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Syngenta unveils new fungicide to tackle Cocoa Black Pod disease

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Syngenta unveils new fungicide to tackle Cocoa Black Pod disease

Leading science-based agtech company Syngenta in partnership with Overseas Warehouse (GH) Ltd., a subsidiary of African Tiger Holding Ltd has launched Pergado Ultra, a copper-free fungicide that targets Cocoa Black Pod disease. 

This product is uniquely designed to suit West African Farming conditions with torrential rains during the rainy seasons. Pergado Ultra represents a significant advancement in black pod control and yield optimization in cocoa.

Harnessing decades of research and technological expertise, Pergado Ultra is engineered to address the evolving challenges faced by Cocoa Farmers in West Africa.

” With its eco-friendly profile and minimal environmental footprint, Pergado Ultra aligns with our vision for a more sustainable cocoa production now and the future.”

Issakha Camara

With a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Syngenta’s innovative solution offers farmers a powerful tool to enhance productivity while minimizing ecological impact.

Milestone in agriculture innovation

“Pergado Ultra represents a milestone in agricultural innovation,” said Issakha Camara, West & Central Africa Head at Syngenta.

“We are excited to introduce this game-changing solution to Ghanaian cocoa farmers, empowering them to overcome challenges of the black pod disease and achieve greater cocoa productivity in a sustainable way”.

This new innovation is coming over two decades since Syngenta introduced its iconic Ridomil Gold Plus fungicide in the Ghanaian and West African cocoa industry for black pod control maintaining Syngenta as the leading black pod control company within the sub-region.

Key Features

  1. Double Rainproof: A proprietary formulation optimized for superior efficacy and extended residual activity through it’s double rainproof and systemic properties, ensuring long-lasting protection against Cocoa Black Pod. Pergado Ultra is rainfast within an hour and the LOK&FLO technology ensures the product is not washed off easily by rains after application.
  2. Best-in-Class Protection: By safeguarding your cocoa pods and cherelles from the devastating black pod disease, Pergado Ultra helps unlock the full potential of cocoa plants, resulting in increased yield and improved quality.
  3. Copper free Solution: Balanced environmental profile in combination with Ridomil Gold Plus.

Also Read

Crop protection firm ADAMA launches new multi-Crop, broad spectrum fungicide

The future of crop protection: AI and plant-level spraying

9 world’s best agriculture machinery shows

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9 world’s best agriculture machinery shows

Agriculture machinery shows provide a perfect opportunity for business and individuals alike to gain great knowledge on emerging trends and technologies in the industry.

In this article we look at a must-attend agriculture machinery shows.

World AG Expo

World Ag Expo is the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition with over 1,200 exhibitors and an attendance of more than 100,000 each year. It is held at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, California, in the United States, starting on the second Tuesday of February

EIMA International

EIMA International is one of the largest agriculture machinery shows and trade fairs for the agriculture and gardening industries. EIMA International 2024 event showcases the latest machinery, equipment, tools, technologies, and services for the agriculture and gardening industries aimed at farmers, contractors, distributors, and horticultural professionals. The next edition of the event is scheduled to take place in Bologna Fiera, Bologna, Italy from November 6 to 10, 2024.

Exhibitors include manufacturers and suppliers of tractors, harvesters, irrigation systems, greenhouses, planting and pruning equipment, fertilizers, seeds, and more.  Visitors include farmers, contractors, dealers, distributors, equipment owners as well as landscape and maintenance professionals.

Agritechnica Hannover

Agritechnica is the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural machinery. Here you are sure to Meet global players, innovators and visionaries in the agriculture sector. The Agitechnica exhibition presents the full palette of farm equipment and services for crop cultivation, from tractors, tillage and seeding solutions to crop protection sprayers and combine harvesters, also covering autonomous and automated systems like field drones and robots.

Organised by DLG, AGRITECHNICA is the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural machinery.

Agroexpo

Agroexpo International Agriculture and Livestock Fair, which is Turkey’s largest and one of Europe’s four largest agricultural fairs, hosted 449 participants from 74 countries and 105,716 visitors for five days between 01 – 05 February 2023.

It is organised by Orion Fairs and Promotion Services Inc. established in turkey in 1986.

Agrishow

Agrishow is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive agricultural technology trade shows. It is the only trade show in Brazil that includes small, medium and large manufacturers as exhibiters. At Agrishow you can find a huge variety of products and services that caters to all farmers, no matter the size of their property and their line of business. It is an environment for professional development, new products and services, the promotion of trends in the sector and where technology is demonstrated at the event.

The National Farm Machinery Show

The National Farm Machinery Show offers the most complete selection of cutting-edge agricultural products, equipment and services available in the farming industry. Business professionals from around the world gain knowledge and hands-on access to various technological advancements needed for the upcoming farming season during the four-day show.

Paris International Agricultural Show

The Paris International Agricultural Show is an annual agricultural show and trade fair, that takes place at the end of February or beginning of March at the Paris expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France.

This event was first held in 1870as the Concours général agricole (CGA, “General Agricultural Show”). Its name was changed in 1964,but the Concours still exists and is one of the fair’s main attractions.

SPACE

SPACE is a professional agricultural exhibition for all animal breeding stakeholders: bovine (dairy and beef), poultry, pig, rabbits, sheep, goat and fish farming sector.

A complete offer in animal feed and nutrition, farm buildings, genetics, animal health, milking energy, livestock effluent treatment, organic production… Innov’Space rewards the latest innovations in the animal production. A high-level quality of competitions and presentations in animal genetics.

Nampo

Grain SA’s NAMPO is one of the largest agricultural exhibitions under private ownership in the southern hemisphere and it takes place annually, just outside of the town of Bothaville, in the Free State province of South Africa. The first NAMPO Harvest Day was held in 1967, on the farm, Donkerhoek, near Bloemfontein and was attended by 200 producers. Thereafter the Harvest Day was held on various farms until the size of the event started necessitating a more permanent venue. In 1974 the NAMPO Harvest Day was therefore established on a permanent terrain outside Bothaville, which is today known as NAMPO Park.

Grain SA’s NAMPO enables producers and other role players in the agricultural industry to experience the latest technology and products on offer in the farming industry first-hand and on one terrain.

Also Read

Food industry giants come together in World Food Istanbul 2024

NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 14—17 May 2024

Food industry giants come together in World Food Istanbul 2024

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Food industry giants come together in World Food Istanbul 2024

World Food Istanbul, the international meeting platform of the Turkish food industry, is preparing to introduce many new products and the latest technologies to the food industry

Welcoming 1,117 exhibitors from 38 countries and a total of 64,146 visitors from 161 countries last year, the International Food Products and Technologies Exhibition – WorldFood Istanbul not only created new business and partnership opportunities in its 31st year, but also offered a productive exhibition experience with its informative and inspiring events.

WorldFood Istanbul Exhibition achieved a historical success by increasing the number of visitors by 67% compared to last year, and 30% of its visitors were international visitors in 2023. The exhibition, which hosted a total of 19,543 international visitors, increased the number of international visitors from the previous year by over 55%.

65% of the areas in the exhibition, where exhibitors and visitors will have the opportunity to see innovations and products in the market, access international and domestic companies, and develop relations with suppliers and manufacturers in 2024, have already been booked.

The aim is to host over 900 buyers from about 80 countries from Europe, the Middle East, Africa (North Africa), and the Turkic Republics.

WorldFood Istanbul, which brought to the stage many guiding issues for sustainable investments, technological developments, and export-oriented projects by showing a realistic future vision to the sector with its event program last year and examined the subjects that steer the future of the food sector with over 50 experts and 20 different leading institutions, will bring together sector professionals for the 32nd time by welcoming visitors and exhibitors with its event program this year.

Besides creating new business and partnership opportunities, 32nd WorldFood Istanbul, which prepares for providing a productive exhibition experience with its events full of information and inspiration, will continue to strengthen its feature of being a “regional and international vision platform” with its insights into Türkiye’s food and food technologies sector in addition to its chock-full of event program.

Exhibition Director Semi Benbanaste expressed the importance of the exhibition in the light of the developments in the food sector:

“In our exhibition which reached record numbers in its 31st year, we hosted more than 800 international hosted buyers from 73 countries and advanced to the highest level. We worked so hard to promote our exhibition globally and encourage international participation.

We brought together exhibitors from various food sectors and places in order to become a site of attraction that brings together all the buyers and sellers from around the world.

Upon a closer look at the developments in the food sector in 2023, we see that the demand for the import of agricultural and food products has increased in many countries
with the interruptions in the supply chains of agricultural and food products.

Türkiye continued to meet the increasing import demands in the first three quarters of 2023 as an important supplier of agricultural and food products in its region. Food and Agricultural Products Import reached $15.15 billion in the first 9 months.

According to the 2021 Foreign Trade Data Report published by the Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Türkiye, Türkiye’s exports in the agriculture, food, and beverage industriesreached $22.9 billion with an increase of 21% compared to last year, and its imports reached $17.2 billion with an increase of 22%.

This growth is especially evident in the confectionery, Turkish delight and halva industry, which has a history dating back hundreds of years. Türkiye’s exports of confectionery and
chocolate confectionery products in the January-November period of 2022 reached $1.939 billion with an increase of 12% compared to the previous year.

These positive developments show that the Turkish food and beverage industry is increasingly in demand in the international market. In this context, the 2024 WorldFood Istanbul Food Exhibition has critical importance in terms of Türkiye’s growth and
increasing foreign trade volume in the food industry.

The exhibition will be an important platform to increase the international brand recognition of the Turkish confectionery, Turkish delight and halva industry and adapt to global demands, while also allowing the professionals in the industry to establish new business networks, develop collaborations and follow industrial innovations by gathering together.

In addition to these developments, the markets of the USA, China, South Korea, Germany, France, India, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Indonesia, and the UK will come to the forefront in 2024, according to the ‘Target Country Analysis Report in Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Products Foreign Trade’ published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Our exhibition is the most important meeting point in the industry for the countries in the region.

In the trade between the countries in the region, the most extensive access opportunities are also provided for the third countries.

Especially with the need for healthy food and food safety that emerged after the pandemic and with food safety becoming a critical issue after the war between Russia and Ukraine, WorldFood Istanbul has become the most important platform for secure and continuous food trade in the region.

The innovations in the agriculture-food industry also reach the countries in the region primarily through this exhibition.

While the exhibition is an important promotion ground for production technologies, product technologies and new products, it also develops the agriculture-food trade, steers the sector, and contributes to the development of the agriculture-food sectors of the countries in the region.

The world price and the world supply-demand balance are now more important determinants than ever.

In an environment where world prices are decreasing, the support for the increase in exchange rates for exports is limited. In addition, the supports provided in the export are significant determinants in export strategies. The amount of support for products, especially for products such as citrus fruits, promotes export.

The global supply chains in the food sector have been broken due to the pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical developments and are now in a reconstruction process.

In this process, Türkiye must first improve its self-sufficiency capacity in the agriculture-food sector. In this framework, the best adaptation to global dynamics will be achieved by ensuring self-sufficiency in every field and food safety domestically.

We aim to exponentially increase the success of our exhibition as well as the added value that we contribute to the country’s economy with more innovation, greater cooperations and more participation in 2024 as we level up the increasing satisfaction of both visitors and exhibitors in our 32nd year. We will continue writing this story of success together.”

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Oman Agrofood: 2 to 4 December 2024

NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 14—17 May 2024

4 major challenges facing modern agriculture industry

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4 major challenges facing modern agriculture industry

Now more than ever before, modern agriculture industry is facing a myriad of challenges and the results are obvious; low production and hunger. In this article we examine the top most challenges facing modern agriculture industry.

Demographics

Rapid population growth coupled with rapid urbanisation is expected to increase demand for food. In the coming decades, population is expected to grow by 33 per cent to almost 10 billion by 2050.

New studies have shown that by 2050 about 2.4 billion people will be living in cities and also would mean demand for food. Simply put, more people means greater demand and this calls for increased output.

Natural resources

Agricultural land is a limited natural resource. It is estimated that nearly a third of global arable land has been lost due to soil erosion and pollution during the past 40 years.

Other reasons for loss of agricultural land include urbanisation, sea level rise, and renewable energy production (e.g. solar panels on agricultural land), as well as land requirements for bio-fuels and other non-food crops.

At the same time, forests have been converted to agricultural land, mainly driven by increased consumption of meat and need of land for feed production.

Therefore, the percentage of agricultural area of the total global land area has been relatively stable during the past decades.

However, deforestation contribute to the acceleration of many environmental changes, such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, and therefore, can have negative indirect impacts on food security, e.g. through loss of wild foods

Climate change

Climate change affects agriculture and those who rely on it by weakening environmental health, undermining production, wiping out crops, killing off livestock, making it more difficult to earn a living and extending the amount of time families must go without food.

Fossil fuels are the biggest contributor to climate change, responsible for over three-quarters of all global emissions. Burning oil, coal and gas releases large quantities of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases.

When these gases are emitted into the atmosphere, they trap heat close to the Earth’s surface, a consequence known as the greenhouse effect. Too many greenhouse gases result in global warming that causes climate change, which can also be thought of as shifts in Earth’s weather patterns over time.

Food waste

There are a number of ways in which food waste can affect the environment. When we waste food, we waste the natural resources used for producing that food, the three main ones being energy, fuel and water.

Water is needed for all stages of the food production process, as well as in all types of food produced. Agriculture accounts for 70% of the water used throughout the world. This includes the irrigation and spraying required for crops, and the water needed for rearing cattle, poultry and fish. By wasting food, we are wasting fresh water. Given that countries have a severe water shortage, with countries being predicted to be uninhabitable in a few decades, conserving freshwater should be a global mission.

Growing plants and rearing animals drains a huge volume of fresh water. Food such as fruit and vegetables are water-laden, and require a huge amount of water to grow.

Additionally, different types of plants need different amounts of water to grow. Animals also require a large amount of water for both their growth and their feed.

Producing meat requires more water supply, yet meat is the food that is thrown out the most.

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The future of crop protection: AI and plant-level spraying

Why smart spraying is rapidly gaining ground

Crop protection firm ADAMA launches new multi-Crop, broad spectrum fungicide

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Crop protection firm ADAMA launches new multi-Crop, broad spectrum fungicide

Crop protection firm ADAMA, has announced the launch of Maxentis®, a new versatile fungicide that delivers reliable control over a broad range of diseases in wheat, barley, and oilseed rape, to increase yields and improve income.

Maxentis® delivers dependable control of Septoria, Yellow Rust, and Brown Rust in wheat; Leaf Blotch, Net Blotch, and Rust in barley; and Sclerotinia and Alternaria in OSR, helping bring peace of mind to farmers while simplifying and reducing the expense of their spray programs.

In high potential wheat areas Maxentis® can be used as a T1 application in a spray program with other fungicides, or as a standalone T1 or T2 broad spectrum product in lower-potential areas.

The non-SDHI formulation makes it an excellent partner for spraying programs, allowing farmers the flexibility to use an SDHI combination at the critical flag leaf stage of the wheat.

Two modes of action are combined to enhance the impact of Maxentis®. This means that fungal diseases are controlled across multiple growth stages of the disease, resulting in greater efficacy and healthier crops.

Broad spectrum

Maxentis® improves yields, while the ability to control numerous diseases in multiple crops with a single product increases convenience, reduces complexity and lowers costs, resulting in increased income for farmers.

“Farmers across Europe expressed a need for more versatile, broad label products that can serve multiple crops and combat a range of diseases, without requiring them to juggle a complicated mix of products,” says Alex Mills, Global Head of Fungicides at ADAMA.

“We responded with the value innovation that is an integral part of ADAMA. Maxentis® delivers dependable control of the most important diseases in wheat, barley, and OSR, in a single convenient product that’s ready to go when you are.

Thanks to its flexibility and reliability, farmers can produce higher yields with less stress.”

Maxentis® is part of ADAMA’s new European cereal fungicide portfolio, which it began rolling out in 2023. Launches will continue across the continent, UK, and Ireland throughout 2024.

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Vesconite Bearings innovates in the tractor tyre replacement market

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Vesconite Bearings innovates in the tractor tyre replacement market

Custom-made wear-resistant low-friction Vesconite bearings and wear pads are being trialled on a BEISS tyre stripper machine by a company in the thriving tractor-tyre-changing industry.

The trial, conducted in Bultfontein, South Africa, at a company that specialises in tractor-tyre stripping and replacement, aims to prove the efficiency and durability of Vesconite in tractor tyre maintenance.

The wear pads, produced by Vesconite Bearings, were strategically installed on the slides of the hydraulic sled carriage, a crucial component of the tyre stripper machine.

This carriage, carrying essential tools for tyre removal and replacement, moves repeatedly during tyre mounting and dismounting operations.

Wear-resistant

Vesconite’s wear-resistant properties are expected to mitigate excessive wear, ensuring smooth and reliable performance over extended periods.

Furthermore, Vesconite bearings have been deployed as rollers beneath the table used for positioning tractor tyres during maintenance procedures. The constant back-and-forth motion of this table often leads to wear on conventional components.

By introducing Vesconite products, the company anticipates an increase in durability and longevity, providing a reliable solution for garage equipment used on large tractor tyres.

The Vesconite solutions were installed in January 2024, replacing conventional nylon wear pads and bearings that had worn out over three years.

The client, introduced to Vesconite through positive word-of-mouth feedback, will provide information on the performance of the Vesconite components on the BEISS machine, which is exposed to the rigours of cumbersome tractor tyres.

Should the Vesconite bearings and wear pads outperform the traditional nylon products, Vesconite Bearings plans to expand its offerings to other tyre stripping operations specialising in tractors.

This move aligns with the increasing demand for durable and efficient solutions in the agricultural sector, which is driven by a growing global population’s need for food, the rise in mechanisation in agriculture, and, in some cases, supportive government policies and subsidies promoting agricultural equipment purchases.

Vesconite Bearings remains dedicated to advancing innovation in the agricultural industry and the equipment that supports the farming sector.

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AGCO and Trimble Close Joint Venture, Form PTx Trimble

Tech-driven mechanization boosts Africa’s smallholder farmers

AGCO and Trimble Close Joint Venture, Form PTx Trimble

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AGCO and Trimble Close Joint Venture, Form PTx Trimble

AGCO and Trimble have announced the closing of their joint venture (JV) transaction.

The JV, known as PTx Trimble, combines Trimble’s precision agriculture business and AGCO’s JCA Technologies to form a new company that will better serve farmers with factory fit and retrofit applications in the mixed-fleet precision agriculture market.

AGCO has acquired an 85% stake in PTx Trimble, and Trimble will hold a 15% stake. Going forward, the PTx Trimble JV will be consolidated into AGCO’s financial statements.

“Farmers worldwide need technologies that support them to be more productive and profitable while minimizing the environmental impact of their operations,” said Eric Hansotia, AGCO’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “PTx Trimble will provide farmers greater access to next-generation precision ag tools, no matter what brands of tractors and implements they operate.”

The formation of PTx Trimble enhances AGCO’s comprehensive technology offering around guidance, autonomy, precision spraying, connected farming, data management and sustainability.

Real winners

“Farmers are the real winners here,” said Rob Painter, Trimble’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “By combining our expertise and resources through this JV, we aim to accelerate the pace of innovation. With a focus on open technologies, customers will benefit from tech solutions available to farmers across a broad range of tractor and implement brands.”

AGCO’s consolidated precision ag revenue is now expected to exceed $2.0 billion by 2028, and the transaction is expected to be accretive to AGCO’s revenue growth, adjusted operating margin profile and adjusted earnings per share in the first full year post-close.

AGCO financed the transaction through a combination of $1.1 billion in recently issued senior unsecured notes, a $500 million term loan facility, other borrowings and cash on hand.

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Kenya perishable exports set to sour with development of cool-logistics corridor

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Kenya perishable exports set to sour with development of cool-logistics corridor

Kenya has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kingdom of the Netherlands to develop a cool-logistics corridor a move that the east African country hopes will revitalize perishable exports.

“The MoU I signed with the Dutch Ambassador in Kenya, Maarten Brouwer, will facilitate private investment in cool-logistics infrastructure to support the transportation of fresh produce by sea,” said Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen.

Kenya’s perishable exports could soar, creating millions of jobs, thanks to the new agreement with the Netherlands. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paves the way for a “cool-logistics corridor” – a sea freight system specifically designed for fresh produce.

Boon for Kenya’s horticultural exporters

This project has the potential to double or even triple Kenya’s horticultural exports. This surge could create up to 3 million new jobs within the horticultural and agro-logistics industries.

The MoU, signed with the Dutch Ambassador to Kenya, facilitates private sector investment in cool-logistics infrastructure.

The project encompasses various logistical aspects, including port facilities, transportation networks, and regulations. It aims to revolutionize fresh produce transportation which will benefit trade between Kenya and the Netherlands, while propelling Kenya’s agricultural sector forward.

The CS acknowledged Kenya and the Netherlands long-standing relationship built on trade, transport, and development cooperation with nearly half of Kenya’s flower exports already reaching the Netherlands and avocado exports rapidly increasing as well.

This cool-logistics collaboration promises to further strengthen ties between these two key gateways – Kenya to East Africa and the Netherlands to Europe.

The Mombasa-to-Malaba corridor prioritizes sustainability. Sea freight boasts a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to air freight – a 95% reduction in emissions.

Additionally, sea transport offers a more cost-effective solution. Developing this system will enhance Kenya’s competitiveness in the global market.

The MoU presents an exciting opportunity for the private sector, and along with other ongoing developments around the Port of Mombasa, like the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, creating a favorable environment for such investments.

This private sector-led initiative empowers businesses to adapt their infrastructure to seamlessly integrate with the cool-logistics system.

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Tech-driven mechanization boosts Africa’s smallholder farmers

Britain bolsters trade and food security in Africa

Tech-driven mechanization boosts Africa’s smallholder farmers

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Tech-driven mechanization boosts Africa’s smallholder farmers

Heifer International, a global nonprofit working to end hunger and poverty through sustainable farming, recently released a report highlighting how tens of thousands of Africa’s smallholder farmers have seen their livelihoods transformed by a tech-driven mechanization initiative.

The report, titled Mechanization for Africa: Innovative Financing for Agricultural Transformation and Youth Job Creation, examines the role and benefits of agricultural innovation, mechanization, and catalytic financing in empowering smallholder farming communities in Africa, while creating new opportunities in agriculture for Africa’s youth population.

It showcases how Heifer’s support and investment in innovation and youth catalysed the expansion of an agritech initiative to power large scale affordable access to tractors for smallholder farmers.

The resultant increased mechanization spurred enhanced productivity, leading to improved livelihoods for smallholding farming communities across the pilot countries in Africa.

“Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa’s food systems, accounting for up to 80 per cent of food production in sub-Saharan Africa” said Adesuwa Ifedi, senior vice president of Africa programs at Heifer International.

“Equipping them with the right tools and resources, including appropriate and sustainable mechanization, is essential for increased productivity.

As this report shows, access to affordable tractors increased incomes of smallholder farmers by 227% within the beneficiaries’ pool, leading to not just enhanced productivity, but a plethora of critical transformational pathways — increased inclusion, an energised ecosystem, and job creation for Africa’s energetic youth” she notes.

Impact summary

Key findings of the report include the value of catalytic financing and partnerships to scale innovative agricultural solutions, as well as the effect of affordable mechanization on improved agricultural yields, labour efficiency, and household income for smallholder farmers.

The importance and advantage of incorporating local contexts, farmer needs, and gender equity into new technologies is also emphasized.

The report reveals that the initiative provided service to 21,048 smallholder farmers in need of mechanization services in the three pilot countries of Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, as of December 2022.

A total of 104 farmers became tractor owners through a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model. The project also created 368 direct jobs for youth serving as booking agents, tractor operators and technicians, and 784 indirect jobs across target communities.

Heifer – Hello Tractor Partnership

Heifer partnered with Hello Tractor to launch a PAYG tractor financing service to facilitate affordable tractor rental services to smallholder farmers via a tech platform that enables ease of access for beneficiaries, ease of monetization for tractor owners, and overall effective monitoring.

Hello Tractor is an agricultural technology company that connects tractor owners to smallholder farmers in need of tractor services. Hello Tractor works like the ride-hailing service, Uber, using Internet of Things (IoT) technology via the Hello Tractor app.

The Hello Tractor app is a marketplace that enables smallholder farmers’ access to equipment, while enhancing profitability for equipment owners and building technical capacity.

The app works by identifying and listing equipment owners looking to rent, recruiting booking agents and establishing them as links between equipment owners and farmers’ requests for equipment leasing.

This information available on the app also provides financiers with the data and ability to calculate returns and measure results.

The AYuTe Africa Challenge

Hello Tractor leveraged catalytic funding of US$1M from Heifer Africa’s Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Initiative to kickstart expansive operations.

The initiative is a catalyst for growth, combining grants with business development and ecosystem transformation initiatives to translate the energy and ideas of young African innovators into meaningful impact for African farmers.

One of the pillars of the AYuTe Africa Initiative is an annual Challenge that awards cash grants to promising young agritech innovators and firms across the continent — professionals who are using technology to reimagine farming and food production in Africa.

With the grant in place, Heifer Africa and Hello Tractor co-designed a mechanization program to ensure maximum impact and sustainability. Heifer provided additional funding of US$3.5 million in grant financing to pilot the model in three countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda).

This grant financing further unlocked commercial capital of over US$7M for increased tractor penetration and ecosystem development.

“The partnership with Heifer and Hello Tractor was the first of its kind. By injecting capital at the base of the pyramid and empowering traditionally unbanked entrepreneurs to become tractor owners, we are driving economic growth and transforming livelihoods.

This investment has unlocked commercial capital for Hello Tractor and has contributed to the prosperity of our tractor owners and the thousands of smallholder farmers they serve every season,” said Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO of Hello Tractor.

“The impact of this project, as shown in this report, has exceeded expectations; and we are happy to have catalysed the unlocking of commercial capital that Hello Tractor needs to scale this innovation,” said Ms Ifedi.

“We encourage stakeholders, including policymakers, development organisations, and the private sector to join us to promote responsible and inclusive agricultural mechanization in Africa.”

Heifer’s commitment to advancing sustainable food systems and food sovereignty in Africa through youth-led, gender-balanced initiatives integrating innovative finance and technology is poised for significant expansion through heightened partnerships, such as the Heifer/Hello Tractor PAYG mechanization program.

Drawing on its extensive global experience and five decades of dedicated work in Africa, Heifer remains committed to reinforcing existing collaborations and forging new ones, leveraging this collective strength to achieve scalable and sustainable impact across the continent.

The mechanization initiative is currently being scaled across other countries on the continent.

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NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 14—17 May 2024

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NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 14—17 May 2024

The growing number of exhibitors at the NAMPO Harvest Day agricultural Trade Show can be attributed to a number of factors.

Foremost is the positive sales reaction experienced at the Show. Another is the unique demonstration programme that allows interactive demonstrations on stands in addition to the static exhibits.

All known sectors of the agricultural input suppliers are represented. These range from tractor and implement manufacturers, the chemical industry, fertiliser companies and financial institutions to feed manufacturers, extension services as well as commercial sectors, agricultural cooperatives and utilities such as Eskom – the national electricity supplier.

Several other industries, not related to agriculture, exhibit their products albeit in limited numbers. Because of the diversified nature of summer grain farming, the livestock industry is very well represented.

In total 31 breeds of cattle, 10 breeds of sheep as well as 3 breeds of horses and 6 breeds of goats are exhibited.

Over the past few years, several international exhibitors from countries such as Australia, Sweden, the USA, Britain, Italy, Pakistan, Germany and Brazil have also participated in the show.

Exhibitors’ profile

All agricultural input suppliers, including agricultural machinery, irrigation, chemicals, transport, fertiliser and seed, extension services, commercial sectors, utilities, feed manufacturers, financial institutions and livestock breeders.

Product Profile

Tractors, agricultural machinery, commercial vehicles, irrigation equipment, pumps, generators, research organisations, financial services, banking and futures, transport equipment and materials handling, chemical products, feeding systems products and services, seeds, dairy equipment and products, pig, poultry, cattle and sheep equipment and services, hydroponics, artificial insemination equipment, services and products and IT technology for farming.

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FRUIT LOGISTICA offers exhibitors various chances to shine

Oman Agrofood: 2 to 4 December 2024

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