Crop farmers use Atlas Copco’s U190 PACE portable air compressors. (Image credit)

Crop farmers in South Africa are improving equipment maintenance and reducing risks with the help of Atlas Copco’s U190 PACE portable air compressors

These compact and rugged units are supporting smart farming by cutting input costs and extending the life of agricultural machinery through effective and regular cleaning.

Used on farms in the Bethlehem district of the Free State province, the U190 PACE has been praised for its manoeuvrability and ease of use. Its lightweight design allows it to be easily transported across rough terrain using a trailer, light delivery vehicle or forklift, making it ideal for field use.

Farmlands often present challenging environments, with dust, mud, plant debris and stones threatening the functionality of machinery. Equipment like diesel engines and coolers can become clogged, increasing the risk of overheating and fire. Daily cleaning using compressed air significantly reduces this risk and helps ensure equipment remains in peak condition. It also protects farmers from potential insurance claim rejections due to poor maintenance.

For crops like maize and sunflower, where dust is highly flammable, cleaning sometimes takes place twice a day. With farms often covering over 5,000 hectares, bringing machinery back to workshops for cleaning is inefficient. Instead, taking the U190 PACE compressor to the field is both practical and cost-effective.

The compressor is used with a 30-meter hose and blower pipe to remove built-up dust and debris from machines such as harvesters, balers, and tractors. This not only extends machinery life but also improves safety and reduces total operational costs.

Equipped with PACE (Pressure Adjusted through Cognitive Electronics) technology, the U190 PACE allows farmers to adjust pressure settings based on the task at hand. Beyond cleaning, the compressor can be used for inflating tires, sandblasting and operating pneumatic tools.

Chantal Jonker, operational manager at JR Compressors & Industrial Supplies (Pty) Ltd, noted that the compressor’s portability and performance have added immense value for South African farmers.

“It’s not just about cleaning, it’s about protecting investments, improving safety, and keeping operations running efficiently no matter how remote the location,” said Jonker.

The U190 PACE is proving to be a vital tool, supporting more efficient and safer farming practices across the country.

Egypt is actively working to boost its position in the international agriculture market. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Citrus fruits and potatoes led Egypt’s export crops as the country recorded 5.2 million tonnes in agriculture exports during the first half of the year

Alaa Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, noted that their distinguished quality drove the export of approximately 1.8 million tonnes of citrus fruits, followed by potatoes at 1.2 million tonnes. 

Other major exports included 168,000 tonnes of fresh onions, 136,000 tonnes of fresh and dry beans, and 103,000 tonnes of sweet potatoes, which ranked fifth. More items in the export list included grapes, strawberries, garlic, tomatoes, guavas and pomegranates.

Egypt is actively working to boost its position in the international agriculture market, and is fostering collaboration between farmers, producers, and exporters to make it effective. The Ministry is focusing on achieveing the highest standards of quality and food safety to unlock new markets at a global scale. 

South Africa is keen to diversify export markets

The tense geopolitical situation in parts of the world has unsettled confidence across the industry in South Africa and underlined the need to diversify markets, according to the latest Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI)

After a notable uptick in Q1 2025, the ACI fell by 5 points in Q2 2025 to 65.

Most respondents pointed to the uncertain global trade environment, lingering geopolitical tensions and the domestic animal disease challenge as some of the key factors constraining the sector.

"The dominance of geopolitical concerns amongst respondents’ views illustrates South Africa’s agricultural sector’s strong dependence on export markets and the need to work to diversify markets,” said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA (Agbiz).

“China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are among the key markets we should expand into,” Sihlobo added.

“Still, as we drive the diversification, we must work vigorously to retain the access we have in various markets in the EU, UK, Africa, Asia, Middle East and Americas, amongst others."

Despite the slight decline, the current level of the ACI implies that South African agribusinesses still remain optimistic about business conditions in the country.

The better summer rains and improvements at the ports which have enabled exports with minimal interruptions, are some of the positives.

The latest survey was conducted in the second week of June, covering various agribusinesses operating in all agricultural sub-sectors across South Africa.

In essence, Sihlobo noted, the ACI results for Q2 2025 illustrate that the mood in the sector remains upbeat about the recovery this year, though this will likely be uneven as some key sub-sectors struggle with animal disease.

As well as expanding and diversifying export markets, Sihlobo also said there was more work to be done in terms of collaboration between industry participants, including businesses and the government.

"Also important is the collaborative efforts between business and government on addressing the biosecurity issues in South Africa's agriculture, along with pushing for more efficient network industries, better management of the municipalities, and the implementation of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, which is key for the long term growth of the sector.”

Burkina Faso is one of 29 countries who have requested Atoms4Food aid. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

To address critical food insecurity challenges in Burkina Faso, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations have launched their first joint Atoms4Food Initiative Assessment Mission in the country

With an estimated 3.5 mn people in Burkina Faso prone to food insecurity, alongside 50% rice consumption being met by imports, there are serious gaps that need identification to turn the situation around. The Atoms4Food mission aimed to fill these loopholes by leveraging nuclear science and technology that can enhance crop production, improve soil quality and in animal production and health, as well as human nutrition. 

During the mission, the team held high-level meetings with the Burkina Faso Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Environment and conducted site visits to laboratories including the animal health laboratory and crop breeding facility at the Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research, the crop genetics and nutrition laboratories at the University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, and the bull station of the Ministry of Agriculture in Loumbila.

Burkina Faso is one of 29 countries who have so far requested to receive support under Atoms4Food.

“Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise globally, and Burkina Faso is particularly vulnerable to this growing challenge,” said IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi. “This first Atoms4Food assessment mission marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to harness the power of nuclear science to enhance food security. As the Atoms4Food Initiative expands worldwide, we are committed to delivering tangible, sustainable solutions to reduce hunger and malnutrition.”

"The Government of Burkina Faso is striving to achieve food security and sovereignty, to supply the country’s population with sufficient, affordable, nutritious and safe food, while strengthening the sustainability of the agrifood systems value-chain," said Dongxin Feng, Director of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and head of the mission to Burkina Faso. "Though much needs to be done, our mission found strong dedication and commitment from the Government in developing climate-resilient strategies for crops, such as rice, potato, sorghum and mango, strengthening sustainable livestock production of cattle, small ruminants and local poultry, as well as reducing malnutrition among infants and children, while considering the linkages with food safety.”

The Assessment Mission will deliver an integrated Assessment Report with concrete recommendations on areas for intervention under the Atoms4Food Initiative. This will help develop a National Action Plan in order to scale up the joint efforts made by the two organizations in the past decades, which will include expanding partnership and resource mobilisation. "Our priority now is to deliver a concrete mission report with actionable recommendations that will support the development of the National Action Plan aimed at improving the country’s long term food security," Feng added.