In the past, if a farmer had plenty of workers it normally meant that a huge yield was on the way. But this way of thinking has since evaporated as farmers wanting to compete with the big guys, are forced to adapt to new technology as a do-or-die.
Farmers have now found ways to improve the basic farming methods with state-of-the-art agritech.
Senior researcher in advanced agriculture at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Sabelo Madonsela said there is no way that farmers, no matter the commodity, could postpone the usage of technology in their operations any longer.
The rise of the drone
Madonsela said farmers are now finding themselves having to navigate the application of drone technology, especially in the commercial space in order to monitor the conditions of the crops and soil conditions.
According to Madonsela, there has been an increase in drone companies that are coming up because farmers are using drone technology to monitor the application of fertilisers, input, and water use.
“Drones are one of the big technologies that farmers are moving into. We are using drones for developing algorithms to predict certain variables like water quantity in crops and they are mostly used to develop the sector for both commercial and small-scale farmers.
“Our application is to gather information that can be processed into available data that can be made available for farmers,” he said.
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Keeping up with the times
Madonsela said farmers are likely to benefit if they have information that they can work with because they can customise the application to the conditions of their farm.
“The other advantage is keeping track of how the crop is growing and this can also be useful in demonstrating the productivity of the farm, and the history of the crop or the entire farm. That can help farmers who are trying to source funding for the farm because they have verifiable information that can be represented to the potential funders.
“Making use of technology is an advantage because a farmer who has 100 hectares is unable to scout the entire place on time, they are not in a position to know what is happening on different parts of the farm and this means you will not be able to react quickly enough to challenges,” he explained.
A mix of new and old
According to sugarcane farmer and deputy chairperson of the Black Agricultural Commodities Federation (BACF) Lee Hlubi, a farmer can mix farming practices, ranging from traditional methods to cutting-edge innovations. She said the coexistence of these approaches reflects the diversity of the agricultural landscape and the challenges faced by farmers across various regions.
“In some areas, particularly in more remote or economically disadvantaged regions, some farmers continue to rely on traditional methods due to limited access to modern technology and resources. These methods may include manual planting, hand harvesting, and minimal use of mechanised equipment.
“However, it’s important to emphasise that farmers in the sugarcane industry as a whole have made significant strides in adopting modern farming practices. Many farmers have embraced technology and innovative techniques to improve efficiency, sustainability, and overall crop yield,” she said.
A sweet transition
Hlubi believes the South African sugarcane industry as an example is undergoing a remarkable transformation as it gradually evolves into a more technically advanced sector.
“The industry has included more mechanised equipment such as tractor-drawn planters and mechanical harvesters have become commonplace. This shift has not only improved productivity but also reduced the physical demands on farm labourers.
“While some farmers continue with traditional methods, some of the farmers that can afford to are adapting to modern practices to remain competitive, sustainable, and culturally relevant in today’s rapidly changing world,” she said.
Latest trends in South African agritech
Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) agriculture bio-economy partnership programme project manager Vuyolwethu Gxotiwe, explained that numerous subsistence and smallholder farmers do not have anywhere to store their maize safely so they make piles on the ground. This is an ideal breeding ground for mycotoxins which develop on the cobs.
“Nixtamilisation is one way to assist in reducing these mycotoxins. Nixtamalisation is a process of preparing maize in an alkaline solution followed by washing and grinding to produce a dough from which a variety of products can be made. Nixtamilisation is a simple form of agro-processing,” she said.
Gxotiwe said in partnership with Grain SA, a nixtamalization training course has been conducted over the years since 2016/17 in various regions in the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
“A key achievement in terms of farmer development has been the training courses presented to farmers with aims of demonstrating technologies that will assist farmers to farm better and to also follow better nutrition in their diets,” Gxotiwe said.
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