape mixer/ tumblerUsed Lescha 225 litre impact tumblerUsed Hanrow 200 litre Tumbler MixerDicers, Flaker, graterUsed Urschel Twin RA A Dicer shredderUsed Urschel ML Dicer strip cutterUsed Ruhle SR1 dicer with multi gridUsed Treif Dicer 84 x 84 chamberUsed Butcher Boy bandsaw sliding tableUsed Biro Bandsaw, sliding tableMiscellaneousUsed Saxon Sealer, Model SB1000/conveyorUsed Talsa 120 litre electric cooker tankUsed Bratt pans 80 to 180 litresUsed Vertical bag clipperUsed Handtmann VF 80 Filler with double clipperUsed 2007 KS P10SE Vacuum FillerUsed Vemag Robot 500 Vacuum FillerUsed Ranger Apollo cooked sausage peelerUsed tote bin hoist bolt to floor typeUsed Metal detectors
S05 AF JanFeb 2014 Livestock_Floriculture_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:51 Page 19
Uganda - widely known as “the pearl of Africa” for its exquisite naturalbeauty, diverse flora and fauna, and rich mosaic of cultures - is attractingattention today as a potential rice basket for eastern Africa.
OVER THE LAST few years, Uganda has beenexperiencing a remarkable rice boom supported bygood farming practices, premium market prices, andfavourable policies that have stimulated large private
investment in the rice sector. The growth of Uganda’s rice production has contributed to
greater food security and a reduction in rice imports. For instance,according to the Ugandan government, rice imports droppedbetween 2005 and 2008, which helped save the country aboutUS$30mn in foreign exchange earnings.
The area sown to rice nearly doubled from about 80,000ha in2002 to about 150,000ha in 2011. Similarly, paddy productionjumped from about 120,000 tonnes in 2002 to more than220,000 tonnes in 2011.
“The rice industry in the country has rapidly moved from improvedseed to production to processing and to the markets over the last fewyears,” said Robert Anyang, programme officer of Public-PrivatePartnership and Market Access at Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000).
This is a feat that several rice producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa would like to achieve. Yet, 10 years ago, Ugandawas barely known as a rice-producing country in the region. So,what triggered the rice transformation?
Nerica fills the void In 2000 and 2001, when the price of maize plunged in the region,Uganda’s government and farmers were desperate for analternative crop that could provide food security and income.
Through the timely assistance provided by SG2000 and theNational Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), short-duration NERICA varieties developed by the Africa Rice Center(AfricaRice), including NERICA 1, 4, and 10, were identified as asuitable replacement for maize. NERICA 4 was released in 2002and followed by NERICA 1 and 10.
“In a short time, NERICA 4 became so popular that, by 2008,it occupied almost 70 per cent of the upland area underproduction,” said Dr. Jimmy Lamo, a rice breeder at the NationalAgricultural Research Organisation (NARO).
The advantages of rice over the traditional Ugandan staple matokeare several. The bananas take far longer to ripen, are harder toharvest and cook and worth a fraction of the price at market. Also itis relatively easier to farm and so is worth more money for the family.
The turning point Gilbert Bukenya, the then vice president of Uganda, identifiedupland rice as a major strategic intervention for food security andpoverty reduction. Because of Dr Bukenya’s advocacy, PresidentYoweri Museveni launched the Upland Rice Project in 2004. This iswidely acknowledged as the turning point for the growth ofUganda’s rice sector.
The campaign encouraged several non-government organisations(NGOs) and development partners to join forces with the Ugandangovernment. These were the Japan International Co-operation
Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, the Food andAgriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Oxfam, and theUnited States Agency for International Development, in addition toSG2000.
Major efforts to promote riceThe government and these partners made major efforts to promoterice and strengthen the capacity of rice farmers, millers, traders,and extension workers.
The rice scheme also motivated private-sector players such asNASECO Seed Company, Grow More Seeds, Pearl Seeds, VictoriaSeeds, and FICA Seeds.
“The Upland Rice Project is a success story of public-privatepartnership, with each partner playing a role from research to finalproduct and commercialisation,” said Nicolai Rodeyns, managingdirector of NASECO Seed Company. NASECO was instrumental inthe production and dissemination of certified seed of Nerica 4under the trade name Suparica 2.
The breakthrough However, the real breakthrough for Uganda’s rice sector occurred inthe mid-2000s when the Ugandan government lobbied successfullyfor the East African Community to impose a 75 per cent tariff on riceimports (35 per cent for Kenya), according to Anyang.
“As the Ugandan government didn’t have the money to supportsubsidies, this was a good way to promote its fledgling rice industry andprotect farmers from the influx of cheap imported rice,” he commented.
The shift in government policy further stimulated rice production inthe country and motivated the private sector to invest heavily in thesector. The focus gradually shifted from increasing rice production toimproving postharvest handling, value addition, and marketing.
According to Venugopal Pookat, director of Tilda Uganda Ltd,one of the leading rice-producing companies in the country, locallyproduced rice can replace imported rice, only if it can be price-
Uganda - blazing a trailto rice success
African Farming - January/February 201420
RICE
Women collect ears of Nerica rice.
The growth of Uganda’s rice production hascontributed to greater food security and a
reduction in rice imports.
www.africanfarming.net
S06 AF JanFeb 2014 Rice_Coffee_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:39 Page 20
competitive, branded with consistent quality, and readily availableon the market. Tilda Uganda Ltd produces different types of rice tofill different market niches.
Similarly, small entrepreneurs have seized the opportunity to addvalue by developing niche products such as parboiled rice, which isnot commonly available in Uganda.
Market integration Public- and private-sector partners in Uganda’s rice sector areaware that agricultural intensification goes hand in hand withagricultural sector development and market integration at all levels.
“The activities involved in rice value addition have potential tocreate wealth for all in the value chain, including farmers,transporters, middlemen, millers, traders, and the economy,”explained Philip Idro, former Ugandan ambassador to China andcurrent director of Upland Rice Millers Ltd (URM).
The URM rice factory in Jinja, in eastern Uganda, is helping ricefarmers to become part of agribusiness networks through whichthey can sell surplus crops and invest in their farms. For example,rice farmers who bring their paddy to the factory for milling find aready market as they meet with rice traders at the same place.
“As long as farmers have a market, they always respond positivelyto that market so production is no longer an issue,” explained JoanRutaroh, programme director of the Uganda Development Trust, alocal NGO that provides technical assistance and arrangesagribusiness loans for small and medium rice enterprises.
Joyce Lalam Otema, a rice farmer from Gulu, agreed. “Withrice, you can’t go wrong,” she observed. “Each time you get agood yield, all the rice is sold in two to three months. You can eithersell it locally or go to the nearest mill.”
In addition to a large mill owned by Tilda Uganda Ltd, thecountry has 15 medium-sized mills and about 850 small mills withpolishers and whiteners.
Lowland rice production The boom in Uganda’s rice production is also partly due to theresurgence of the Kibimba Rice Scheme. It currently produces about20,000 tonnes of rice per year, which is 20 per cent of the total rice
produced in the country. Although rice schemes are huge, they are still small considering
Uganda has about 500,000ha of land suitable for seasonallowland rice production. According to the National RiceDevelopment Strategy, Uganda is expected to produce up to335,000 tonnes of rice in 2013 and 500,000 tonnes in 2018.New lowland rice varieties are expected to be released soon byNARO.
“With everything in place, including the right policy and all theactors, the support of rice research partners through the new CGIARGlobal Rice Science Partnership, and with the private sector, we canachieve this goal in the next five years,” said Anyang.
Doubling Africa’s rice productionUganda's early success is the first indication that the bid by theCoalition for African Rice Development -- a group of developmentagencies, led by Japan -- to double rice production on thehungriest continent could work.
The man working as hard as anyone to make sure it does deliveris Tatsushi Tsuboi, a rice expert with the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). He believes that something special ishappening in Uganda where he is teaching advanced farmingtechniques to local producers.
“ It's a paradise,” he says, gesturing at the lush upland vegetation.“The soil is still young and the rainfall is very nice.” h
RICE
Nerica rice: A “miracle crop” it combines the high yield of Asian rice with thehardiness and drought resistance of African rice varieties.
AFRICA’S LARGEST GATHERING of riceindustry experts, policy makers and farmers‘representatives has asked FAO to "stimulatenational, regional and global partnerships to(help) develop Africa's rice sector".The call came at the end of the 3rd AfricaRice Congress in the Cameroonian capital ofYaoundé. Attended by more than 650delegates from 60 countries, including 35African nations, the event was co-organisedby the Africa Rice Center and FAO.In its final declaration, the congress alsocalled for increased investment in themodernisation and mechanisation of Africa'sfarming and in aggregation of farm output,while safeguarding land rights of smallholdersand improving livelihoods. It also urged thestrengthening of farmer organisations to ensurethat farmers capture a fair share of value addedin the value chain and more encouragement forthe development of public-private partnerships.In support of promising productivity growthin the African rice sector - especially in the
sub-Saharan region - FAO is looking tostrengthen its commitment to rice productionin the region with a particularly strong focuson sustainability.Speaking at the congress, FAO assistantdirector-general, Agriculture and ConsumerProtection Department Ren Wang said theorganisation was in a strong position to helpaccelerate the already good growth in riceproductivity in Africa."AfricaRice and the Global Rice SciencePartnership are excellent engines for theproduction of new technologies. I believeFAO can strengthen its role as a partner inthese important activities," he said."What is needed are the networks andrelationships to ensure successful newtechnologies - once tested and proven - canbe scaled up to reach the millions of farmerswho need them. This type of developmentwork is one of FAO's strengths," he added.Wang said FAO is working on a newinitiative that would help realise the full
potential, productivity and production ofAfrica's major rice ecosystems. It will alsopromote the use of quality seed as well assecure the production of certified rice seedsfor efficient and sustainable rice production."We have an established and successfulstrategy in FAO's Save and Grow campaign.We want to apply these sustainabilityprinciples to rice in Africa," he added.FAO's Rice Market Monitor predicts the 2013rice harvest in Africa will yield 27.2mn tonnes(or 17.8mn tones on a milled basis), two percent above 2012's output. It says West Africancountries and Egypt is driving much of thisgrowth, but a strong recovery in production isalso expected in East Africa.Wang said this increase in production wasclearly good news, helping to reduce Africa'sdependency on increasingly expensiveimported rice. FAO predicts imports byAfrican nations will drop to 12.6mn tonnes,or seven per cent down from the 2012 recordlevel of imports.
FAO to strengthen its commitment to increasing African rice production
S06 AF JanFeb 2014 Rice_Coffee_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:39 Page 21
Thanks to a recent initiative by the United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment, tea and coffee plantations are being given a new lease of lifein Honde Valley.
ZIMBABWE’S COFFEE BELT has the perfect growingconditions for the beans: high mountain peaks and coolclimates, and the country used to be famous for its "super-high-quality" product, slowly sun-dried, and tasting smooth
and fruity. In the 1990s it produced some of the best coffee in theworld, alongside South America and Kenya, generating crucialforeign currency and a livelihood for many labourers and small-scalefarmers, as well as the big commercial farms.
But today the industry is in decline: many of the mills have beenabandoned, farmers are in debt, and Zimbabwe produces just 60"bags" of coffee beans a year compared with 250 bags in 1988 – withone bag amounting to 60 tonnes of coffee.
Earlier this year the European Union announced US$13.5mn in aidto Zimbabwe's medium and small-scale farmers, in an attempt torevive the industry. But there's a catch. "Coffee is an important cropand we'll consider funding requests from small farmers provided theland involved is not in dispute," Aldo Dell'Ariccia, head of the EUdelegation to Zimbabwe, told the CAJ news agency.
However this caveat disqualified the majority of farmers. "Most ofour small coffee plots are on land being contested in court by formerwhite farmers. We'll simply not qualify," said Lenard Moyo, a coffeefarmer near Chipinge town.
Production plummeted as the new land owners could not securebank loans to buy fertilisers or repair ageing infrastructure. Many werenew to the business, and lacked the expertise to keep quality high.
In turn, international buyers began to shun Zimbabwean coffee,and in 2010 the Mutare Coffee Mill, considered one of the best inAfrica, was forced to shut down. It required at least 4,000 tonnes ofcoffee to operate profitably but was receiving just 300.
And while Zimbabwean coffee growers struggle, elsewhere theindustry is booming. Ten years ago the average cost of a tonne ofcoffee was US$1,400, now it can fetch up to US$4,000, accordingto the International Coffee Organisation.
"Zimbabwe is losing billions of dollars annually as the price ofcoffee has increased to about US$3 per pound, up from US$1 perpound in the 90s," Gifford Trevor, president of Zimbabwe's CoffeeGrowers Association, said.
Lack of cash reservesMost of the country's coffee farmers lack cash reserves to supportthemselves when the crop fails or yields are low, according to WorldVision. The charity is training farmers and offering much-neededsupplies such as fertilisers, irrigation systems and pesticides. But thefarmers are still unable to compete with better organised growers incountries such as Rwanda, Kenya and Malawi.
The global coffee industry is also stacked against suppliers, with thebulk of the profit going to those further up the chain.
Peter Multz, a former consultant for the Dutch charity SNV, whichworks with Zimbabwean farmers to improve their business skills, saidmost of the profit went to shippers, roasters and retailers. He saidZimbabwean farmers also faced particular problems. "Sometimes thecoffee is delayed at border crossings for up to a week, and withoutproper facilities the beans go bad. Coffee steaming in 100° weatherin a metal shipping container for six weeks while waiting for pickup isnot good for cup quality! Sometimes buyers have to pay a bribe to lettheir coffee shipments go through," he said.
A break for small-scale farmersThanks to a recent initiative by the United States Agency forInternational Development, however, tea and coffee plantations arebeing given a new lease of life in Honde Valley.
The Revitalization of Small Holder Agricultural Production project,which began in October 2010, is being implemented by World Visionin partnership with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation,Zimbabwe Coffee Mill Ltd and the Honde Valley Small HolderDevelopment Company.
“Under this programme we are mainly rehabilitating small holder’scoffee and tea plantations which had been abandoned and neglectedas a result of the economic challenges of the past ten years. Under theprogramme we are also assisting farmers with farming inputs andlinking up them with companies where they can market theirproducts,” said Richard Ndou, World Vision Food Security andLivelihoods Team leader.
Hopes for recoveryWith a more stable economy and western governments starting torelease aid, Zimbabwean farmers hope that the country's coffeeindustry will recover. But for Moyo times are still hard: "I can't even paymy farm workers and coffee pickers properly," he said. "Sometimes wereward them with milk, soya meals, and clothes after every harvest. Aswe say here, cash is a crunch." h
A coffee break for Zimbabwe’ssmall-scale farmers
African Farming - January/February 201422
COFFEE
Zimbabawe’s coffee was some of the best in the world.
The country used to be famous for its "super-high-quality" product.
www.africanfarming.net
S06 AF JanFeb 2014 Rice_Coffee_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:39 Page 22
RESEARCHERS AT THE Kenya-based International Center for InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE), in collaboration with colleagues fromGermany, have for the first time decoded the chemical signals thatattract the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, the mostimportant pest of coffee worldwide.According to the research finding published in the PLoS ONE journalrecently, the scientists have revealed that coffee berries releasechemical signals that enable the pest to locate and attack them. At thesame time, researchers note that the coffee berry borer also respondsnegatively to other chemicals produced by other plants - in effectallowing scientists to develop repellants to the borers.Using these findings, a proposed ‘pull-push’ tactic can now beemployed to manage this pest. Scientists also propose that instead ofgrowing coffee as monocultures, it should be intercropped with cropsthat act as repellants to the coffee berry borers.Coffee berry borer is the most important pest of coffee worldwide.Researchers estimate that the coffee berry borer causes more thanUS$500mn in damages each year, making it the most costly pestaffecting coffee today.Female borers kill coffee plants by burrowing into coffee berries tolay their eggs. Each female can lay up to 200 eggs. The resultingdamage attracts pathogens damaging the coffee berries.Over the last few years, the Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) atRuiru, near Nairobi, has developed two varieties resistant toCoffee Berry Disease (CBD) and leaf rust, two main scourges incoffee growing. The two varieties - Batian and Ruiru 11- areexpected to lower the cost of production as the two diseases needhuge investment in chemicals and equipment.“There are considerable savings from cost of fungicides and labour
used to control CBD and Leaf Rust. Batian is a high yielding varietywith good bean and cup quality. It is also suited for all agro-ecologicalzones”, intoned Joseph Kimemia, CRF executive director.
Mwangi Mumero
Coffee berry borer control
The tiny coffee berry borer beetle is seen here entering the coffee fruit.
S06 AF JanFeb 2014 Rice_Coffee_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:39 Page 23
The only way to avoid loss of grain quality from debris-sponsored over-heating is by separating the debris and removing it from freshly harvestedgrains by grain cleaning. Dr Terry Mabbett reports.
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE technology usedto harvest cereal crops a wide range ofwaste materials collectively called debriswill be gathered in along with the cereal
grain. Grain harvesting debris will includestalks, chaff, shrunken or underdevelopedgrains, broken and damaged grains, a widerange of weed seeds and fine particles ofmineral matter or dust. The presence ofsuch matter within grain storage structurespromotes heating to create ‘hot spots’ inthe grain heap with accompanying grainspoilage and financial loss.
During the loading operations debrisbecomes lodged and accumulates in thebin core and beneath spout lines to providea very congenial habitat and opportunitiesfor the build-up of specific insect pests andgrain mould fungi. The combinedmetabolic activity of these insect pestpopulations and microbial pathogeniccolonies, in tandem with the moist materialsthey are living on will invariably result in‘hot spots’ to cause a serious deteriorationin the grain within and around thesespecific locations.
The only way to avoid loss of grainquality from debris-sponsored over-heatingis by separating debris and removing it fromfreshly harvested grains by grain cleaning.Post-harvest grain cleaning and gravityseparation is essential for the achievementof top quality cereal grain that will withstandthe environmental rigours of storage, transitand shipment. Grain cleaning on the farmwhere the cereal crop was grown will slot
neatly into three main groupings as follows.● Pre-cleaning – in this initial process
small-size materials including dust andsmall seeds (undeveloped grains orweed seed), together with large-sizeconstituents such as un-threshedpanicles (ears) and straw, are taken out.The overall objective of pre-cleaning isto enhance the ‘character’ of theharvested crop with respect to the flowof grain and aeration of grain beforedrying commences.
● Commercial cleaning – the aim of thisoperation is to produce samples of grainready for sale and which meet thecommercial and intervention standardsrequired by the overseeing grain qualityauthority. The precise grain qualityrequirements demanded in a particularyear will generally not be known untilthe grain has been sold. Thus farmersneed flexible facilities that will allowthem to clean the grain to the stipulatedstandard at the time of dispatch.
● Seed cleaning – a process reserved forcrops that are earmarked for use asseed and, therefore, with clearobjectives of achieving set, highstandards of grain purity. If the seed is
to be utilised on the farm where it wasproduced, then removal of weed seedsand other biological foreign matter thatwould otherwise end up in the seed drillis clearly a top priority. And, if protec-tive, seed dressings of fungicide orinsecticide are required, employment ofcontract services may turn out to bemore practical and economically viableas an alternative to purchasingequipment for dressing what will be acomparatively small volume of seed.However, if the seed is to be sold then itwill need to comply with extra ultra-stringent standards. These include purityof variety and seed viability/vitality(germination percentage and rate)which will invariably require cleaning,preparation and marketing by grainspecialists off farm.
The science of separationThe only way to successfully removeimpurities from grain is to identify andexploit definitive physical differencesbetween the grains and the unwantedparticles and objects. When a variety ofimpurities are present in the grain aselection of separate and specificseparation methods will invariably beneeded. Generally speaking the bigger theidentifiable differences between the graincrop and the unwanted impurity then themore rapid is the rate of separation andcleaning, and the lower the amount of grainrejected with the contaminant.
Invariably the worst possible contaminantsand the most difficult and expensive to
Cereal graincleaning
African Farming - January/February 201424
GRAIN PROCESSING
Conditioning and/or cleaning is an essential step at any grain processing plant. Bühler machines have a proven trackrecord in thousands of applications, ensuring that a clean product exits from the end of process.
The only way to avoid loss ofgrain quality is by separating
debris and removing it fromfreshly harvested grains by
grain cleaning.
www.africanfarming.net
Women manually separate grain from dust- the first stepin preparing a finished product.
S07 AF JanFeb 2014 Grain_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:40 Page 24
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S07 AF JanFeb 2014 Grain_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:40 Page 25
remove are ones with close physical andbiological similarities to the grain, forexample, weed seeds from wild grasses andother commercial cereals, such as barleymixed with wheat. The physicalcharacteristics most commonly identified asbeing different enough to achievecommercially acceptable levels of impurityseparation are as follows:● Geometric dimensions – These vary
from grain to grain and the impuritywhich is targeted, but usually includelength, breadth and depth of the grain.Identification of such dimensions allowsthe crude grain sample to be screenedthrough sieves of specific size. The grainwill pass through the round-holed screenwith its vertical axis perpendicular to theplane of the screen. And taking thecross-section of the grain as ‘elliptical’,then the ‘vital statistic’ on which it issized by the screen is its maximumdiameter. Grain is able to pass througha slotted screen with its longest axisparallel to the plane of the screen,provided that the length of the slot ismore than the length of the grain. As thescreen ‘reciprocates’ the grain will alignitself so that it passes through if its
minimum diameter is less than theopening of the slot.
● Weight – This characteristic which ismore correctly called ‘mass’ allows forthe separation of grain and unwantedparticles by utilising differences in thepropensity for materials to ‘float’ in airduring aspiration-based techniques.
● Shape or form – variation in the
morphology (shape) of grains andcontaminating seeds is a useful basisfor separation using science based ondifferent resistances to rolling. Othercharacteristics that may also affectresistance to rolling include whetherthe grain is smooth (glabrous) or hairy(pubescent).
● Surface factors – whether the surface ofthe grain is uniformly smooth or unevencaused by the presence of holes andcracks can also be used to identify andremove impurities. This will be of partic-ular importance in grain samplessuffering various types of insect damageor physical damage due to growingconditions (e.g. water relations) or poorlyset and adjusted harvesting machinery.
● Colouration – Impurities that possesscontrasting colours to the grain whichthey contaminate can be separated outby using optical equipment. h
GRAIN PROCESSING
Whether the surface of thegrain is uniformly smooth oruneven can also be used to
Outstanding breeding results and highest quality standards have safeguarded the success of our customers for years. High investment in the research and development division guarantee continuous breeding progress and yield constant innovations.
Increased accuracy and faster working speeds are available from the latestprecision seed drills developed by many of the leading manufacturers, saysMike Williams.
PRECISION DRILLS ARE used toprovide the accurate seed placementneeded for many of the mostimportant agricultural crops
including maize, sorghum, sunflowers andsome vegetables, and increasing theseeding accuracy can help to achievebigger crop yields. More even spacing withfew doubles or ‘misses’ gives each plantequal access to soil nutrients, moisture andsunlight, helping to produce the full yieldpotential and also helping to achieve moreuniform maturity when the crop is harvested.
As well as increased accuracy, some ofthe new seed drills developed by European-based manufacturers are also offeringfaster working speeds, reducing costs andalso allowing more of the crop to be sownin the best ground conditions.
Speed and accuracy are among the salesfeatures claimed for the new Tempo seeddrill announced last year by the Vaderstadcompany. When a Tempo drill wascompared with rival machines sowingmaize in a German test programme it wasthe Tempo’s metering mechanism thatachieved the smallest number of doublesand ‘skips’ or misses, and it maintained itsaccuracy at speeds up to 18kph.
The Tempo drill is equipped with aGilstring metering unit, named after theVaderstad engineer who designed it, and thishas three singulation wheels plus a sensor tocount individual seeds. The unit is pressurisedto minimise variations due to vibration orsloping ground, using a p-t-o powered fan toprovide the pressure, and it is designed toproduce 28 seeds per minute, a delivery rateequivalent to an 18kph working speed. Eachunit has its own electric motor to avoid themaintenance needs of chain drives, and theelectric power is supplied from a generatordriven by the p-t-o.
Vaderstad is optimistic about the salespotential for their new drill, and thecompany has a major investmentprogramme to increase production at itsSwedish factory. A mounted version of thedrill is available in six and seven-rowversions and there are six and eight-rowtrailed models. Row spacing for bothversions can be 700, 750, 762 or 800mm,
and there are also 600 and 650mm widthsavailable for the mounted drill. Althoughmost of the Tempo drills sold so far are formaize, the drill is also approved for othercrops including sunflowers and sorghum,and more crops - possibly including cereals- are likely to be approved in the future.
Selection of drills from KvernelandKverneland’s machinery range includesMiniair precision drills for sowing vegetablecrops and Optima drills for maize seed,and the newest addition to the drill range isa high output Optima model, the TF Maxi.It is a trailed drill with 16 rows, a 12.0mworking width and the capacity to sow morethan 100ha in one day.
The specification for the new drillincludes a central fertiliser hopper holding4000 litres, and the seed metering units arepowered by electric motors and areequipped with the Kverneland GEOcontrolsystem that provides automatic starting andstopping at the headland plus individual
row control. Working speeds up to 10kphare available without reducing drillingaccuracy, the makers claim.
More switching to electric motorsWith more drill manufacturers switching toelectric motors to drive the seed meteringunits, especially on the larger capacitydrills, Vicon offers customers the choice ofeither mechanical or electric drive. Themechanical drive is provided on thestandard 12-row Unicorn drill modelswhich is available in both rigid andhydraulic fold versions and with 45cm rowspacing available instead of the normal50cm width. Seed spacing down the row isadjustable between 12.5 and 24.5cm andthe options include 25-litre hoppers formicrogranule application.
Electric drive is standard in the UnicornSynchro-Drive series drills available in a12-row rigid frame version and withhydraulic folding for up to 18 rows. Alsoincluded on the Synchro-Drive drills is acomputerised control system with functionsincluding tramline management plus apartial width shut-off facility.
The Amazone range of precision seeddrills starts with the ED series available in afixed frame version with 3.0m working width
Sowing seedprecisely
African Farming - January/February 201428
PLANTING AND SEEDING
An eight-row Vaderstad Tempo drill raises thedust sowing maize seed at 18 kph.
Speed and accuracy are amongthe sales features claimed for
and with hydraulic folding in the 4.5 and6.0m sizes. Row spacing is between 30 and80cm, working speeds are up to 10kph andthe 6.0m ED can drill up to 45 ha/day, themakers say.
For bigger acreages the Amazone rangeincludes the EDX series drill in 6.0 and9.0m widths and with a 15kph maximumworking speed. Design featurescontributing to the extra output includeAmazone’s Xpress seed singulation systemwhich is programmed from the tractor cab.Like many of the other high output precisiondrills, the EDX series has one large seedhopper instead of a small hopper for eachseeding unit. The benefits, Amazoneexplains, include much quicker hopper refilltimes with less risk of seed being spilled.
Individual seed hoppers with 70 litrescapacity are retained for each seeding uniton the Horsch Maestro CC drill series, butthe bigger SW or ‘Seed Wagon’ drills havea large central hopper holding a 2000-litresupply of seed plus 7000 litres of fertilisercapacity. Maestro CC drills are available insix, eight and 12-row versions and the SWmodels are offered with 12 or 24 rows.
To demonstrate the work capacity offeredby the big SW drills, Horsch organised anon-stop drilling marathon in 2012. Theresult was 448.29ha of maize drilled in 24hours using a 24-row version of the drill, aperformance that was officially recognisedas a world record.
Models for the smaller farmersAlthough manufacturers in Europe havebeen concentrating mainly on developmentwork in the high capacity end of theprecision drill market, the needs of growerswith smaller farms have not beenneglected. Kuhn offers a comprehensive
range of models including the Maxima 2series single toolbar models with framesizes from 2.5m upwards plus telescopicand folding frame drills up to 6.0m wide.The list of Maxima 2 options includes thechoice of share or disc type coulters andfertiliser hoppers holding up to 1350 litresare available.
The smallest precision drill in the Beckerrange made by the Kongskilde company isa four-row model available in both the Eco-Line and the Farm-Line series. The Eco-Linedrills have a more basic specification andare designed for smaller farms, and theyare available with up to 12 rows and havea 30-litre seed hopper for each drill unit.Farm-Line drills, also available with up to12 rows, have a higher specification which
includes fertiliser hoppers. The newest addition to the Becker drill
range is the E-motion series in the AeromatC range featuring individual electric motorsto drive each seeding unit. The motors arepowered from the tractor’s electrical systemand they are controlled, monitored andadjusted from the tractor cab using theBecker Field Operator 300 terminal. Electricdrive offers higher standards of reliabilityand has a lower maintenance requirementthan a mechanical system, says Becker. Thenew E-motion drills are supplied in 6, 8 and12-row sizes with tractor requirementsranging from 100hp for the 6-row version to150hp for the 12-row drill.
Lemken, a leading Germanmanufacturer of cultivation machinery, willbe making its first move into the precisionseeder market when it launches its newAzurit drill later this year. The drill isdesigned mainly for maize and for cropssuch as soya beans and sunflower, and thefirst details of the prototype version werereleased at last year’s Agritechnica event.
Instead of placing the seeds in singlerows, Lemken engineers developed theDelta Row system which sows in double rowswith the seeds placed alternately on eitherside of the centre line. The result is the sameplant population per hectare, but doublerows give each plant up to 70 per cent morespace, reducing competition for nutrients,moisture and sunlight, the company says.Fertiliser is placed down the middle of eachdouble row where it is equally accessible tothe plants on both sides.
Azurit drills are equipped with electricallypowered seed singling units and use a pairof perforated discs that are fullysynchronised plus double disc coulters toplace the seeds. The space between eachpair of double plant rows is adjustable, butusing the same width as a conventionalsingle-row drill means the harvester settingsdo not have to be altered. h
PLANTING AND SEEDING
The high output Optima TF Maxi drill from Kvernelandwith 16 rows and a 4000-litre fertiliser hopper.
The Eco-Line drills have a morebasic specification and are
Robust TWIN-ARM design to prevent lateral movement of the discs
Working widths of 3 to 6 m
Low maintenance, long-lasting, large diameter discs
Large clearance between arms and discs for excellent material flow
PÖTTINGER TERRADISC 6001 T
TERRADISC 3001
S09 AF JanFeb 2014 Gen Sets_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:45 Page 31
In the May issue of our sister journal, African Review, it was reported that in Q4 2012 imports of small-range diesel generator sets into Africa had increased by eight per cent and high-range genset importsby 15 per cent compared to the same period the year before. Tim Guest reports.
WHEN IT COMES to agriculture,while both types play their part,it’s the smaller, moreaffordable generators, on
which subsistence farmers in rural regions,often living in off-grid areas, chiefly rely.There’s no getting away from the fact thatgenerators are big business in Africa andplay a continuing major role in agriculture.
Agriculture across Africa relies on dieselgenerators for many purposes at almostevery stage of the farming and foodproduction process. Millions of small andmedium-sized generators deliver the powerto pump irrigation water supplies to nourishcrops. In the booming market gardeningand indoor greenhouse sector they providelighting, heating ventilation and watering-system power. Farmers are frequently at theend of long spur cables and cannot rely onmains power for everything they do andfinding themselves without power foranimal and poultry sheds, milking parloursor lambing sheds is simply not a risk theycan take. Add to those critical scenarios theincreased seasonal demands for powerfrom power-hungry equipment such asgrain dryers, food processing plants andlarge refrigeration units often working atmaximum output due to intense ambientoutside temperatures, then it’s no surprisethat diesel generators are crucial in everycorner of Africa’s farming industry.
Challenges and problemsBut the story of the small-range dieselgenerator in agriculture in Africa is notwithout its challenges and problems.Logistically, isolated rural users face theoften monumental task of regular re-supplyof expensive diesel fuel to keep the powerflowing. The need for preventative ‘lookingafter’ of gensets is also often poorlyunderstood and normal wear and tear insuch circumstances can lead to failure andlocal ‘outages’ simply due to poormaintenance practices. In addition, thecapital and ongoing operational costs ofusing diesel generators prevent manypoorer farmers and householders fromeven benefiting from basic, from-time-to-time power supplies. And yet, the smaller
gensets continue to offer the mostaffordable primary and back-up sources ofpower per kilowatt of any non-grid oralternative power sources.
Generator import trendsThe report referred to in the introduction isthe ‘PowerGen Statistics' Q4 2012 DieselGenerators Trade Report’, which, as well asshowing the eight per cent increase insmaller genset imports, also indicated thatimports of mid-range diesel generators intoAfrica had fallen by a very significant 19 percent last year. Such equipment is often usedin less rural areas and widely in agriculturefor supplying, for example, larger marketgardens and processing plants. This drop inimports may be an indication that manysectors are experiencing step changes andgradual improvements in grid powersupplies, thereby decreasing their reliance onmid-range generators. But trends vary widelyfrom nation to nation in Africa. The reportcites Nigeria as having seen the biggest drop
in imports of as much as 40 per centbetween 2011 and 2012, with Algeria andAngola showing converse 32 per cent and65 per cent increases in imports, respectively.It’s a very fluid, changeable picture,including on the supply front, where growingcompetition is being seen from Chinese andFrench manufacturers.
That said, the UK continues as thebiggest exporter of diesel generators intoAfrica. Chinese generators have madeinroads into places like Mozambique,which, while still a small market for gensets,has seen a 30 per cent increase in importsbetween 2011 and 2012, mainly of smalland large-range equipment. As for the US,which some would expect to be high on thelist of suppliers, with companies such asCummins, imports from the States havealso dropped during the report period.
Africa’s main provider – the UK As the report said, the UK remains Africa’smajor provider of diesel generators with thelikes of Aggreko, Allam Marine,Broadcrown, FG Wilson, YorPower, andmany others manufacturing and deliveringsome of the very latest primary and back-uppower generators available today andsupporting the huge numbers of oldersystems in use across Africa.
Powering the farmer -trends in diesel generators
African Farming - January/February 201432
DIESEL GENERATORS
Healthy crops like this would often notbe possible without generators.
Millions of small and medium-sized generators deliver the
power to pump irrigation watersupplies to nourish crops.
www.africanfarming.net
S09 AF JanFeb 2014 Gen Sets_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:45 Page 32
One of those with long-time activitiesand experience in providing dieselgenerators and support to Africa isYokshire-based YorPower, which operateswidely throughout the continent andsupplies large numbers of generators tothe agriculture sector, including base loadelectrical generator power for a widerange of agri purposes. From Kenya in theeast to Nigeria in the west, the companyincorporates leading brand equipment –eg, Cummins, Perkins - into its offering ofboth ready-made and own-buildgenerators and as well as its own brandholds OEM spare parts for the support ofusers who operate generators from almostevery manufacturer in business today –and yesterday.
In Kenya, diesel generators supplied byYorPower Kenya are manufactured at theparent company’s UK production facility inYorkshire, where they are rigorously testedbefore being released from the assemblyplant to the company’s secure warehousefacility in the country. Equipment thecompany offers includes 10-1000kVA dieselgenerators, available throughout Kenya andthe wider East African region. It backs this upwith service, maintenance and breakdownsupport, as well as offering a generator hireservice for temporary power requirements.
On the ground, support typical of manysuppliers is maintenance carried out byYorPower Kenya engineers that includes a24/7 emergency call out service, althoughfor customers in remote rural regions,logistics can often mean longer waitingtimes. The company carries spare parts forall major brands of engine and generatorincluding Perkins, FG Wilson and Cummins.Back in 2012, the company increased thenumber of UK-manufactured YorPowergenerators it held in stock at the company'spremises in Nairobi in order to improvedelivery time throughout the East Africanregion, recognising that businesses thatneed a new generator can’t afford to waitseveral weeks for one to arrive fromoverseas. They also respected thefundamental customer desire, if not need, tobe able to visit their supplier and discuss apurchase and actually to see the equipmentthey are buying. Then in May 2013, thecompany opened a further new dieselgenerator facility in Kenya to hold an evenwider, more extensive range of generators,further improving local purchasingopportunities and reducing the time fromcustomer order to availability and despatch.
YorPower Kenya supports customersacross Kenya - where both large and smallsystems are widely used across Nairobi,Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, as wellas other major cities and smaller towns -
Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda andBurundi, and provides a full turnkey serviceto farmers and agriculture/food supply chaincustomers, as well as numerous other sectorsin the region with pre-delivery inspection, fullinstallation support and on-site servicing.
In Nigeria, all YorPower Nigeria’s dieselgenerators are available from branches inLagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Calabar.
The local channelWhile suppliers from the UK like Aggreko,FG Wilson and YorPower have themerchandise the agriculture sector wants,having an effective channel to reach localcustomers not only relies on main companysubsidiaries in country but also on a hugenumber of local and smaller specialist andentrepreneurial businesses. Without these,the vast numbers of diesel generator endusers would find it hard to get the support,service and spares that are needed on aconstant basis.
As an example of the picture which existsin most markets, Nigeria has a plethora ofcompanies supporting the sector. The NufaJunior Global Nigerian Company, forexample, based in Lagos and Ojo, providesdiesel engine spare parts for agriculturalgenerators including corn milling equipment.Econice Ventures, also based in Lagos, aswell as providing diesel generator sparesand a diesel generator salvage managementservice, provides automotive spares,amongst other entrepreneurial activities.
From Kris Zion Merchant, SaolecEngineering, Monad Technical NigeriaEnterprises, to Gokas Nigeria Limited, Obi-Tex Nigeria Enterprises and the ExcelBlessed Integrated Technical Company, thelist of companies offering both general andspecialist diesel generator support inNigeria to local users is too long to mentionhere, but their existence is reassuring forboth suppliers and users alike.
Diesel in support of ARDI and the MFP One of the leading regional suppliers ofdiesel gensets in Nigeria is Imex, which isheadquartered in Lagos and has a vastnetwork of dealers all over the countrysupplying to the agricultural sector for useto drive such machinery as grinding mills,rice hullers and walking tractors. Onething which distinguishes Imex, however,is its active involvement in the AgriculturalRural Development Initiative (ARDI), whichaims to promote the well being of ruralinhabitants using a variety of methods toempower them socially and financially.Not surprisingly, one such ‘method’ is theuse of diesel generators/engines. Indeed,the primary focus of ARDI has been that ofenergy, which it believes is a major factoraffecting all dimensions of sustainabledevelopment. Modelling its practices afterthe United Nations DevelopmentProgramme’s Multi-functional Platform(MFP), ARDI hopes to replicate thisprogramme’s success.
Mounted on a steel chassis, the MFP isa 10hp diesel engine, which powers avariety of end-use agricultural equipmentsuch as grinding mills, de-huskers, batterychargers and water pumps. The enginecan also generate electricity for lighting,refrigeration and water pumping. Throughthe provision of these energy services, theMFP reduces both time and energyrequired to complete daily tasks and hasalready been used successfully by severalnon-profit organisations across WestAfrica in order to increase the social,economic, and environmental dimensionsof rural communities. Most rural villages inNigeria lack access to electricity and theMFP provides a simple, stand-aloneenergy source that can easily be broughtto rural areas, where community memberscan be trained in its operation andmaintenance. h
Farmers cannot rely on mains power for everything they doand finding themselves without power for poultry sheds issimply not a risk they can take.
S09 AF JanFeb 2014 Gen Sets_Layout 1 24/02/2014 14:45 Page 33
2014 AN ANNUAL GUIDE to suppliers of equipment and services for agriculture and for the primary processing ofproduce. The first section of the Directory lists suppliers under classification of their products and services. Thesecond section lists alphabetically company addresses and local distributors. The third section lists agents and distributors in Africa geographically. The Directory has been compiled frominformation submitted by the companies concerned.While every care has been taken to avoid errors and omissions, they may occur; the Editor would like tobe notified of these so that the 2015 edition of the Directory can be kept up to date.
AGRICULTURAL BUYERS’ DIRECTORYEDITION
Suppliers’ Listings start on page 39
Agents Listings start on page 46
Classified ListingsAgricultural ConsultanciesICS France Valtra Inc. - Africa
Agricultural Equipment - GeneralAlvan Blanch Development Ltd. Baldan/Pan Trade Services Ltd. Bentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd. Briggs & Stratton AG Case IH Deutz-Fahr Eurodrip SA Fairtrade GmbH & Co. KG ICS France Micron Group New Holland Agriculture Nogueira/Pan Trade Services Ltd. SAME Valtra Inc. - Africa
Agricultural ProjectsBentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd. Eurodrip SA ICS France Symaga SA
Animal Health ProductsBioPoint Socorex Isba SA
Applicators for GranularInsecticides, HerbicidesGuarany Ind. Com. Ltd.
Automatic Chain FeedersBig Dutchman International GmbH
Bagging plantBentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd.
Biofuel/BiodieselBentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd.
Briquetting PlantsAlvan Blanch Development Ltd.
Bulk Storage EquipmentAlvan Blanch Development Ltd. Bentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd. Chief Industries UK Ltd. KEPLER WEBERSymaga SA The GSI Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Cages & BatteriesBig Dutchman International GmbH
Cassava Processing EquipmentAlvan Blanch Development Ltd.
Groundnut Handling EquipmentAlvan Blanch Development Ltd.
HarrowsBaldan/Pan Trade Services Ltd. John Deere (Pty) Ltd.
Harvesting EquipmentAlvan Blanch Development Ltd. Bentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd.Deutz-Fahr John Deere (Pty) Ltd. New Holland Agriculture Nogueira/Pan Trade Services Ltd. SAME
The use of original lubricants and coolants is recommended.
Different working conditions and applications require a tractor with specifi c features. DEUTZ-FAHR offers a tractor range from 50 to 170 HP, in both cab and platform formats, and 2 WD or 4 WD. Their great versatility, together with ease of use and maintenance, effi ciency and reliability, make them the perfect tractor for all your working needs.
For information please contact [email protected] or your local dealer.
SilosAlvan Blanch Development Ltd. Awila Anlagenbau GmbH Bentall Rowlands Storage Systems Ltd.Big Dutchman International GmbH Chief Industries UK Ltd. KEPLER WEBERPrivé SA Silos Cordoba S.L. Symaga SA The GSI Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Slurry DisposalPICHON
Soluble FertilisersHebei Monband Water Soluble
Fertilizer Co. Ltd.Omex Agrifluids Ltd.
Spare Parts for Fork Lift TrucksVellag Ltd.
SprayersGOIZPER GROUP Guarany Ind. Com. Ltd. Jacto/Pan Trade Services Ltd. LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG Maschio Gaspardo S.p.A
Sprayers - CropGOIZPER GROUP Guarany Ind. Com. Ltd. Jacto/Pan Trade Services Ltd. Micron Group
Spraying Nozzles & ComponentsGOIZPER GROUP Guarany Ind. Com. Ltd. Jacto/Pan Trade Services Ltd. Micron Group
Alvan Blanch Development Ltd.ChelworthMalmesburyWiltshireSN16 9SGUnited KingdomTel: +44 1666 577333Fax: +44 1666 577339Web: www.alvanblanch.co.ukE-mail: [email protected] manufacturing and project engineeringcompany, specialising in designing & manufac-turing of machines & integrated systems for thedrying and processing of biomass, agricultural &waste products. Systems d signed to utilise lowgrade waste heat and biogas. Complete systemsfor fruit processing, feed milling, grain cleaning,drying, milling and storage.
BomfordStation Rd, Salford PriorsEvesham, WorcestershireUnited KingdomTel: +44 1789 773383Fax: +44 1789 773238Web: www.bomford-turner.comE-mail: [email protected] renowned manufacturers of tractor mountedhedge and verge cutting machines, from 3.2mreach to 9.3m, trailed flail mowers from 1.3m wideto 6m. Inventors of the world famous Dyna-Driveground driven cultivator, bedding and feedingmachines, toppers, slashers, forestry mulchers,saw heads, drilling and palning heads, ditchers andbat wing mowers.
Briggs & Stratton AGAfrica/Middle East RegionalOffices, PO Box 54494No. 416, 3rd WingDubai Airport Free ZoneUnited Arab EmiratesTel: +971 4 2994944Fax: +971 4 2994614Web: www.briggsandstratton.com
Agents: Botswana - The Equipment CentreEgypt - General InternationalEthiopia - Hagbes Pvt. Ltd. Co.Gambia - Gambia Horticultural EnterprisesGhana - Agria Machinery Services & Co. Ltd.Ghana - Altraco Ltd.Kenya - Car & General Ltd.Malawi - New City CentreMalawi - Toppers Hardware & Electrical SuppliesMorocco - Le Monde du JardinMozambique - ABC Trading Lda TotalNamibia - Cymot (Pty) Ltd.Nigeria - Chehab Nigeria LimitedNigeria - Chizen Machine ToolsNigeria - Hortico Works Nig. Ltd.Senegal - MatforceTanzania - Car & General Trading Ltd.Tanzania - Intermech Engineering Ltd.Uganda - Car & General Ltd.Zambia - Sawpower Co. Ltd.Zimbabwe - Sawpower Blades
Case IHCNH Industrial Österreich GmbHSteyrerstr. 32St. Valentin4300AustriaTel: +43 7435 500634Web: www.caseih.comE-mail: [email protected] IH is the professionals’ choice, drawing onmore than 170 years of heritage and experience inthe agricultural industry. A powerful range oftractors, combines and balers supported by aglobal network of highly professional dealersdedicated to providing our customers with thesuperior support and performance solutionsrequired to be productive and effective in the 21stcentury. More information on Case IH products andservices can be found online at www.caseih.com.
Agents: Algeria - Compagnie Algerienne de ServicesEthiopia - MGK MakonnenKenya - CMC Holdings Ltd.Libya - Al FathMauritius - Iframac Ltd.Morocco - S.O.M.M.A./Auto-HallReunion - Foucque - VoccaleaseSouth Africa - NorthmecSouth Africa - Northmec (South Africa)Uganda - CMC Holdings Ltd.Zambia - Big Red Ltd.
Stand 18423 Mukuvusi Ind P, Msasa HarareTel: +263 4 486892 | E-mail: [email protected]
www.africanfarming.net
Chief Industries UK Ltd.Beckingham Business ParkTolleshunt MajorMaldonEssexCM9 8LZUnited KingdomTel: +44 1621 868944Fax: +44 1621 868955Web: www.chief.co.ukE-mail: [email protected]
CoprexPineslopes Business Office ParkForest StreetFourwaysSouth AfricaTel: +27 11 4675915Fax: +27 11 4675919Web: www.coprex.co.zaE-mail: [email protected] focused, Coprex manufactures and supplies premixes,nutritional specialties and additives to industrial and on farm feedproducers, providing a large array of dedicated and tailor madeservices throughout Southern Africa. Coprex is a subsidiary of theFrench Group Invivo Animal Nutrition & Health, a world leader inanimal nutrition. Our agent ULTRALLOY also caters to Namibia,Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi,and Mauritius Island.
Agents: South Africa - ULTRALLOY
DENISAvenue Louis DenisBrou28160FranceTel: +33 2 37976611Fax: +33 2 37976640Web: www.denis.frE-mail: [email protected] specialises in storage solutions.We provide handling equipment and cleaning grain machine from10 t/h up to 400 t/h.We are also worldwide known for the quality of our sweep augers(unloading system with zero entry for silo).
Agents: Cote D’Ivoire - PCM Ensemblier
Deutz-FahrC/o Same Deutz-Fahr Italia Spa – Export Dpt.Viale F.Cassani15 Treviglio24047ItalyTel: +39 0363 4211Fax: +39 0363 421638Web: www.deutz-fahr.comE-mail: [email protected] UNMISTAKABLE QUALITY, Deutz-Fahr stands for technologicalexcellence, making the most of productivity with products rangingfrom tractors to combine harvesters and implements. Its goal isalways to supply the farmer with reliable agricultural vehicles that
facilitate his work and maximize his productivity. Deutz-Fa, thestrength to always look to the future.
Eurodrip SA36 Kifissias AvenueMaroussi, Athens15125GreeceTel: +30 21 66002800Fax: +30 21 66002801Web: www.eurodrip.grE-mail: [email protected] SA established in 1979 and is the first Europeancompany involved with drip irrigation. Eurodrip Group has a marketpresence in over 70 countries, with operating subsidiaries inGreece, USA, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Peru and Mexico. It employsmore than 500 people worldwide and offers a wide product rangeof drip irrigation products.
Evonik Industries AGRodenbacher Chaussee 4GermanyWebsite: www.evonik.com/feed-additivesEmail: [email protected] Industries is the only company in the world to produce andmarket all four essential amino acids used in advanced animalnutrition: MetAMINO® (DL-methionine), Biolys® (L-lysine),ThreAMINO® (L-threonine) and TrypAMINO® (L-Tryptophan).Evonik offers these products in combination with state-of-the-artanalytical, technical and nutritional services, and therefore is ableto make an essential contribution to the cost-efficiency of itscustomers and to healthy and environmentally friendly animalnutrition.
Griffith Elder & Co. Ltd.1 Oaklands ParkBury St EdmundsSuffolkIP33 2RWUnited KingdomTel: +44 1284 719619Fax: +44 1284 700822Web: www.griffith-elder.comE-mail: [email protected] are designers and manufactures of ruggedaccurate weighing systems for heavy industrialuse. We are able to provide a solution, which willsuit many weighing requirements over a widerange of industries and specialise in providing highquality equipment with a very long trouble freeservice life.
KEPLER WEBERRua do Rocio84 – 3rd floorBairro Vila Olímpia04552-000BrazilTel: +55 11 48730317Fax: +55 11 48730301Website: www.kepler.com.brEmail: [email protected] Weber is a Brazilian company that manufac-tures equipments for grain storage, being special-izing in complete solutions. Our portfolio includessteel silos, horizontal and vertical conveyors, graindryers and grain cleaning machines. With traditionand unique solutions, Kepler Weber s storagesystems are found in over 40 countries in the 5continents.
AgentsKenya - BRAZAFRIC ENTERPRISES LTD – EasternAfricaAngola - SUL ENGENHARIA
LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KGWeseler Str. 5Alpen46519GermanyTel: +49 2802 810E-mail: [email protected] in 1780, the family company LEMKEN isa leading manufacturer of premium quality high
performance agricultural machines for soil cultiva-tion, sowing and crop protection. Farmers andcontractors can always rely on LEMKENtechnology, regardless of the application – whetherploughing, reconsolidation, seedbed preparation,stubble cultivation, seeding or crop protection.
Agents: South Africa - LEMKEN South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Lohmann Tierzucht GmbHAm Seedeich 9-11Cuxhaven27472GermanyTel: +49 4721 5050Fax: +49 4721 505222Web: wwww.ltz.deE-mail: [email protected] Tierzucht is a worldwide leader inbreeding and distribution ofegg layer parent stock. Lohmann’s productqualities, such as optimumegg mass, excellent shell quality and color arehighly valued bydistributors in more than 120 countries.
Lubing Maschinenfabrik Gmbh& Co. KGLubingstrasse 6Barnstorf49406GermanyTel: +49 5442 98790Fax: +49 5442 987933Web: www.lubing.comE-mail: [email protected]: LUBING, German company since 1949,is specialized in developing and manufacturing:
• Complete drinking-systems for broilers,breeders, layers, pullets, ducks, turkeys etc.
• Conveyor-systems for save egg transportationwithout using transfers.
• Climate-systems for cooling, humidifying anddust-controlling with the Top-Climate-Systems(high pressure fogging) or Pad-Climate-System(Pad Cooling).
New Holland AgricultureCNH ItaliaVia Plava 80Turin, 10135ItalyTel: +39 011 0086158Fax: +39 011 0086111Web: www.newholland.comNew Holland offers cash crop producers, livestockfarmers, contractors, vineyards and groudcareprofessionals, the largest choice of easy-to-operatetractors, harvesters, material handling, seedingequipment. It offers parts service support, tailoredfinancial services and a professional dealernetwork. Close to customers, New Holland is thereliable partner of each farmer.
Agents: Botswana - Humulani Marketing (Pty) Ltd. Guinea - AFCOLesotho - Humulani Marketing (Pty) Ltd.Mayotte - Agence Generale de Representations
OLMIXZA du Haut du BoisBrehan, 56580, FranceTel: +33 2 97388103Fax: +33 2 97388658Web: www.olmix.comE-mail: [email protected]
Omex Agrifluids Ltd.Saddlebow RoadKing’s Lynn, NorfolkPE34 3JA, United KingdomTel: +44 1553 817500Fax: +44 1553 817501Web: www.omex.comE-mail: [email protected] Agrifluids specialist liquid foliar fertilisers areavailable from distributors across the Africa andMiddle East Region, specifically Kenya, Tanzania,Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon,Zambia, South Africa Tunisia Morocco, Egypt, SaudiArabia, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Kuwait.
Visit our website www.omex.co.uk/agrifluids.
PICHONZi De Lavallot - BP21, FranceTel: +33 2 98344100Fax: +33 2 98344120Web: www.pichonindustries.comE-mail: [email protected] 40 years of expertise, PICHON offers thelargest range of fully-galvanised spreaders: slurrytankers (from 2600 up to 30000 litres) withautofillers, dribble bars, injectors, slurry mixers andmanure spreaders from 8 to 24m3. PICHON alsoproduces a wide range of compact articulatedloader from 26 to 60 HP.
Privé SA98 avenue du Général PattonCS30536, Chalons en Champagne51010, FranceTel: +33 3 26686666Fax: +33 3 26686687Web: www.prive.frE-mail: [email protected]
Privé is a French company with more than 60years’ experience in manufacturing roundcorrugated silos for grain storage. Bins andgantries are manufactured in high qualitygalvanised steel and their design is based on thestrictest European standards.
Agents: Cote D’Ivoire - PCM Ensemblier
SAMEC/o Same Deutz-Fahr Italia Spa –Export DptViale F. Cassani15 Treviglio24047ItalyTel: +39 03 634211Fax: +39 03 63421638Web: www.same-tractors.comE-mail: [email protected], the history of agriculture in just four letters.SAME is the partner of choice for the modernfarmer, offering a versatile range of tractors for usein the open field, fruit orchards and vineyards. Eachmodel is modern, efficient, rugged and well-built,safe and reliable, a faithful and tireless partner.
Agents: Algeria - SARL Agro IndustrieAngola - C. Woermann GmbH and Co. Botswana - Eqstra AgriCongo DR - Ital Motors SPRLEgypt - El Deyab AgricultureEthiopia - Hagbes PLCGhana - C. Woermann GmbH and Co. Kenya - Sametract Cassini and Tonolo Ltd.Malawi - Eqstra Agri Mauritius - Scomat LteeMorocco - Stokvis Nord AfriqueNamibia - Eqstra Agri Reunion - GammagriSouth Africa - Eqstra Agri Sudan - D.I.B Indusry Co. Ltd.Tanzania - GreencityTunisia - Ets M Loukil Et CieZambia - Eqstra Agri Zimbabwe - Eqstra Agri
Silos Cordoba S.L.C/ Imprenta de la AlboradaParc. 226Pol. Ind. Las QuemadasCordoba14014SpainTel: +34 957 325165Fax: +34 957 473Web: www.siloscordoba.comE-mail: siloscordoba@ siloscordoba.comSilos Cordoba is a leading manufacturer of metalsilos for grain storage. We manufacture flat silos,hopper silos, truck load silos and farm silos. Wemanufacture a full line of handling equipment inorder to propose complete turn key projects to ourcustomer. We also manufacture livestock equipmentincluding ventilation systems, feeding and wateringsystems, metal structures and cladding.
For a partner with the expertise,technology and manufacturingmethods to ensure that yourstorage plant is second-to-nonein terms of quality andprocesses, then look no further.
Socorex Isba SAChamp - Colomb 7CH-1024 Ecublens-VDSwitzerlandTel: +41 21 6516000Web: www.socorex.comE-mail: [email protected] manufacturer of self-refilling syringes,designed for precision serial animal injectionscovering all needs in poultry, swine, sheep, cattleetc. Feed tube and vial holder models ranging0.025 to 10 mL. Twin syringes (simultaneousinjection of two distinct liquids) ranging from 0.025to 5 ml. Socorex’s dedication to quality is an all-timetradition.
Swingtec GmbHPO Box 1322Achener Weg 59Isny, 88307GermanyTel: +49 7562 7080Fax: +49 7562 708111Web: www.swingtec.deE-mail: [email protected]® + FONTAN®The complete programme of professional thermalfogging machines and ULV/LV aerosol generatorsfor all your fog applications.
• Plant protection• Stock protection• Pest and vector control• Disinfection• Sprout inhibition of potato• Deodorization• Training and special effects
Agents: Algeria - SARL SANG & SEVEAngola - Sheba Comercio and Industria LimitadaBurkina Faso - FASO Plantes SARLCongo Republic - Chimie Afrique CongoCote D’Ivoire - ALM Afrique de l’OuestEgypt - Starchem for ServicesGabon - GCIAE Gabonaise de ChimieGuinea - Saref InternationalKenya - Hardi Kenya LimitedMauritius - Blychem LimitedMorocco - North Distribution SANigeria - U-Mond Ltd.Reunion - Coroi S.A.S.Seychelles - Michaud Pest Control (Pty) Ltd.Sudan - Gaddris Trade CompanyTunisia - Société Nouvelle du Comptoir CIBOZimbabwe - Fumigation Services
Symaga SACtra Arenas de San Juan km 2.313210SpainTel: +34 926 640475Fax: +34 926 649204Web: www.symaga.comE-mail: [email protected]
The GSI Group South Africa(Pty) Ltd.PO Box 4012Honeydew2040South AfricaTel: +27 11 7944455Fax: +27 11 7944515Web: www.gsiafrica.co.zaE-mail: [email protected] equipment supplier, grain silos,conditioning, cleaning and handling equipment.Poultry feeding and drinking equipment, pigfeeding and drinking equipment.
Agents: South Africa - The GSI Group SA
Valmont Irrigation28800 Ida St. ValleyNebraska68064, USATel: +1 402 3592201Fax: +1 402 3594948Web: www.valleyirrigation.comE-mail: [email protected]
Agents: Algeria - IBCCote D’Ivoire - SEMAT
Ghana - WIENCO Ghana Ltd.Kenya - Aqua Valley Services Ltd.Libya - Technofarm Int. Ltd.Morocco - SOCOPIMSenegal - Delta IrrigationSierra Leone - Mountain Lion Agriculture Ltd.South Africa - Amatola IrrigationSouth Africa - AP Algemene BoerediensteSouth Africa - Croc Valley BritsSouth Africa - Croc Valley KoedoeskopSouth Africa - Die Humansdorpse Kooperasie Ltd.PatensieSouth Africa - ElektrosureSouth Africa - Griekwaland Wes Kooperasie BPKSouth Africa - Groensirkel BesproeiingSouth Africa - ICM - BethlemenSouth Africa - Inyoni Africa + SwazilandSouth Africa - Irritech Agencies International (Pty) LtdSouth Africa - Loskop Valley BesproeiingSouth Africa - NWK LandmarkSouth Africa - Overberg AgriSouth Africa - Sandveld VoorsienersSouth Africa - SKB CradockSouth Africa - SKB GeorgeSouth Africa - SKB Jeffreys BaySouth Africa - Spilkon BesproeiingSouth Africa - Tube and Product DistributorsSouth Africa - Vaalharts SpilpuntdiensteSouth Africa - Valley Irrigation of Southern AfricaSouth Africa - Vrystaat Kooperasie BpkTunisia - HMTZambia - Zambian Irritech LimitedZimbabwe - Center Pivot Irrigation
C. Woermann GmbH and Co.Caixa Postal 3419Bairro PetrangolEstrada de Cacuaco km 4.5Luanda, D-20457Tel: +244 22 7270185Web: www.c-woermann.de/pt/angolaE-mail: [email protected]
Centrocar SA Luanda, Bom JesusEstrada Viana - Catete, km 40BengoTel: +244 914043166Fax: +244 22 749929Web: www.centrocar.com/ao/E-mail: [email protected]
Imporáfica - Soc. Com. E Ind. Lda.Rua Alameda Manuel Van-DunenRuq Ho-Chi Min No. 418 R/CEdificio do Centro Commercial“Chamavo”, LuandaTel: +244 222 311831Fax: +244 222 310105E-mail: [email protected]
Varied Industries Corporation(Vi-COR®)905, S. Carolina Ave.Mason CityIowa50401USATel: +1 641 4231460Fax: +1 641 4230832Web: www.vi—cor.comE-mail: [email protected] Industries Corporation (Vi-COR®) is a USAbased company producing all natural feed ingredi-ensts since 1963 for all class of livestock. Vi-CORproducts are manufactured under same biochem-istry principles used in the food industry. Theyimprove health and production in many differentspecies including diary, swine, beef, poultry, aqua,horses and companion animals.
Agents: India - Vi-COR®
Vellag Ltd.Wilbury Barn, SwallowcliffeSalisburySP3 5QHUnited KingdomTel: +44 1747 648019Fax: +44 1747 858010Web: www.vellag.comE-mail: [email protected] and shipping all spare parts for ourcustomers in Africa. Supplying tractors and newand used machinery. All serviced and checkedfrom trusted suppliers. Prompt turnaround andpersonal service. Contract procurement serviceavailable for regular clients. Consolidatedshipments. Get in touch and we will be pleasedto help.
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