Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2018 FRA - September - October 2018 digital 5 | Page 18

FEATURE CASE IH FIELD DAY DEMONSTRATES THE POWER OF MECHANIZATION FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND EFFICIENT AGRICULTURE A griculture is a strategic sector in the Tunisian economy. It occupies approximately 16% of the country’s workforce and contributes around 12% of GDP. Land fragmentation, with 75% of farms of less than 10 ha, and a weak irrigation infrastructure are today some of the main challenges. Agriculture is a priority for the government, which has been introducing a series of measures to attract private investment and modernize the sector. The Ministry of Agriculture’s five- year plan for the development of the agriculture and fisheries sector for 2016-2020 aims to raise the cover ratio (ratio of exports compared to imports) to 96%, up from 74% in the previous five-year period. To achieve this objective the plan foresees a 3.3% annual increase in agricultural production. Mechanization and efficient farming practices are key to achieving improvements in productivity, making the most of available resources. Case IH distributor Agrodis – part of the Hortimag Horticulture group – held a Field Day event in Boussalem, in the Jendouba governorate, to demonstrate how its equipment can help the region’s farmers work their land more efficiently. Mr. Azaiez Ghariani, General Manager of Agrodis, said: “We are very pleased with the interest that our Field Day attracted: more than 100 farmers from across the country travelled to Boussalem to see the Case IH equipment in action and learn how we can work with them to improve their productivity. The choice of the right equipment is key to get the most out of mechanisation, and our sales team 16 |September - October 2018 is able to provide professional advice on the machine that best matches the requirements of their operation – and their budget – as well as efficient farming practices.” Mr. Adel Ghariani, CEO of Hortimag Horticulture, added: “The government’s objectives, which foresee a steady increase in production levels, will require an effort to modernise Tunisia’s agriculture. This includes mechanisation that matches the local conditions and farming businesses, as well as professional advice on efficient agricultural practices: Hortimag Horticulture and Agrodis are perfectly placed to help farmers develop their operations and improve their productivity.” The event, which was held at the Sedan (Société d’Exploitation et de Déveleppement Agricole Du Nord) farm, included rolling workshops throughout the day covering soil preparation, seeding and application of fertilizers. The demonstrations where conducted with the most popular Case IH tractors in the market: the JX40T and JX75T high performance utility tractors in 4-wheel drive configuration. They showed soil treatment and ploughing applications, while the rugged, powerful and economic Farmall 80 JXM and 90 JXM 4-wheel drive models worked with a no-tillage planter and an offset plough. Participants to the workshops were able to appreciate the outstanding power, speed, lift capacity and pulling strength of the JXT tractors. With models ranging from 35 to 75 hp, these tractors deliver a big performance with exceptionally low operating costs. As demonstrated in