JOHANNESBURG - Global agriculture company AGCO has launched an initiative to take farm mechanization deep into rural communities in Africa to facilitate food security and unlock the potential of small-scale farming.
AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, unveiled the Farm in a Box (FIAB) initiative for Africa at Germany’s International Green Week running from January 18-27.
FIAB offers a package of essential farm equipment including a tractor and implements together with parts, workshop tools, training and expertise to ensure sustainable and productive machinery operations.
“With this brand-new concept, we aim to take farm mechanization plus all its necessary support facilities deep into previously underserviced rural communities in Africa,” said AGCO president, chairman and CEO Martin Richenhagen.
In sub-Saharan Africa, humans provide 65 percent of the power required for land preparation and FIAB will give small-scale farmers access to the machinery they need to transform their operations and achieve profitable businesses.
Research shows that demand for machinery is high in these remote areas but farmers face barriers such as affordability, availability, maintenance/repair services and inadequate skills and training.
FIAB offers a tractor and implements such as a ripper, disc harrow, trailer and planter to carry out land preparation, planting and crop transport, plus parts and workshop tools for their service and maintenance.
The objective is to offer ‘for-hire’ mechanization services to small-holder farmers, enabling them to reap the benefits of the equipment without having to invest in capital assets.