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March/April 2018

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African Poultry Supplement

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CONTENTS

ContentsNews and Events 04A topical digest of news, views and events including the Farmers’ Calendar

Events 10International pavilions at Agritech Expo Zambia

Omex Agrifluids at Agritech Expo Zambia

African Poultry Supplement 12Breeding estates, improved genotypes and role of women

In ovo method: The latest advance in chicken sexing

ACGG project releases gender strategy document

Coffee 20Leaf rust corrodes coffee yield

Fall armyworm 22Reining in the maize runners

Technology 24Artificial Intelligence: What does the future hold for agri industry?

Agriculture Outlook Forum 25African Development Bank urges US to support African agriculture sector

Equipment 28FG Wilson generator range

Exclusive interview with David Wilkie, the brain child behind driverless concept tractor

Case IH introduces Patriot 250 Extreme sprayer to Africa and Middle East markets

MILLTEC, one stop shop for all milling needs

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

A close-up of the orange, rust-coloured powdery pustules onthe underside of the coffee leaf. p20

A woman chicken farmer in one of the ACGG Tanzaniasites. p12

www.africanfarming.net African Farming - March/April 2018 3

Editor: Ebin Gheevarghese E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial and Design team: Prashant AP, Hiriyti Bairu, Miriam Brtkova, Praveen CP, Pranav Kiran, Rhonita Patnaik, Samantha Payne, Rahul Puthenveedu, Deblina Roy, Nicky Valsamakis, and Louise Waters

Managing Editor: Georgia Lewis

Publisher: Nick Fordham

Sales Director: Michael Ferridge

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Head Office: Middle East Regional Office:Alain Charles Publishing Ltd Alain Charles Middle East FZ-LLCUniversity House Office L2-112, Loft Office 2,11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place Entrance B, PO Box 502207London SW1W 0EX, United Kingdom Dubai Media City, UAETelephone: +44 (0) 20 7834 7676 Telephone: +971 4 448 9260 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 0076 Fax: +971 4 448 9261E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

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EVENTS

AFRICA50, THE PAN-AFRICAN infrastructure investment platformcapitalised by the African Development Bank, 25 African countries,and two African Central Banks, is pleased to announce the appoint-ment of Kimberly Heimert as General Counsel.

As General Counsel and member of Africa50’s senior leadershipteam, Heimert will provide expert advice on Africa50’s strategiesand their implementation, manage the legal function, be directlyinvolved in investment transactions, and work closely withAfrica50’s Board of Directors as its counsel.

“Appointing a General Counsel of Ms. Heimert’s caliber willgreatly facilitate Africa50’s mission,” said Akinwumi Adesina,President of the African Development Bank and Chairman ofAfrica50’s Board of Directors. “Under her leadership, I expect thatAfrica50 will set high standard for legal and ethical behavior, whilebalancing financial performance and corporate integrity for infras-tructure development in Africa.”

Prior to joining Africa50, Heimert was vice-president and generalcounsel of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), theUS Government’s development finance institution. As an appointeeof President Barack Obama and the second most senior official atOPIC, she led a team of 35 legal professionals, served on OPIC’sInvestment and Enterprise Risk Management Committees, and wasCounsel to the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, and RiskCommittee. During her tenure, OPIC committed more than US$2.6billion to projects in Africa. Prior to OPIC, Heimert was the deputychief counsel for Loan Programme at the US Department of Energy,where she helped oversee legal aspects of creating and monitoringa portfolio of energy projects worth over US$30 billion. Beforeworking for the U.S. Government, she was a Managing Directorand Counsel at General Electric Energy Financial Services, leadingteams in energy-related transactions and helping to create thecompany’s energy venture capital group. In private practice she hasworked for many top law firms.

Kimberly new general counsel at Africa50

THE CHINESE MINISTRY of Agriculture is pulling the plug on threeChinese companies conducting illegal, unreported and unregulated(IUU) fishing in West Africa

This demonstrates an increased intolerance by authorities towardsChinese vessels involved in IUU. The MoA has cancelled the distantwater fishing certificate of the Lian Run Pelagic Fishery Company Ltd.The company has had a poor record of IUU fishing for years and isfacing a total shutdown of its entire distant water fishing operationsinvolving 30 vessels in total. Also, the ministry has cancelled fuelsubsidies for vessels belonging to two other major Chinese distantwater fishing companies.

Last spring, vessels from all three companies were arrested in theWest African region during a joint patrol between Greenpeace andlocal fisheries inspectors. Evidence of various infringements includingillegal nets, shark finning and fishing without licence were handedover by Greenpeace to West African and Chinese authorities andhave now helped the Chinese Ministry in combating IUU carried outby Chinese distant water fishing vessels.

Pavel Klinckhamers, international project leader for West AfricanOceans at Greenpeace Netherlands, said, “Fish is an essential part ofthe diet for millions of people in West Africa. Only when local govern-ments and fishing nations take strong action towards fisheriesmanagement and illegal fishing in the region can these resources andimportant ecosystems be safeguarded for future generations.” Chinais currently taking measures to restrict 2900 distant water fishingvessels' activities in their main fishing grounds. Three companies lost

their certificates for distant water fishing, while 15 company ownersand captains were blacklisted. In 2016, China revised itsManagement Regulation on Distant Water Fishery and introducedstronger punishment measures against IUU.

Dr Ibrahima Cisse, oceans campaign manager at GreenpeaceAfrica, said, “African governments initiatives against IUU fishingwould be more efficient if they were to establish a system for sharinginformation on illegal vessels operating in their waters. Also, Africangovernments must share this information with the flag states of thevessels that are breaching regulations as well as the countries wherethe companies behind the vessels are situated."

Chinese companies’ permits removed over illegal fishing in West Africa

www.africanfarming.netAfrican Farming - March/April 20184

APRIL

12-14 Agritech Expo Zambia CHISAMBA www.agritech-expo.com

25-26 Aviana Nigeria IBADAN www.avianaafrica.com/nigeria/about.html

MAY

15-16 Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Summit NAIROBI www.csa-africa.aidforum.org

JUNE

04-06 African Farming's Agroinvestment Summit LONDON www.agroinvestmentsummit.com

20-22 Agritec Africa NAIROBI www.agritecafrica.com

24-26 Africa’s Big 7 JOHANNESBURG www.africabig7.com

JULY

12-13 Aviana Kenya NAIROBI www.avianaafrica.com/kenya/

AUGUST

02-04 Value Added Agriculture Expo ACCRA www.reedexpoafrica.co.za/ValueAddedAgricultureExpoWestAfrica/

08-09 Farm-Tech Expo Kenya NAIVASHA www.farmtech-expo-kenya.com

Readers should verify dates and location with sponsoring organisations, as thisinformation is sometimes subject to change.

Farming Calendar 2018

Apart from arresting vessels in Guinean waters, Greenpeace also carried out jointpatrols in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone.



NEWS

KENYA IS PLACING a big bet on hermetic storage bags, one of theoldest forms of food preservation in the world, to reduce post-harvestlosses which claim up to 30 per cent of annual maize production.

Hermetic bags are designed to insulate cereals from heat, air andmoisture. The airtight bags deplete oxygen, thereby getting rid ofinsects without use of pesticides.

Data produced by the United States International Agency (USAID)shows about 1.5 million hermetic bags had been sold in Kenya by endof 2017 following a nationwide campaign by agriculture ministry topopularise the bags among small scale farmers.Small scale farmersaccount for 80 per cent of the annual maize production in Kenya.

Regional lobby the Eastern African Grain Council (EAGC), says ithas joined hands with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) todevelop standards.

“The reusable bags are fast spreading among smallholder farmers,and, if unregulated, through developing the necessary standards,unscrupulous business people could dump sub-standard materials andpass them on as hermetic storage solutions,” said EAGC executivedirector Gerald Masila.

Mass adoption of the bags is expected to cut post-harvest lossesestimated to up to 11 million bags valued at Sh33.5 billion everyyear.Mr Masila, however, reckons that the standards developmentprocess, which has been divided into five phases, will stretch over 18months to end by June next year.

A technical committee has already been set up with Kebs taking thesecretary position, Mr Masila said, adding that technically competentindividuals would be co-opted into the team as required by law.

ACCORDING TO A newreport from the Food andAgriculture Organizationof the United Nations(FAO), between 2005and 2015 naturaldisasters cost the agricul-tural sectors ofdeveloping countryeconomies a staggering$96 billion in damagedor lost crop and livestockproduction. Half of thatdamage — US$48 billionworth — occurred inAsia, says the report,which was launched today at a conference in Hanoi convened byViet Nam's government in collaboration with FAO.

Drought — which has battered farmers in all corners of the globe,North, South, East and West — was one of the leading culprits.Eighty-three per cent of all drought-caused economic lossesdocumented by FAOs study were absorbed by agriculture, with aprice tag of US$29 billion.

But the report also details how multiple other threats are taking aheavy toll on food production, food security, and people's liveli-hoods. For Africa, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean,drought is the costliest type of disaster.

Drought is the costliest type of disaster for Africa

EAGC to develop standards for hermetic bags Disasters causing billions in agricultural losses




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NEWS

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK presidentAkinwumi Adesina has praised the governmentof Japan for its strong support of the bank andits multi-billion economic transformationpartnership with Africa. Adesina identified theprivate sector, energy and infrastructuredevelopment as main sectors that havebenefited from Japan’s support.

Adesina highlighted huge businessopportunities for Japanese investment in theagribusiness sector. He emphasised thestrategic importance of two new initiatives:the Transformation of the African SavannahInitiative (TASI) and the bank’s Technologiesfor African Agricultural Transformation(TAAT) programme for scaling up agriculturaltechnologies for millions of farmers. Bothinitiatives are aimed at reducing Africa’swidening and increasingly expensive netfood trade deficit.

Adesina emphasised the importance ofgood nutrition, especially for young mothersand babies, and said Africa’s most importantinfrastructure is “the grey matter infrastruc-ture” of babies and young children. “Stuntedchildren today mean stunted economiestomorrow,” said Adesina, who is champi-oning a continent-wide initiative to end theburden of malnutrition in Africa – the AfricanLeaders for Nutrition (ALN).

During his official visit to Japan, Adesina

met top officials, including deputy primeminister Taro Aso, vice minister of finance forinternational affairs, Masatsugu Asakawa,leading government ministers, andstakeholders, to consider issues of mutualconcern. Speaking at the meetings, Adesinarecalled the Bank’s long, close and friendlyrelationship with the government of Japan.He commended Japan for committing US$6billion to fund energy projects in Africathrough the Japan Africa Energy InitiativeFacility, which allows Africa to accessJapanese technologies and expertise.

He described the Japan-Africa EnergyFinancing Facility as “a product of thepersonal engagement and close relationship

the bank has with African Ambassadorsresident in Japan, as well as a specialrelationship between the bank and thegovernment of Japan.”

Adesina assured Japanese officials that theBank’s planned General Capital Increasewould predominantly benefit Africa’s lowerincome countries. During meetings withexecutives of the Toyota Tsusho Corporation,the Africa-Japan Relations Committee, theJapanese Association of CorporateExecutives, and the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency (JICA), the AfricanDevelopment Bank made a case for enhancedprivate-sector participation in Africa’sdevelopment and new methods of financing.

SIGNIFICANT OIL AND gas discoveries off the coast of Mauritaniahave enhanced the West African country's appeal as a foreign invest-ment destination and this could mean positive knock-on effects for theagriculture and fisheries sectors.

Ayana McIntosh-Lee, vice president -- communications and externalaffairs, BP Mauritania and Senegal, described the commercialatmosphere in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital, as "buzzing".

Fisheries make up Mauritania's second-biggest industry after iron ore,but this is being held back by a lack of processing facilities. Again, thiscould be an opportunity for foreign investors to make inroads intoMauritania. China has invested in fish meal plants but the governmenthas ambitions for exporting fish to Asia and Europe.

It is hoped that oil and gas development will boost the fisheriesindustry, as was the case with parallel development in the North Sea,which is an area where Britain should be able to lend expertise as wellas investment. The port of Nouadhibou, 450km north off the capital, isalso important to the Mauritanian economy as it is a centre of deep seafishing. This port is naturally sheltered and has been extended andupgraded to include an iron ore terminal, fishing port and commercialport. Crucially, it has been developed as free zone port to attract foreigninvestment and to become a hub for fish processing.

While Mauritania is 90 per cent desert, the agricultural industryfocuses on meat and milk. However, as is the case with the fishing industry,more processing facilities and improved access to energy via the country'sgas reserves are required for Mauritanian agriculture to move to the nextlevel. Currently, Nouakchott imports all its meat as Mauritanian farmersexport their produce to nearby countries like Senegal and Nigeria.

HIGH LEVELS OF food insecurity persist in the world, due largely toconflicts and to adverse climatic shocks, particularly in East Africanand Near East countries, where large numbers of people continueto be in need of humanitarian assistance, a new FAO report said.About 37 countries are in need of external assistance for food,unchanged from three months ago, according to the Crop Prospectsand Food Situation report

Civil war and insecurity are direct reasons for high hunger ratesin 16 of those countries, ranging from Burundi to Yemen. Inflation inthe Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2017 to a42 per cent annual rate. Violence has disrupted traditional traderoutes around the Sahel, driving up prices, while food shortages arereported around southern and eastern Libya.

Inadequate and erratic rainfall poses a growing threat to foodsecurity in Southern Africa as well as in Eastern Africa, where manyrural households have suffered from four consecutive drought-affected agricultural seasons. Cereal production in East Africa sawa 7.2 per cent drop, leading to increased stress in various countries.

Aggregate cereal production from Somalia's "deyr" rainy seasonis estimated to be 20 per cent below average. A similar pattern inrainfall and yields was observed in north-eastern Tanzania.

In Kenya, seasonal rainfall was up to 80 per cent below averagelevels, warranting close monitoring of rangeland conditions ineastern areas of the country.

Prices of staple cereals are also high in Ethiopia and the Sudan,where retail prices of sorghum, millet and wheat have doubled sincelast October.

AfDB hails Japan’s multi-billion-dollar support for Africa’s economic transformation

Japan committed US$6 billion tofund energy projects in Africa

through the Japan Africa EnergyInitiative Facility

Conflicts, climate hurt food security in Africa Mauritania’s oil, fisheries sectors set for growth



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SHOW REVIEW

Agritech Expo Zambia is expected to attract more than 22,000 visitors, over 270 local and interna-tional exhibitors along with 3,500 VIP and large scale farmers

WHAT MAKES THE agriculturalsector in Zambia exciting?“Simply said, almost endlesspossibilities,” says Mr Timo

Olkkonen, the Ambassador of Finland toZambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. TheFinland country pavilion is one of severalinternational pavilions at the upcoming,multi-award winning Agritech Expo Zambia,returning to Chisamba from 12-14 April forthe fifth time.

“In recent years, Zambia has witnessed astrong economic growth,” Olkkonen says,“and the outlook for medium and long termremains positive. Zambia's growing anddiversifying agriculture sector offers avariety of possibilities for Finnish companiesand solutions that can benefit the Zambianpeople. In Finland the growing season isaround only 90 days a year but in Zambia’sfertile soil, water resources and climateconditions favour agriculture throughoutthe year. Crop rotation and irrigation makesit possible to have several harvests a year.This is something that really excites me.”

He says this year’s Finland countrypavilion will feature “some well-knownFinnish brands that are already in Zambia,for example Valtra tractors. Finland’s high-quality and innovativeness also extends tothe agriculture sector. In terms of the Finnishoffering to Zambia, the most relevant woulddeal with mechanisation, energy solutionsand efficiency, research and developmentand processing and packaging. We Finnsalso always look at agriculture and forestrytogether and take into account thesynergies between the two and theintegrated land-use practices.”

Zambia’s agri sector exciting forGerman companies“Zambia’s agricultural sector is exciting forGerman companies that sell agri andlivestock equipment because the countryhas a stable policy environment” saysMartin Botzian, head of communication,DLG International GmbH, organisers of theGerman pavilion at Agritech Expo Zambia.He says, “this means the governmentsupports the agricultural sector andcommercial farming. Farmers are willing toinvest.

“Zambia is a good place to grow cropsand there is enough fresh water for irriga-tion. Processing the raw crops has hugepotential. The commercial farming inZambia will generate enough surplus foodto export to Zambia’s neighbours. Bystarting to commercialise the agriculturalland you increase food security, preventmass migration out of the country into thecities and create businesses that add valueat a local level to reduce poverty.”

The German pavilion will hostcompanies from many fields in agriculture.Mr Botzian says, "some are into agrimachinery, others are involved in animal

husbandry with the consulting andconstructing of barns for example, fertilisersand crop protection, storage solutions likesilos or dryers, solar technology, meatprocessing, livestock floors, animal identifi-cation and setting up trade fairs andproviding project management and consul-tancy services."

Growing expoThis year's event at GART is expected tobring more than 22 000 visitors, over 270local and international exhibitors with3,500 VIP and large scale farmers and 150members of the media. Agritech ExpoZambia is free to attend for all visitors thatpre-register.

The international interest in the three-dayexpo is growing every year with more andmore foreign companies looking to investand find business partners in Zambia. Sofar the country and international pavilionsfrom France, Germany, Zimbabwe, CzechRepublic, Finland and the EU have alreadybeen confirmed. h

International pavilions enthusiasticabout Zambia’s agri potential

Last year’s German country pavilion at Agritech Expo Zambia.

International interest in thethree-day expo is growingevery year with more and

more foreign companieslooking to invest and find

business partners in Zambia

Image Credit: Spintelligent




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POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

Central and Eastern Africa are set to benefit from the establishment of newpoultry breeding facilities in Tanzania – a nation also partnering to explorenew high-productivity chicken genotypes. Tim Guest reports

LARGE-SCALE IMPORTATION OF chicken to Africa fromcountries such as the US and Brazil has long been a sourceof contention, as not only has this made it harder for small-holder poultry farmers to survive, it has also increased the

risks of disease among such non-native flocks.However, this situation may gradually change, as Eastern and

Central African nations are soon to reap the benefits of newbreeding estates and hatching facilities being established inTanzania. These will make the country one of the most importantpoultry-producing markets in the region and fourth in Africa inrelation to breeding a particular rare drought and disease-resistantchicken. One of the main benefits other nations will see, directlyimpacting their former dependence on imports, is the opportunityfor their poultry sectors to move away from having to importchickens to actually being able to export their own home-grownbirds. (Tanzania recently banned the importation of chicks andchicken meat, which together with the new breeding estates andhatcheries support the government’s aims to control diseases suchas bird flu and boost local markets).

The new breeding estates and hatcheries are a collaborativeventure between Irvines Tanzania and Tyson Foods of the US. Theyinclude the Kiliwest farms located in the Kilimanjaro Region’s SihaDistrict, which began initial operations last month, and the KeregeHatchery, which is due to be up and running in the CoastalRegion’s Bagamoyo District by July.

Initial weekly breeding plans include 250,000 Cobb 500 parentbroilers, though Irvines said that this will increase to 500,000 perweek, a figure that is expected to meet the whole nation’s demandsfor chicken and allow any excess production to be exported region-ally and further afield.

African Chicken Genetic GainsTanzania is one of the nations currently partnering with the AfricanChicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) organisation, an Africa-widecollaboration led by the International Livestock Research Institute(ILRI). Other countries involved include Ethiopia, the Netherlandsand Nigeria. The aim of the group is to test and eventually makeavailable high-producing, farmer-preferred genotypes that increasesmallholder chicken productivity across Africa. The ACGG is usingexisting research in its work as well as introducing its own innova-tive approaches to the development and supply of genetics incountry value chains. These innovations include high-producinggenetics that are well-adapted to low-input production systems. Inthis regard, where the chicken value chain has received heavyinvestment, little of this has been used to improve genetics for

smallholders; the ACGG, therefore, intends to target genetics andbreeding to help improve existing animal health and managementinfrastructure because it believes genetics is the key to increasedproductivity. A further ACGG approach is to foster closer coopera-tion with farmers, including through on-farm and field testing,about farmer-preferred breeds of chickens, so that smallholder andlocal consumer preferences can be catered to.

Increased productivity is at the heart of the ACGG’s initiativesand its innovation platforms offer all major stakeholders in countrychicken value chains the chance to receive and share theknowledge needed to deliver increased productivity. That said,critical to the success of the programme is the establishment ofpublic-private partnerships and will underpin testing and develop-ment of germplasm - the living genetic material maintained for thepurpose of, in this case, poultry breeding, preservation, and otherresearch uses – which will be conducted so that business cases insupport of farmer-preferred breeds can be made. Uptake of thenew lines by the private sector is critical for the wider adoption,maintenance, multiplication, and delivery of the right genetictechnologies, and developing strong relationships with the privatesector will be an important function of the innovation platforms.

Breeding estates, improvedgenotypes and the role of women

The ACGG is using existing research in its workas well as introducing its own innovative

approaches to the development and supply ofgenetics in country value chains


A chicken farmer in one of theACGG Tanzania sites.

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POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

The role of women in poultry breedingAnother vital approach by the ACGG is to place women at thecentre of their activities as, by and large, they are the peopleowning and managing the flocks, as well as trading at market;some 70 per cent of smallholder poultry farmers in Africa arewomen. The ACGG ensures that women are involved in constraintidentification, definition of breeding objectives, testing of improvedgenetic lines through to full participation in the innovationplatforms, and they will also be engaged fully in data collectionand analysis, with a further objective being to test and respond tothe specific concerns and preferences of women as farmers andconsumers. When the ACGG launched its efforts in Tanzania a fewyears ago, with a plan to identify and cross-breed high-producingexotic chickens with local breeds, it involved universities,smallholder chicken producers, research centres, NGOs, govern-ment agencies such as the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute(TALIRI) and Sokoine University of Agriculture, and set aboutworking closely with smallholder farmers, particularly women.Indeed, members of the Tanzania Gender Network Programmewere involved, and cautioned that the men of every householdwhere a woman was in charge of poultry had to be made aware ofhow the project to improve breeding and genetics would benefitthem, so as to avoid household conflicts.

Breeds under evaluation in TanzaniaIn Tanzania, the ACGG programme has been implemented in fivesub-national Zones namely the Central semi-arid, Eastern sub-humid, Southern highlands, Lake, and the Southern humid zones.The ACGG national team is led by scientists from the TanzaniaLivestock Research Institute (TALIRI) and from Sokoine University ofAgriculture. A total of 20 districts, 80 villages and 3,200households are targeted by the programme, with several strains ofchicken being tested, including Black Australorp, Koekoek,Kuroiler, Sasso (these three are introduced breeds), as well as somelocal strains. The chickens are being evaluated under semi-scavenging and on-station management conditions for egg andmeat productivity, adaptation, and preference by farmers and otherstakeholders in the poultry value chain.

One of these, the Potchefstroom Koekoek, was bred at thePotchefstroom Agricultural College during the 1950s and is acomposite of the White Leghorn, Black Australorp and BaredPlymouth Rock. It is a breed that can, according to the ILRI, beconsidered as a locally developed. The breed’s cocks and culledhens are used for meat production. The Koekoek’s colour patternis a sex-linked gene that is very useful for colour sexing in cross-breeding for egg producing types of hens used in medium inputproduction systems. The ILRI says that the breed is very popularamong rural farmers in South Africa, and neighbouring countriesfor egg and meat production, as well as for their ability to hatchtheir own offspring.

Another on test in Tanzania is the Kuroiler, a commercial, dual-purpose, hybrid chicken from India derived through crossing eithercoloured broiler males with Rhode Island Red females, or, WhiteLeghorn males with female Rhode Island Reds. According to theILRI, the breed has a reputation for low maintenance and ability tothrive on household and agricultural waste. The breed can produce150-200 eggs annually, according to data collected underextensive management conditions in Uganda.

Final wordIt is a busy time for poultry breeding and genetic development inTanzania, a country spearheading Africa’s efforts to derive less ofits sustaining livestock needs from overseas and instead rely onits own expertise, research, science, approaches and home-grown birds to meet its needs – and eventually those of othernations, as well. h

www.africanfarming.net 13African Farming - March/April 2018

Each newly hatched Potchefstroom Koekoek is weighed before being sold. The birds aretagged to keep track of their performance, including weight and number of eggs they lay.

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Kuroiler – a hybrid chicken from India – has areputation for low maintenance and ability to

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POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

Egged on by the global outrage against the practice of culling day-old chicksin millions, the stakeholders have come together to develop technology todetermine the sex of chicks at the embryological level.

THE COCKERELS (MALE chicks) havebecome the appendix of hatcheriesaround the middle of twentiethcentury. The advancements in

genetics enabled the bifurcation of chickenspecies into ‘specialisations’- layer andbroiler. While the layer hen, as the namesuggests, was engineered for churning outeggs, the broiler variety was developed tosate the meat cravings of Homo sapiens.

Sex killsThe scientists, till date, have not been able tocultivate genetically modified chickens thatproduce only pullets (female chicks). Thegender of the fertilised egg is more or lessroll of the dice, means, the chances of anew-born chick being a cockerel is 50-50.

In the egg farmer’s eyes, a cockerel issomething to be dispensed with in quick timeas it doesn’t lay eggs and rearing malechicks make no commercial sense since theirmeat is sub-par. Hence, the farmer has to killoff the freeloaders before they go on afeeding spree. And therein lies the problem.To get rid of the male chicks, the farmer mustfirst determine the chick’s gender. This iswhere the chicken sexers come in.

A brief historyThe history of professional chicken sexersgoes back to the early twentieth centurywhen the Japanese set up a school (ZenNippon Chicken Sexing School) to train theyouth in the art of chicken sexing in truesamurai spirit. Even now, the chicken sexersfrom Zen Nippon school are in highdemand with many news report claimingthe alumni command a salary north ofUS$55,000 per year in and aroundEurope. The high levels of pay take intoconsideration the accuracy (some claims go

up to 99 per cent) and speed (up to 1,200per day) at which they can sort the chicks ona gender basis. The dedication that hasgone in to perfect the ‘muscle memory’ todo the kind of work they do makes a strongcase on the pay front.

Here’s how journalist Joshua Foerdescribes the process in the bookMoonwalking with Einstein’: “The bird iscradled in the left hand and given a gentlesqueeze that causes it to evacuate itsintestines (too tight and the intestines willturn inside out, killing the bird andrendering its gender irrelevant). With histhumb and forefinger, the sexer flips the birdover and parts a small flap on its hindquar-ters to expose the cloaca, a tiny vent whereboth the genitals and anus are situated,and peers deep inside. To do this properly,his fingernails have to be precisely trimmed.In the simple cases—the ones that the sexercan actually explain—he’s looking for abarely perceptible protuberance called the“bead,” about the size of a pinhead. If thebead is convex, the bird is a boy, and getsthrown to the left; concave or flat and it’s agirl, sent down a chute to the right.”

Some hatcheries take to feather-sexing todetermine the sex of chicks.

The sexing is followed by the indiscrimi-nate culling of male chicks.

Culling methods include putting chicksinto a grinder, breaking its neck, electrocu-tion, suffocation and gassing. The culled

chicks are later fed to animals.Around 3.2 billion male chickens are

being killed every year across the globe. Thecruel practise has sparked an outrage withmany animal rights groups vehementlyopposing the culling. The protest hadreached a flashpoint when Farm Forwardreleased a video clip showing the brutaltreatment dealt to male chicks at hatcheries.The video immediately went viral and hasforced Unilever to commit resources to finda workaround to put an end to the massculling. The consumer giant is in the processof finding a scalable solution to sex chickenat the embryological level.

Irons in the fireA Dutch start up, In Ovo, is on the verge ofdeveloping a prototype to determine thegender of chicks in the incubation stage.According to founders Wouter Bruins andWil Stutterheim, the company has foundnew substances that indicate the sex of anegg as early as day nine of incubation.These substances are fast and relativelyeasy to detect, says Bruins. The techniquehas been tested at a Dutch hatchery, wherethe company was able to hatch roostersand hens separately on several occasions.The method is fast enough to separatelarge amounts of eggs automatically.

The scientists at the Dresden University ofTechnology and the University of Leipzig areplugging away to make a scalable device to

In ovo method: The next big thing in chicken sexing

Culling methods include putting chicks into a grinder, breaking its neck, electrocution, suffocation and gassing.

According to In Ovo founders,Wouter Bruins and Wil

Stutterheim, the company hasfound new substances that

indicate the sex of an egg asearly as day nine of incubation

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sex the chicken at the embryological level.The team, led by Roberta Galli and GeraldSteiner, has developed a method to sexchickens three days into incubation. "At thisstage, an embryo’s blood vessels will haveformed," Steiner explains, “but not the nervecells, so they can’t feel pain”.

The researchers use a laser beam to cuta small, circular hole at the top of the egg.Next, near-infrared spectroscopy is used todetermine the sex of the embryo based onits DNA content – which is around 2 percent higher in male chicks. “To the nakedeye, we can’t see the difference betweenmale and female embryos, but thecomputer can – if it’s programmed to doso,” says Steiner.

Dr Michael Ngadi, a food and biopro-cess engineer in the department ofbioresource engineering at McGillUniversity, has patented a scanningtechnology, called Hypereye. “Through afairly complex mathematical analysis wherewe are using some deep learning

techniques to identify or relate thosespectral and image data to the specificattributes that we are looking at – in thiscase, whether [the egg] is fertile or not andwhether [the embryo contained] is male orfemale,” he said. The commercialisation ofthe technology is imminent.

US based eggXYt uses gene editing forchick sexing. The company was founded in2016 by CEO Yehuda Elram and Dr DaniOffen, head of the department ofneuroscience at Tel-Aviv University in Israel.“We edit the genes of the chicken so maleeggs are laid with a biomarker,” Elramexplains, “and the female eggs identical toeggs as we know them today. The identifieris bio-luminescent and is detected at thespeed of light by seXYt, the optical scannereggXYt has developed.” h

POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

Near-infrared spectroscopy is used to determine the sex of the embryo based on its DNA content.

US based eggXYt uses gene editing for chick sexing. The companywas founded by Yehuda Elram and Dr Dani Offen, head of the

department of neuroscience at Tel-Aviv University

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https://metamino-hub.evonik.com/front/home

POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

ACGG tests and makes available high producing, farmer-preferred genotypesthat increase smallholder chicken productivity in Africa and works with ruralcommunities to test the productivity of improved breeds.

THE AFRICAN CHICKEN GeneticGains (ACGG) programme is anAfrica-wide collaboration led by theInternational Livestock Research

Institute (ILRI) with diverse stakeholdersincluding universities, national researchinstitutes and private sector partners inEthiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania.

While gender equality concerns andwomen’s empowerment were considered inthe overall design of ACGG, it did notautomatically translate into a systematicand meaningful integration of genderconcerns into programme implementation.Halfway through the programme’s life, thetop question for ACGG was not whether tointegrate gender in the program but ‘how’.In October 2016, ACGG and ILRI thereforecommissioned KIT Gender1 to lead a oneyear programme-wide process of co-creation and learning to develop an ACGGGender Strategy. The result is a gender strategy that: � guides ACGG on how to integrategender into its research in a meaningful,effective and feasible manner

� provides the basis for a commonunderstanding in ACGG of what women’sempowerment and gender integrationmeans in the context of the program

� clarifies what change is expected, themechanisms through which this isexpected to happen and what is requiredfrom different ACGG team members

� has a strong focus on ongoing learning,knowledge creation and documentation

The programme’s overall purpose is to‘catalyse a farmer-centric public-privatepartnership model for chicken geneticimprovement and testing, multiplicationand delivery as a sustainable pathway toproductivity growth, poverty reduction,increased household animal protein intakeand empowerment of women farmers inrural communities’.

Gender integration vision ACGG has from its outset recognised womenas essential actors in the smallholder chickenvalue chain and acknowledged the particularconstraints women chicken farmers face dueto unequal gender relations. A closer reading

of ACGG’s proposal to the BMGF revealsthat women’s empowerment is articulated atoutcome, objective and activity level of the programme.

A two-pronged approach for women’sempowerment through ACGG is specifiedin the proposal: firstly, ensuring that genderequality and women's empowerment isinherent in all that the programme doesand secondly, directly targeting genderinequalities. Furthermore, placing ‘womenat the centre to ensure success’ is consid-ered one of the programme’s five mainpillars. Concretely, this is meant to happenby focussing on women ‘right from theidentification of the constraints, definition ofbreeding objectives, testing of the improvedlines for suitability as well as participation inthe Innovation Platform (IP) meetings’.

The proposal also stipulates that all datacollection and analysis should be genderdisaggregated, that gender segregatedbenefits and impact of introduction andadoption of improved chicken lines need tobe understood, and some targets forwomen’s representation in project activities.

‘On-farm testing’ of improved breeds isthe main mechanism of ACGG forresearching what chicken and servicedelivery models different farmers prefer.

From a gender perspective, that wouldimply collecting data to understand: thedifferent trait preferences of women andmen, how gender relations affect women’saccess services, inputs and markets, howthe new technology brings them benefitsand local interpretations of women’sempowerment. ‘IPs’ are facilitated byACGG at the national level for public-private sector partnerships to emerge thatcan make farmer preferred lines availableand accessible, and at the community levelto create awareness about availablechicken breeds and to help find solutions tolocal challenges, especially those faced bywomen farmers. IPs are expected to act asimportant vehicles to engage women asstakeholders in the chicken value chain. Atthe community level, in particular, anexpected outcome of the IPs is ‘afunctioning mechanism developed forensuring the empowerment of womensmallholders to participate in the chickenvalue chains and to lead efforts to generateand share knowledge … on improved andprofitable chicken production’. For thisoutcome to be realised, it would implyexplicitly identifying in community innova-tion platforms (CIPs) gendered needs andconstraints experienced by women in the

ACGG project releases genderstrategy document

ACGG works in partnership with rural communities to test the productivity of improved breeds.

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http://www.awila.de/

http://www.carfed.it/

https://www.impex.nl/nl

POULTRY SUPPLEMENT

value chain and addressing them by theprogram. National innovation platforms(NIPs) are ACGG’s main mechanism forforming public private sector partnerships inorder to make ‘farmer preferred lines’available and accessible, and ensuring anenabling environment for the preferred linesto thrive. The work of the national level IPsis expected to be informed by gender issuescaptured at CIP level and brought to theNIPs through feedback loops envisionedbetween community and national levels.

Gender integration experiencesAt the beginning of the gender strategydevelopment process, gender-disaggre-gated data had not been systematicallycollected from ACGG supportedhouseholds as part of on-farm testing. Datacollection had so far not been initiatedaround intra-household decision-making(for example, who decides when to sell andslaughter, use of income from chickensales, when to consume etc) and how thesein turn influence how benefits aredistributed to different individuals in thehousehold, let alone how they empowerwomen. Similarly, gendered needs andconstraints experienced by women had notbeen systematically identified in CIPs andaddressed by the programme and feedbackloops between community, and nationallevel IPs had not been established to ensurethat gender issues captured at CIP levelwere brought to and addressed at NIP level.While the number of women participants at

CIP level had been fairly high, the represen-tation of women at NIP level had been low.

Conceptual framework An important aim of the gender strategydevelopment process was to create acommon understanding of what women’sempowerment and gender integrationmeans in ACGG. To this end, the KITgender team facilitated participatorygender analysis exercises with key ACGGstaff and partners in all three program mecountries to unpack the programme’s ToCfrom a gender perspective and to introduceand make relevant key gender concepts.Findings from these country-based analysesfed into the final gender strategy workshop(Addis Ababa, September 2017) duringwhich key conceptual and operationalbuilding blocks of the strategy were furtherclarified and enriched.

The gender strategy also provides roomto work with other women value-chainactors, especially from the perspective ofupgrading chicken producers in the valuechain and in terms of ensuring the voice ofwomen entrepreneurs is heard and actedupon in ACGG-facilitated IP work.

Women’s empowerment and ACGG For the purpose of the gender strategy, adistinction is made to define women’sempowerment ‘subjectively’ and‘objectively’. ‘Subjectively’ definedwomen’s empowerment signifies how the‘abstract notion’ or ‘state of being’ ofempowerment is articulated andunderstood in local contexts by chickenfarmers themselves, especially women.Women’s empowerment means manydifferent things to different people acrosscountries, and agro-ecological and culturalsystems. It also depends on other socialidentities of individuals, such as class,ethnicity and age. Exploring women’sempowerment ‘subjectively’ definedrequires investment into qualitative researchon local understandings of empowerment.‘Objectively’ defined women’s empower-ment is used to denote an understanding ofwomen’s empowerment based on existingstate-of-the-art research and literature onthe subject, which forms the starting pointfor ACGG’s gender integration work underthe guidance of the gender strategy.

The main dimensions of this ‘objective’understanding of women’s empowermentare translated into workable concepts in thecontext of ACGG (expanded choice andstrengthened voice) and reflected in thegender-responsive ToC, goals, indicatorsand milestones of the gender strategy. Thebasis for ACGG’s ‘objective’ definition ofempowerment is a recent conceptual modelof women’s empowerment developed byKIT Gender for the BMGF.

Women’s empowermentIn ACGG, empowerment of women chickenfarmers is a process of developing acombination of expanded choice andstrengthened voice. ‘Expanded choice’concerns the ability of a woman chickenfarmer to influence choices that affect herlife and future as a successful chickenproducer and to contribute to her family’swellbeing. This is influenced, among others,by whether ACGG’s research and programactivities engage directly with her to solicitinformation about her experiences andpreferences, and her access to and controlover vital resources (in particular services,inputs and markets), as well as benefits (inparticular income, nutritious animal proteinand food). ‘Strengthened voice’ concernsthe capacity of a woman chicken farmer tospeak up and be heard, and to shape andshare in discussions and decisions (in publicand private domains) that affect her life andfuture as a successful chicken farmer. This isinfluenced, among others, by ACGG’sefforts to create safe spaces for women toexpress their concerns (such as an IP) andthe responsiveness of the programme toconcerns expressed. It is also affected bythe extent to which women get recognisedas knowledgeable chicken farmers byACGG and in their communities.

Women’s empowerment is a ‘dynamicprocess underpinned by the transformationof gender relations’. This transformationhappens as women chicken farmersincreasingly exercise agency throughmaking decisions and grow in their self-esteem as knowledgeably successfulchicken producers. It also happens asresources are redistributed so that women’saccess to technology, inputs, services andknowledge increases, and through shiftinginstitutional structures (such as the gendernorm about who should eat first) that shapewomen’s choice and voice at the householdlevel, in the community but also in theACGG programme itself. h

For the full document visit:http://hdl.handle.net/10568/91218

(Published with permission from ILRI)ACGG has from its outset recognised women asimportant actors in the smallholder chicken value chain.

In ACGG, empowerment ofwomen chicken farmers is a

process of developing acombination of expanded

choice and strengthened voice

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http://www.goizper.com/

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CROPS

Coffee leaf rust affects two main commercial coffee species – Arabica coffee and robusta coffee.Dr Terry Mabbett reports.

COFFEE IS TRULY African in originhaving ‘started life’ thousands ofyears ago as an understoreyshrub of rainforest in the

Ethiopian Highlands. It is therefore reason-able to assume that coffee leaf rust, causedby the fungus Hemileia vastatrix and still themost devastating disease of coffee, has co-evolved with the genus Coffea in Africa. What was initially called “the coffee leaf

disease" was first reported on wild Coffeaspecies by an English explorer in the LakeVictoria region of East Africa in 1861. Thenin 1869, the Reverend H J Berkeley and hisassistant Mr Broome, reporting in theGardeners' Chronicle, described a fungusthey had found associated with the diseaseon some dried coffee leaves sent fromCeylon (now Sri Lanka). They subsequentlyassigned the scientific name Hemileiavastatrix to the fungus.

The classic symptom of the disease is theorange and rust-like powdery pustules.These lesions develop rapidly in the leaferupting through the stomatal pores on theabaxial (lower) leaf surface. They comprisethousands of asexually produced propag-ules called urediniospores which spread thefungal infection to other leaves and plants,mostly by wind and rain splashes but alsothrough biological agents such as insects.Resultant effect is a rapid reduction in thephotosynthetic potential of foliar canopy,premature fall of evergreen coffee leavesand significant yield loss.Coffee leaf rust affects two main

commercial coffee species – Coffeaarabica (Arabica coffee), which thrives incooler upland environments such as theKenyan Highlands, and Coffea canephora(robusta coffee), which is better able tocope with hotter and more humidconditions in the lowland tropics such asCôte d'Ivoire in West Africa.

Spread of coffee and leaf rust diseaseCoffee cultivation started to spreadthroughout the world many centuries ago

with coffee leaf rust logically following on,but considerably later. You might expect thevery first coffee leaf rust epiphytotic(epidemic) to occur within the coffee plant’snative African range. However, coffeecultivation on an intensive scale in EastAfrican countries like Kenya and Uganda orCameroon in West Africa did not start inearnest until well into the twentieth century,and ironically long after coffee was beinggrown on a commercial scale in south andsouth-east Asia. In fact, coffee leaf rust first erupted in

epidemic proportions on the south Asianisland of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) wherecoffee was already being grown largescalein the second half of the nineteenth century.Coffee leaf rust hit Sri Lanka’s coffee estateswith a vengeance destroying the industry by1890 and forcing estate owners to grow teainstead. But not before valuable definitivework on fungicide control was achieved. Fungicidal activity of copper-containing

compounds had already been establishedin the south of France for the control ofdowny mildew in grapes but it was thecoffee leaf rust epidemic in Sri Lanka whichreally secured a place for spray applicationof copper fungicides and which is still usedworldwide today. Coffee leaf rust neverwent away although, until recently, was keptin check and below economic thresholdlevels by the use of resistant coffee varietiesand fungicide spraying.

Leaf rust hits Latin American coffeeCentral and South America remained free

of leaf rust disease until the 1970s, withfungicide spraying and the use of coffeevarieties with disease resistance. That wasuntil 10 years ago when rust disease startedto surge in a number of major coffee-growing countries including Colombia inSouth America and Costa Rica andGuatemala in Central America. Theunderlying reasons for this latest upsurgeare climate change and poor economicconditions. According to Latin American scientists, a

common factor in the relatively recentColombian (2008-2011) and CentralAmerican (2012-2013) epidemics was areduction in the diurnal thermal amplitude,with higher minimum/lower maximumtemperatures of +0.1 °C/-0.5 °C (average)during 2008-2011 compared to a lowcoffee rust incidence period in 1991-1994in Chinchiná, Colombia. And +0.9 °C/-1.2 °C (average) in the high coffee leaf rustyear of 2012 compared with the prevailingclimate in Guatemala. The experts claimthe phenomena probably decreased thelatency (inactive) period of the disease. But the story does not end there. Modern

varieties of coffee cultivated in South andCentral America were bred and developedwith resilience to coffee leaf rust fungalpathogen. However, the sheer size of thespore load created during these epidemicswould have been more than enough tobreak down any varietal resistance to leafrust disease. Furthermore, the epidemicsoccurred when coffee prices were inherentlylow with corresponding low profitability

Leaf rust corrodes coffee yield

A close-up of the orange, rust-coloured powdery pustules on the underside of the coffee leaf

Coffee leaf rust hit Sri Lanka’scoffee estates with a vengeancedestroying the industry by 1890

and forcing estate owners togrow tea instead

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levels for farmers leading to sub-optimalcoffee management (including relaxation inroutine spraying with fungicides) whichresulted in increased plant vulnerability.The takeaways from this fiasco include

the need for continual breeding anddevelopment of rust resistant coffeevarieties and the maintenance of routinefungicide applications. It is amazing thatprotectant, copper-based fungicides are stillused today to provide basic protection forcoffee against leaf rust disease. And all themore so when you count the number ofother types of fungicide developed muchlater, but which have already disappearedfrom the market due to loss of efficacyagainst leaf rust disease and/or concernsabout safety of spray operators, coffeeconsumers and the environment.

Copper fungicidesThe active principle in all copper-basedfungicides is the divalent copper ion (Cu2+)which protects the leaves against infectionby germinating fungal spores. Copperfungicides are purely protectant (protective)in action, remaining as a deposit andresidue on the leaf surface to intercept andkill alighting spores as they germinate. As

such they need to be routinely applied andalso have high tenacity with resistance toweathering and wash off by intense rainfall.

The main points for using copper fungicides:� Broad spectrum of activity that controlsother diseases of African coffee includingcoffee berry disease and coffee leaf rust

� Broad spectrum activity which essentiallyprevents pathogen populations frombecoming resistant to the action ofcopper ions

� Copper fungicide deposits are inherentlytenacious and resistant to weathering inthe face of fierce rainfall

� Copper fungicide sprays have a ‘tonic’effect on coffee due to the additional role ofcopper as an essential plant micronutrient

� Copper fungicides are universallyapproved for use in countries wherecoffee is grown and those which import

green coffee or processed coffee likeroasted coffee beans and soluble(instant) coffee products.

Which one to use?There are a number of so called particulate,fixed copper fungicides on the market.‘Fixed’ describes the sparingly solublenature of the fungicide, with the activecopper being ‘secured’ in the molecule,and ‘particulate’ implies the nature of theformulation as a water dispersible granuleor a wettable powder. The three mainstream copper fungicides

are cuprous oxide, cupric hydroxide andcopper oxychloride. The molecular weight ofcuprous oxide [Cu2O] is 143.00 with127.00 (88 per cent) of this accounted for bythe mass of two copper atoms. The equiva-lent figure for cupric hydroxide [Cu(OH)2] is63.5/97.5 (65 per cent) and for copperoxychloride [3Cu(OH)2 .CuCl2] is381.00/696.00 (55 per cent), respectively. On a gram for gram basis cuprous oxide

contains around 20-25 per cent morefungicidal capacity than cupric hydroxideand copper oxychloride, and with all elseequal, coffee growers will get more ‘bangfor the buck’ when using cuprous oxide. h

CROPS


It is amazing that protectant,copper-based fungicides arestill used today to providebasic protection for coffeeagainst leaf rust disease.


http://www.jacto.com.br/europe

CROPS

In the wake of the fall armyworm outbreak, UN’s Food and AgriculturalOrganisation launched a guide to help maize farmers tackle the menace.

What is fall armyworm (FAW)?Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), isan insect pest of more than 80 plantspecies, causing damage to economicallyimportant cultivated cereals such as maize,rice, sorghum, and also to vegetable cropsand cotton. It is native to tropical andsubtropical regions of the Americas. It is thelarval stage of the insect that causes thedamage. FAW reproduces at a rate ofseveral generations per year, and the mothcan fly up to 100km per night.

What alternative crops can farmers beadvised to grow? Maize is the crop most infested now inAfrica. As a staple crop, it is unlikely thatfarmers and their families will want toabandon maize. There are ways ofmanaging FAW in maize, as demonstratedin the Americas.

What products can be used to controlFAW, and when and how should they beapplied? FAO is working with member countries fromaround the world to determine therecommendations for farmers’ actions,including pesticides that are effective, yetwith low risks to humans and the environ-ment. These recommendations are madenationally.

What pesticides should be used tocontrol FAW? Pesticides may be needed to control FAWlocally. The most effective, lowest-risk,economical, accessible and easily used bysmallholders (without sophisticatedmachinery) need to be determined withineach country and across the continent. It’snot just a question of the most effectivepesticide in a research station, the specificrecommendations (active ingredient,formulation, type and timing of applica-tion), and their costs and benefits tosmallholder farmers must be determined.

When should pesticide applications beginin maize to protect it from FAW? Only when justifiable. Low levels of infesta-tion at certain stages of maize growth maynot cause much yield loss. The economic oraction threshold must be determined andrecommended for each stage of maizegrowth and for each type of pesticide andapplication techniques. Costs can varytremendously. To economically justify theiruse, the costs of pesticide use must be equalto or less than the value of the additionalyield that farmers receive for taking action.The prices that farmers receive for theirharvest must also be correctly valued.

Are aerial applications of pesticidesrecommended for the FAW? No. The destructive life stage (the larva)digs deep into the whorl of maize,occasionally, making aerial applications ofvery low efficacy, while spreading pesticidesover large areas of non-target habitat.

Is the use of biological control apossibility for the FAW in Africa? There are many biological organisms thatcan help control FAW. Some may benaturally occurring in Africa (generalpredators, parasitoids and someentomopathogens), and some might need tobe introduced from the Americas (specialisedparasitoids, predators and certain strains of

entomopathogens). The use of botanicals isalso an appealing option.

Is GMO maize the solution to FAW inAfrica? While GMO maize is already being used inSouth Africa, it is generally only accessibleby larger commercial farmers who haveaccess to capital, resources and stablemarkets for their maize. Over 98 per cent ofmaize farmers in Africa are smallholders,growing maize on less than 2 ha of landand typically saving seed to plant the nextcrop. The use of purchased inputs,including seed, is low. Given the high costof transgenic maize seed, the lack ofadequate supply channels, and lack ofeconomic incentives for smallholders togrow maize (due to the low and volatileprices received) there is a low probabilitythat the technology would be used in asustainable manner by smallholder maizefarmers in Africa. Even for commercialmaize farmers in Africa, the long-termbenefits of transgenic maize were put intodoubt when, within two years of deploy-ment, the maize stem borer began to showresistance to Bt maize in South Africa, andwas later confirmed. h

Go to the URL to download the guide:http://bit.ly/2p0lnUA(Published with permission from FAO)

Reining in the maize runners

Low levels of fall armyworm infestation at certain stages of maize growth may not cause much yield loss.

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Over 98 per cent of maizefarmers in Africa are

smallholders, growing maizeon less than 2 ha and

typically saving seed to plantthe next crop



OMEX AGRIFLUIDS WILL participate in Agritech Expo Zambia, from 12-14April 2018 at Gart Research Centre in Chisamba, Zambia.

“We are expanding the company’s distribution network in Central andSouthern Africa and introducing a range of specialist soluble-liquid foliarfertilisers and soluble powder formulations,” said Alan Lowes, regionaldirector of Omex Agrifluids.

Omex Agrifluids is keen to consolidate its business position in Sub-Saharan African countries especially Zambia and South Africa, while re-establishing the company’s presence in Zimbabwe. Key crops ofimmediate interest for the Omex Agrifluids’ range of products includewheat, sugar cane, potatoes, tobacco, cotton, coffee and high-valuehorticultural crops.

“Among the products earmarked forintroduction, development andexpansion throughout the region isOmex Bioboost,” said Alan Lowes.

Omex Bioboost contains the fullrange of NPK macronutrients, plusmagnesium, together with a full range oftrace elements (micronutrients) comple-mented and synergised by a completelynatural, plant-sourced biostimulantwhich targets root growth and develop-ment. Omex Agrifluids will roll out thecarpet for farmers and growers andmembers of the wholesale and distribu-

tion trade in liquid fertilisers and soluble powder nutrient formulations at thecompany’s stand in the British Pavilion at Agritech Expo Zambia 2018.

Omex Agrifluids at Agritech Expo Zambia 2018

Omex Agrifluids' products are widelyused on wheat in East Africa

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TECHNOLOGY


THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)industry is booming, and with 47 percent of digitally mature organisa-tions stating that they now have a

defined AI strategy, this rapidly evolvingtechnology shows no sign of slowing downany time soon.

AI is developing at a staggering rate andinfiltrating into all industries across oursociety, with the market expected tocontribute an astounding US$15.7 trillionto the global economy by 2030 . Fromrobotic farmers to implantable chips in thebrain to cure dementia, the next few yearsare not only big in the technological world,but everybody’s world in general.

So, as we continue to learn about AI andthe impacts it will have across multipleindustries, what really is in store for thefuture of AI, and more specifically, thefuture of AI within the agricultural sector?

The future of artificial intelligence within theagricultural sectorWhilst farmers have tractors and bigmachinery to aid them in their work, theindustry remains one of the toughest andmost strenuous when it comes to manuallabour. Traditionally, the planting,maintaining and harvesting of crops takesup time, energy, money, labour andresources. It doesn’t come cheap, and itdoesn’t come easy. But, modern agriculturehas started to see big changes.

Farming operations are becomingincreasingly sophisticated as they evolvewith the developments of technology.Precision agriculture, using advancedtechnology and big data to improve cropproduction and practices, is seeing moreefficient and educated farming proceduresbrought to life. For example, AI is set toreduce this high level of repetitive andphysical work by developing differentcomponents to help make farms smarterand more efficient. In a new initiative calledFarmView, research has been carried out tocreate a fleet of mobile field robots that willbe able to help with plant breeding andcrop management by combining sensors,robotics and AI. These bots will have theability to take a visual survey of a vineyardat the start of the season, then as the

season progresses, be able to use machinelearning to predict the expected fruit yield.These machines will not only reducemanual labour in this industry but shouldalso see farms able to utilise, manage andorganise their crop intake.

Popularly used as aerial observationaltechnology, drones are set to be immenselybeneficial to the farming industry in years tocome. Many farmers have acres upon acresof land – all of which can be hard tomanage and watch over. Drones willbecome extremely helpful in aiding farmerswith land monitoring, as they will be able tosurvey crops and also carry out long-distance crop spraying. These futuristicgadgets are becoming more accessible andwill likely become invaluable to any farmersharvesting solutions.

Farms will not only be monitored fromthe sky but from machines working directlyon the ground, too. Cutting-edge machinevision tools that help farmers to scan theirfields, assess crops and get rid of weeds,will become widespread. These hi-techcameras will be fixed onto crop sprayersand will use inbuilt deep learning

technology to identify plants in the field. Ifthese cameras see a weed, it’ll hit it withpesticide, but if it sees a crop, it’ll dropsome fertiliser.

With all of this expected over the next fewyears, the growth potential of AI within otheraspects of the agricultural industry will behuge. So, will the introduction oftechnology start the solution to one of theworld’s biggest problems - solving worldhunger? With many areas of the worldstruggling to grow and eat their own crops,hopefully, advancements in this arena willsee changes to many world issues.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly ingrainingitself into the way we live our lives. With nointention of slowing down, how differentwill your world be in just a handful ofyears? For more information on the futureof AI within the agriculture sector, visitwww.uk.rs-online.com. h

(RS Components is the leading globaldistributor of electronic, electrical &industrial components for engineers, andhas been supporting and inspiring genera-tions of engineers since 1937)

Artificial Intelligence is developing at a staggering rate with the market expected to contribute anastounding US$15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

Futuristic gadgets are becomingmore accessible to farmers. Im

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NEWS

THE PRESIDENT OF the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesinahas made a strong case for increased American and global investments tohelp unlock Africa’s agriculture potential.He made the remarks as the distinguished guest speaker, at the USDA's94th Agriculture Outlook Forum in Virginia on Thursday, on the theme TheRoots of Prosperity.

According to Adesina, "For too long, Agriculture has been associatedwith what I call the three Ps - pain, penury, and poverty. The fact though isthat agriculture is a huge wealth-creating sector that is primed to unleashnew economic opportunities that will lift hundreds of millions of people outof poverty."

Participants at the forum included the secretary of agriculture, SonnyPerdue; deputy secretary of agriculture, Stephen Censky; president of theWorld Food Prize Foundation, Kenneth Quinn; chief economist of the USDepartment of Agriculture (USDA), Robert Johansson; deputy chiefeconomist, Warren Preston; and several top level government officials andprivate sector operators.

Adesina appealed to the US private sector to fundamentally change theway it views African agriculture.

"Think about it, the size of the food and agriculture market in Africa willrise to US$1trillion by 2030. This is the time for US agri-businesses to investin Africa," he said. "And for good reason: Think of a continent whereMcKinsey projects household consumption is expected to reach nearlyUS$2.1 trillion and business-to-business expenditure will reach US$3.5trillion by 2025. Think of a continent brimming with 840 million youth, theyoungest population in the world, by 2050." The US government wasurged to be at the forefront of efforts to encourage fertiliser and seedcompanies, manufacturers of tractors and equipment, irrigation and ICTfarm analytics to ramp up their investments on the continent.

"As the nation that first inspired me and then welcomed me with openarms, permit me to say that I am here to seek a partnership with America:a genuine partnership to help transform agriculture in Africa, and by sodoing unlock the full potential of agriculture in Africa, unleash the creationof wealth that will lift millions out of poverty in Africa, while creating wealthand jobs back home right here in America," the 2017 World Food PrizeLaureate told the Forum.”

Adesina told more than 2,000 delegates that the African DevelopmentBank is spearheading a number of transformative business and agriculturalinitiatives. "We are launching the Africa Investment Forum, as a 100 percent transactional platform, to leverage global pension funds and otherinstitutional investors to invest in Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa fromNovember 7-9."

The World Bank, International Finance Corporation, the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Islamic Development Bank,are partnering with the African Investment Forum to de-risk private sectorinvestments. The African Development Bank is also pioneering the establish-ment of Staple Crop Processing Zones in 10 African countries, that areexpected to transform rural economies into zones of economic prosperityand save African economies billions of dollars in much need foreign reserves."We must now turn the rural areas from zones of economic misery to zonesof economic prosperity. This requires a total transformation of the agriculturesector. At the core of this must be rapid agricultural industrialisation. We mustnot just focus on primary production but on the development of agriculturalvalue chains," Adesina added. "That way, Africa will turn from being at thebottom to the top of global value chains."

In his keynote address US secretary of agriculture, Sonny Perdue, saidthe US Administration has removed more restrictive regulations to agricul-ture than any other administration. "Our goal is to dismantle restrictions thathave eroded agricultural business opportunities.’"

"Agriculture feeds prosperity and accounts for 20 cents of every dollar.As global prosperity grows, it in turn fuels the demand for more nutritiousfood and business opportunities," he added.

In his concluding remarks, Adesina informed participants about a newUS$1 bn initiative, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation(TAAT) to unlock Africa’s huge potential in the savannahs.

Expressing strong optimism that the future millionaires and billionaires ofAfrica will come from agriculture, Adesina said: "Together, let our roots ofprosperity grow downwards and bear fruit upwards. As we do, rural Africaand rural America will brim with new life, much like I witnessed in Indiana,during my time as a graduate student in America. Then, we will havechanged the 3 'Ps' to prosperity, prosperity and prosperity."

Adesina urges America to support African agriculture as a business


Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a new US$1 bn initiativeto unlock Africa’s huge potential in the savannahs.

Image Credit: Ado

be Stock

S06 AF March April 2018 - Artificial intelligence_Layout 1 20/03/2018 10:00

https://www.aaz-performance.fr/

S07 AF March April 2018 - FG Wilson_Layout 1 20/03/2018 10:02

https://www.fgwilson.com/af1

AS A WAY of providing uniterrupted supply of electricpower, generator sets have been around for a long time.FG Wilson has been manufacturing generator sets formore than 50 years, with over 600,000 units installed

since 1990 (as far back as the computer records can go). AnnBrown, managing director of FG Wilson, can see why generatorsets are a popular choice.

“There are many ways to store or produce energy but when itcomes to guaranteeing standby or emergency electrical power, interms of cost, flexibility and responsiveness, for many people, thebest option is a generator set,” she says.

In its simplest form, a diesel generator has an engine driving anAC generator / alternator which produces an AC electrical output.The engine and alternator are fixed to a rigid steel chassis whichusually contains a fuel tank. That has been the basic principle fora long time and for several decades FG Wilson has been at theforefront in driving efficiency of generator sets to new levels.

Ann says, “Our 6.8 – 25 kVA range is probably among one ofthe most popular choices for farmers, and FG Wilson have reallyfocused on making it among the most efficient generator setsavailable.”

The range was originally designed for telecom operators forwhom efficiency is very important: most units are installed in remotelocations, and are required to be reliable with long working life atviable operating costs.

It all starts with the engine, a Perkins 400 Series, which offers a1,000 hour service interval. Not only does this reduce maintenancefrequency, it also cuts costs, with fewer parts replacements over thelifetime of a generator set.

According to FG Wilson estimates, over a 10-year period, withmoderate usage, this can save up to US$15,000 versus a unit with250 hour service intervals and save US$10,000 versus a unit with500 hour service intervals. The engines are also designed for along working life: among FG Wilson products, it’s very common tosee engines working hard well past 20,000 hours.

And that’s just the beginning. Ann says, “Most generator setscome with a fuel tank allowing 8-10 hours of usage. The FGWilson 6.8–25 kVA range offers tanks of 600, 1000 and 2000litres, single or double-walled. That means long endurance beforerefuelling: running four hours a day, the FG Wilson 11 kVAgenerator set has a maximum fuel endurance of 55 days for the600 litre tank, 92 days for the 1,000 litre tank and 185 days forthe 2,000 litre tank.” Fuel is valuable and the range has securityfeatures to prevent theft or vandalism. The fuel pipework is

Most generator sets come with a fuel tankallowing 8-10 hours of usage. The FG Wilson

6.8–25 kVA range offers tanks of 600, 1000 and2000 litres, single or double-walled


Meeting power needs since 1966

Ann Brown, managing director of FG Wilson, explains how farmers can save big money by using hercompany’s high-performance generator sets.

EQUIPMENT

FG Wilson has been at the forefront in driving efficiency of generator sets to new levels.

FG Wilson has a long-established network of dealers across Africa offeringinstallation, parts and aftersales through the lifetime of a generator set.

Image Credit: FG

Wilson

Image Credit: FG

Wilson


concealed between the base and fuel tank, enclosures are lockableand the range comes with optional GPS tracking.

A range of enclosures protects generator sets from wear and tearand also reduces noise to comfortable working levels. Enclosuresare made of high grade steel protected by powder coat paint whichlends a finish on par with the automotive industry. And there is achoice of three enclosures, offering different noise levels, whichmeans customers only buy the one which is right for their needs,and avoid an over-specified enclosure design.

Enclosure design is based on modular principles. As a result,there are interchangeable components for easy on-site repair orreplacement. The lift-off doors and access panels ensure easyaccess for service and maintenance.

As with any equipment, service plays a huge part in sustainingefficient operation over a long time.

FG Wilson has a long-established network of dealers acrossAfrica offering installation, parts and aftersales through the lifetimeof a generator set.

Ann says, “Local, effective support is very important. Our experi-ence shows that over a 10-year product lifetime, being able toresolve a product issue with one fewer visit to site can savecustomers an average of US$6,000 for every generator set. Thatrequires local dealers who stocks parts and are trained to diagnose

issues right away. FG Wilson puts a very big priority on this.” Thatmeans a global parts operation carrying 12,000 parts lines, taking500 orders a day and shipping up to two million parts a year todealers who know the products better than anyone.”

For Ann, that adds up to a strong package: “If you’re thinkingof buying a generator set, it really is worth buying the mostmodern design within your purchasing budget. It will pay for itselfover time with savings on fuel and efficiency. For me, FG Wilsongenerator sets are right up there. They are easy to install andoperate, reliable and designed for a long and productive workinglife and give excellent value for money.” h

EQUIPMENT

A range of enclosures protects generator setsfrom wear and tear and also reduces noise to

comfortable working levels


Lift-off doors and access panels ensure easy access for service and maintenance.

Image Credit: FG

Wilson


http://www.alvanblanchgroup.com/

CONCEPT TRACTOR

Case IH’s design head, David Melvin Wilkie – the prime mover behind the award-winning autonomousconcept tractor – gets candid about his working style in an exclusive interview with African Farming.

When do you expect to go into production?Could you briefly introduce the team thatmade this concept tractor possible?The Case IH autonomous concept is a fullyfunctioning prototype developed in closeliaison with the CNH Industrial’s Innovationteam, the Design Centre and the ASI. Theconcept aims to showcase and test ourautonomous technology and is not directlyrelated to a future production tractor.However, it will certainly influence the nextgeneration of Case IH tractors. The designhas been developed by our NorthAmerican studio in Burr Ridge ( Chicago)under my direction. We worked hand inglove with our innovation team as it’s atruly functional concept.

Tell us some of the challenges you havefaced while coming up with the conceptEvery new design project is a challenge.This concept brought us an enormousamount of freedom which is unusual inindustrial field. The fact that we no longerneeded a cab and the driver is remote,changes everything.

This is no conventional tractor. In orderto protect the engine and complexelectronics on board, we had to design aclean yet functional body. We started off bydeveloping the face and hood - taking afterthe Case IH Optum series. From this, wehave created a very fluid sculptural bodywhich not only protects the tractor but givesit a strong, stylish and futuristic character.

How do you strike the balance betweenfunctionality and design? Where do youdraw the line?Functionality is always our number onegoal. Nevertheless, good design andfunctionality can live together. I truly believegood design can enhance the functionality

of a product. The architecture of a welldesigned machine inspires confidence inthe user. Good design can help build thebrand image and maintain the machine’sappeal throughout its lifetime which in turnkeeps its resale value on the higher side.

How do you go about your productdesign? From the drawing board to thereal-world product, can you walk usthrough the metamorphosis?Our first job is to fully understand the client’sneeds. Be it the brand or product develop-ment, we have to study the market andcompetitors and see what could work. Ourdesign team is a mix of experienced special-ists and young talented designers. We alsohave ex-automotive designers with a passionfor good design. Initially, I would involvedesigners from different studios with variedcultural backgrounds. This allows us to openup the boundaries.

Our designers often exceed expectations.We love to push the limit to see how far theycan go. The next step, however, is to do areview with our brand, marketing andproduct engineering teams. This is where wefind the correct balance – whether to pick aconventional solution or go for an advanced

idea. As the project develops, it becomesclear which direction we should take.

Design starts as two dimensional sketchesthrough to CAS Computer designed surfacemodels up to full-size prototypes. A finaldesign choice is only made after indepthstudies by engineering and ergonomics,supported by market research.

Tell us how your career helped shape yourdesign outlookI have been involved with many automotivebrands over the years. My time in automo-tive design has helped me understand theimportance of good design and how designcould be stylish. In automotive, a good or abad design can be the difference betweensuccess and failure. Attention to detail isprobably the biggest single influence –going beneath the skin and making surethat even the bits you don’t see can lookgood and work well.

What's next big thing on your productline? What are you currently working on?Of course I cannot discuss any of our futureprojects in detail. Our design team getsinvolved in major projects to small detailimprovements and graphics.

The next big thing will possibly revolvearound the continuing influence oftechnology and connectivity in ourmachines. It is even more important in ourbusiness than in the world of automotive.Technology will make the operators lifemore productive and comfortable. h

Breaking new ground in designCase IH unveiled world's first autonomous

concept tractor in 2016.


David Melvin Wilkie, design director,CNH Industrial Design Centre.

Image Credit: Case IH


Good design and functionalitycan live together. I believe

good design can enhance thefunctionality of a product

S08 AF March April 2018 - CASE IH_Layout 1 20/03/2018 10:03

NEWS

THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT Bank is fullyengaged in ensuring efficient and sustainableagricultural production projects in its regionalmember countries. This can drive economicgrowth and poverty reduction as well as fulfilboth domestic and global demand for agricul-tural products.

It is within this perspective, that Angola’sfinance minister, governor for the bank, AugustoArcher de Sousa Mangueira, and the AfricanDevelopment Bank’s country manager forAngola Joseph Ribeiro, signed a US$101.07 mnloan agreement for the Cabinda ProvinceAgriculture Value Chains Development Project.

The loan was approved by the AfricanDevelopment Bank’s Board on 15 December2017 and will directly benefit 51.000 economi-cally active rural agricultural smallholders in allfour municipalities of the Cabinda Province(Belize, Buco Zau, Cacongo, and Cabinda

City) as well as small and medium sizedentrepreneurs responsible for providing agricul-tural support services and food processing. Anumber of enabling infrastructures will be builtincluding 191 km of access roads, 54km ofpower supply networks, 750 hectares of irriga-tion systems, 16 boreholes for water supply, aprimary school and a medical facility in each ofthe four municipalities.

Speaking at the ceremony, the governor ofCabinda Province, Eugénio César Laborinhopraised the Bank for approving an integrateddevelopment project that will help address thechallenges faced by smallholders and cooper-atives in the province, notably the lack ofaccess to agricultural inputs and credit to boostproduction. “The implementation of this projectinaugurates a new era in Cabinda’s history,and is timely, as it responds to the recommenda-tions of the President of Angola, Joăo Lourenço,

related to the creation of economic opportuni-ties for the population in Cabinda”, thegovernor added. The finance ministerhighlighted the alignment of the project with thegovernment’s policies aimed at diversifying theeconomy. According to him, “this project willhelp address persistent economic and socialproblems in Cabinda, in particular, the highunemployment and poverty rates”.For his part,the agriculture and forests minister MarcosNhunga emphasised the relevance of theproject in terms of generating sustainableincomes through agriculture value chains, andtherefore enhancing economic stability for ruralhouseholds in Cabinda.

Joseph Ribeiro highlighted the Bank Group’scommitment to deliver such transformativeprojects, which he said, “is aligned to the Bank’sHigh 5s related to Feed Africa and Improve thequality of life of the people of Africa.”

GHANA’S ECONOMY EXPANDED for the fifth successive quarter inSeptember 2017, at a rate almost double that of 2016, according toa World Bank report.The 3rd edition of the Ghana Economic Update, which focusses onagriculture as the engine of growth and jobs creation, notes that theservice sector bounced back, and the fiscal consolidation is payingoff. The inflation rate is also down to almost 10 per cent.“The macroeconomic outlook was largely positive based on the 2017performance. GDP growth for 2017 is estimated to have almostdoubled from the 3.7 percent in 2016, and is expected to stay at thatelevated level through 2018,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank countrydirector for Ghana.The external position has improved as the trade balance has shifted toa surplus. Ghana has made good progress in macro-stabilisation in2017, but it needs to sustain the fiscal consolidation efforts. Accordingto the report, inflation is likely to fall within or be close to the Bank ofGhana’s medium-term target range of 6-10 per cent in 2018. Tosustain the fiscal consolidation efforts, two areas are particularlyimportant over the medium-term—domestic resource mobilisation andexpenditure controls. Despite the positive outlook, challenges remain,including further containing inflation and strengthening and

deepening the financial sector to lower interest rates. “The country’sheavy reliance on primary commodities, including cocoa, gold, andoil—all prone to volatility in international commodity prices—createuncertainty about its actual future paths for growth, inflation, exportreceipts, and domestic revenue,” said Michael Geiger, senioreconomist and co-author of the report.

Ghana has made good progress inmacro-stabilisation in 2017.

Angola and AfDB sign US$101mn contract to support agricultural value chains development

World Bank optimistic about the growth potential of Ghana's agricultural sector

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Ado

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S08 AF March April 2018 - CASE IH_Layout 1 20/03/2018 12:29

http://www.prive.fr/en/


EQUIPMENT

Patriot 250's aircraft-style trailing link suspension absorbs vertical and lateralshock loads in ways no other suspension package can.

CASE IH, THE global agriculturalequipment leader, hasintroduced its new Patriot 250Extreme sprayer to the African

and Middle East markets. The 250becomes the entry-level option in the four-model Patriot range, offering an easierstep-up to self-propelled spraying forfarmers who previously had to rely ontractor-pulled sprayers.

Daniel Bordabossana, marketingmanager for Case IH Middle East andAfrica, said, “For farmers who want tomaximise crop yield with self-propelledspraying that’s fast, accurate, and easy toapply, the Patriot 250 Extreme offers a newoption. Larger Patriot sprayers have gainedan excellent reputation in Africa, and thePatriot 250 Extreme share their proventechnologies and capabilities. We expectthe Patriot 250 Extreme to be popularbecause of its low running costs, ease ofuse, and ease of maintenance.”

All models in the Patriot range have themost advanced spray technology on themarket to help farmers maximise yieldpotential by keeping fields clean and plantshealthy. Patriots are also distinguished bytheir cab-forward, rear-engine layout, whichcontributes to best-in-class performance.

Greater spray area and best-in-class cropadaptability for high yields The Patriot’s cab-forward, rear-enginelayout places the static weight of the caband engine over the front and rear axles,with the dynamic weight of the chemicaltank located in the centre of the machine.This means there’s more equal weight distri-bution between the axles when the tank is

full and the booms are out. As a result, thePatriot has exceptionally good stability,which improves safety and comfort, and alight footprint, which reduces rutting andsoil compaction. The rear-engine alsoallows for a small hood, which improvesout-of-cab visibility.

Another feature which aids the Patriot’sstability, as well as giving a smooth rideacross fields, is the aircraft-style trailing linksuspension. This absorbs both vertical andlateral shock loads in ways no othersuspension package can. Additionalprotection from field loads is provided bythe machine’s heavy-duty, low-deflectionframe, made of rigid one-piece rectangularsteel tubing, which also provides a stableattachment point for the sprayer’s booms.

The Patriot’s booms are constructed ofrectangular tube in a truss-style design, withfew but large support-members for strengthand durability. Right and left booms areindependent, with a total span of 27metres. This long reach allows for fewerpasses and a greater sprayed area, resultingin higher crop yield, reduced componentwear, and lower fuel consumption. In thePatriot 250 Extreme, boom height can bevaried from 60 to 220 cm. The AutoBoom

automatic boom height control maintainsoptimum spray height for better coverageand the AccuGuide automated guidancesystem helps reduce skips and overlaps.The booms are fed by a 2,500-litre solutiontank and a 280-litre rinse tank, with a 36.5-litre chemical eductor.

The Patriot 250’s 1.7 metre-high chassisaffords best-in-class ground clearance of1.6 metres, making it possible to work intaller crops. For the flexibility needed whenspraying different crops, the Patriot 250’swheel track can be varied from 250 to 305cm, with hydraulic adjustment made easilyvia a control in the cab. Optionally-available crop shields can easily beinstalled to split crops in fields that don’thave true rows to make passes in, or infields of row crops that have canopied-over.

The Patriot 250 Extreme is powered by astrong and proven FPT 4.5-litre in-line four-cylinder engine. With common rail injectionand a turbo intercooler, this makes 165horsepower. To put all of this power to gooduse, traction assist for the 4x4 hydraulictransmission is standard. The other, largerPatriot models have engines displacing 6.7-and 8.7-litres and produce 220 to 325 hp.Additionally, the Sprayers comes as standardwith full AFS AccuGuide for controlled traffic.

To minimise downtime with the Patriot250 Extreme, and to encourage normalmaintenance precautions even whenworking to tight deadlines, essential routinemaintenance items are located on one sideof the machine. There is easy access tocomponents under the sprayer frame andthere are ladders, walkways and platformsto make it easy to reach service pointshigher up. h

Patriot 250 Extreme sprayer nowavailable in Africa and Middle East

Patriot 250 is powered by a strongand proven FPT 4.5-litres in-line

four-cylinder engine.

All models in Patriot rangehave the most advanced spray

technology on the market tohelp farmers maximise yield

potential by keeping fieldsclean and plants healthy


S09 AF March April 2018 - Case IH_Layout 1 20/03/2018 10:03

S09 AF March April 2018 - Case IH_Layout 1 20/03/2018 10:03

http://www.agromaster.com/

https://lemken.com/en/

Company ..............................................................Page

A&G AgroMechanical Industries ..................................7

AAZ Union ..................................................................25

Alvan Blanch Development Co. Ltd ............................29

Atespar Ltd..................................................................33

AWILA Anlagenbau GmbH ........................................17

Ayurvet Ltd..................................................................19

BiotestLab Ltd ............................................................36

Carfed SA ..................................................................17

Case IH ........................................................................5

Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH ..................................15

F G Wilson ..................................................................36

Goizper Sociedad Cooperativa ..................................19

Hozelock-Exel ............................................................11

Impex Barneveld b.v ..................................................17

Jacto / Agricultural Division ........................................21

LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG..........................................33

Milltec Machinery Pvt Ltd............................................35

Omex Agrifluids Ltd.....................................................23

Pan Trade Services Ltd ..............................................11

Prive S.A. ....................................................................31

Remorques Rolland ....................................................13

Spintelligent, Clarion Events ........................................8(AGRItech expo Zambia 2018)

T-L Irrigation ................................................................23

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MILLTEC MACHINERY PVT Ltd is aleading technology provideroffering end to end solutions forrice milling, pulses processing,maize (corn) milling and rollerflour milling plants.

It is the only end-to-endsolutions provider for the rice millindustry globally and offerscustomised project solutions fromconcept stage to the productionstage, keeping the costs at optimallevels and assured delivery ontime. The state-of-the-artmanufacturing facility, innovativeResearch and Development team, quickdeliveries and excellent after sales servicehave helped propel MILLTEC to become themarket leader in quick time.

MILLTEC offers engineering, erectionand commissioning support to the clientsincluding the training of the personnel torun the mills. The company also boasts ofan excellent after sales record.

MILLTEC also provides grain storage andhandling technology to the customers apartfrom colour sorting and packagingsolutions.

The company has established sales andservice offices in India, Nepal, Bangladesh,Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia,Pakistan, Philippines, Germany, Iran,Nigeria and Myanmar. MILLTEC also offersAMC (Annual maintenance contracts)which enables the customers to reduce thedowntime.

Turnkey solutions offered by MILLTECinclude: Recommendation of suitablemachinery and accessories; process flowand plan layout; supply of machinery,accessories and other required material;

coordination with suppliers andcontractors; installation of plantand machinery; total engineeringsupport and monitoring of theproject progress; trial run andcommissioning of the plant withcommitted results; training anddevelopment of operating staff.

MILLTEC offers new technologyfor elite series milling plants,parboiling and drier, sorting and grading plants, solution foryield control, co-generation plants, silica extraction from ricehusk ash etc.

MILLTEC aims to deliver customer-driveninnovative solutions to save process lossand to maintain hygienic standards in foodprocessing and allied industries byadopting qualitative practices. Thecompany is managed by technocrats whohave decades of experience in the relatedfield. The company is presently on anintensive drive to explore new markets toexpand its reach worldwide

MILLTEC has more than 800 employeeswith market presence in Europe, Africa andMiddle East Markets apart from Asia.

www.africanfarming.net

NEWS

MILLTEC offers engineering, erection and commissioning support to the clients

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MILLT

EC

MILLTEC offers complete rice mill solutions

African Farming - March/April 201834

S10 AF March April 2018 - Equipment News_Layout 1 20/03/2018 12:32


http://milltecmachinery.com/


http://www.biotestlab.ua/

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