NEWS
JD helps TO FEED THE NATION
DUE TO THE HIGH DEMAND FOR FOOD IN SOUTH
AFRICA JOHN DEERE IS CURRENTLY SUPPORTING
SMALL HOLDER AND SUBSISTENCE FARMERS TO
INCREASE THEIR YIELDS BY GIVING THEM ACCESS
TO MECHANISATION. NICOLIZE VAN DER WALT
B
y doing this John Deere
helps these farmers to
execute more appropriate farming
practices. In cooperation with
Batho Pele they have developed
learning and skills programmes to
educate the emerging farmers.
The challenge was to convince
the small holder farmers to
change the way they work the
land to produce crops. Illiteracy,
the lack of resources and
infrastructure were challenges in
developing these programmes.
Because banks are hesitant
to lend to small holder farmers,
financial solutions for the
implements was another
challenge. However, this was
successfully addressed with the
cooperation from Afgri Zambia.
From there on the project
grew and more and more farmers
had access to these training
programmes which includes subjects
like farm management, crop
production, mechanisation, setting
up a business, manage finances,
marketing and customer care, basic
agronomy, planting practices, soil
preparation practices and spraying.
Two emerging contractors,
Zandisele Dandala en Unhathi
Mgugudo recently told Scenario
how they can now produce crops
on behalf of the government (due
to a contract) and still feed their
communities. Government gives
them a marketplace, but also
carries the risk of the harvest. In
this manner, thanks to John Deere
these farmers can contribute to
food security and live out their
passion for agriculture.
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