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Far Eastern Agriculture

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FederUnacoma offers tractors to levelling machines and weed-control robots. (Image source: FederUnacoma)

Machinery & Equipment

Highly specialised FederUnacoma machineries for operations in rice fields were on display at the recently concluded Riso – International Rice Festival in Vercelli, organised by the Province and City of Vercelli alongside the National Rice Authority (Ente Nazionale Risi) and Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MASAF)

From tractors to levelling machines and weed-control robots, there are technologies dedicated to each stage of production to ensure maximum efficiency. 

With more than 230,000 hectares under cultivation, and of high-quality varieties, rice production drives Italy's agriculture scene. To secure rice generation stability against factors such as drought, low market prices and foreign competition, technology is the most scientific way to manage uncertainties, according to FederUnacoma. The 17 innovative machines on display included tractors powerful and versatile enough to work across ploughing, sowing, irrigation and harvesting.

There were multi-purpose blades for constructing solid embankments designed to consistently maintain water level without leaks or seepage. Levelling blades ensuring uniform water distribution were displayed as well. In addition to these – also on display at RISO’ – were precision seeders, electric telescopic loaders for CO₂-free operation in the field, combine harvesters fitted with specialised harvesting attachments, and reaper-binders for harvesting in dry-farmed rice fields.

An agricultural robot was present demonstrating cultivation operations such as weeding with precision. “The technologies produced by Italian manufacturers are capable of managing rice paddies with extreme precision, complying with the phytosanitary parameters imposed by the European Union, conserving water resources and significantly reducing labour costs,” said Mariateresa Maschio, president of FederUnacoma, “and thus enable production costs to be kept in check in a sector...such as the rice industry, which currently offers low profitability”.

“Our Federation’s presence at the RISO event strengthens our collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry,” said Simona Rapastella, director-general of FederUnacoma, “and forms part of a comprehensive programme which, in recent years, has included exhibitions and machine demonstrations at the main events dedicated to agriculture. This is precisely to highlight how mechanisation is a fundamental tool for the competitiveness of Italian production, and how machinery can be a valuable ally for agricultural businesses.” 

 

 

Agroecology can be the solution to food security.

Agriculture

Agroecology is driving the African Union Commission's food security policies as it calls for increased investments in the sector so that it generates employment opportunities for a growing youth population

Announced during the recently held Africa Regional Youth Summit on Agroecology and the Future of Africa's Food Systems in Kampala, this move will address the continent's food systems to reduce import dependency.

Haile Abebe of the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) who spoke during the summit highlighted the commercial significance of agriculture and how it can be more that just a tool for subsistence.

“Agriculture is no longer simply about producing food. It is about science, technology, entrepreneurship, finance, digital innovation, logistics, processing, manufacturing, trade, climate resilience and value addition,” Abebe said. 

With the right skills and technology, alongside financial means and market access, Africa's predominantly youth population can be channelised towards the region's wider agrifood sector. Prioritising the transformation of agrifood systems requires advancing agroecology.

“Agroecology can be part of this solution. It opens opportunities for young people across the agrifood system - from soil health, seeds and bio-inputs to irrigation, digital agriculture, processing, packaging, logistics, green energy and market development,” said Abebe.

Other opportunities include organic and bio-fertiliser production, ecological seed systems, agroforestry, water conservation, food processing, packaging and marketing.

BAITS3 deliver comparatively nuanced animal registration and traceability.

Cattle

Veterinary authorities are deploying the Botswana Animal Information and Traceability System (BAITS) to accelerate monitoring of livestock movement as cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) become apparent in Kgatleng District

The BAITS system supports the management of movement with revised movement controls. Movement management depends on animal identification, traceability, veterinary checks and other disease-control requirements. The system helps in tracking livestock registration and ownership records.

The system allows veterinary authorities to verify an animal’s registered ownership and location and to support movement controls alongside vaccination records, quarantine measures and veterinary inspections. 

BAITS2 is now upgraded to BAITS3 to deliver comparatively nuanced animal registration and traceability. BAITS3 is also digitally equipped to support livestock owners in registering animals, recording ownership transfers and arrivals, reporting deaths and updating veterinary information. 

BAITS3 is central to Botswana’s broader FMD-control approach, which involves zoning, vaccination, quarantine, surveillance and restrictions on animal movement. This practice aligns with the vision of World Organisation for Animal Health.

The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has advised farmers to update livestock records and ensure animals carry required identification, including ear tags and brands. This helps to check rapid spreading by localising disease risks within specific control zones. 

The Ministry is prioritising precautionary measures against suspected FMD cases at several crushes in the Oodi and Mochudi extension areas. It has initiated investigations and prohibited livestock movements in Disease Control Zone 11, except within the designated containment area, and imposed additional restrictions in Zones 3, 8, 9 and 10.

 

VIV Africa
ATR_Inhouse_SS_010926_300926

Without food safety, there is no food security

AF FEAGAccording to EatSafe research, pandemic safety measures has been widely adopted in traditional food markets in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria

In 2015, the WHO reported that more than 400,000 people died annually from food borne diseases. In 2018, the World Bank estimated that food safety costs US$110bn a year in lost productivity through illness and health costs, with sub-Sahara Africa affected the most. But more reliable and current data is required to understand consumer values and perceptions as well as the impact of poor food safety.

The Interview Cruncher was hosted by EatSafe, the five-year research and learning programme sponsored by USAID and led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). It was moderated by Bonnie McClafferty, director, Food Safety and EatSafe at GAIN.

The panel was made up of Mohamed Nasser, regional advisor Food Safety and Quality Assurance, World Food Programme, Dakar/Senegal; Prof Olugbenga Ben Ogunmoyela, executive director, Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI); and Priya Prakash, founder and CEO of HealthSetGo and Youth Champion for Act4Food Act4Change.

Bonnie McClafferty, director, EatSafe, said, “The human and financial costs of poor food safety are appalling yet it is being widely ignored. That has to change and we need to take action now to achieve better health outcomes for the 600 million people who each year get sick from unsafe food.”

“We know the pandemic has promoted new food hygiene practices that can have a positive impact on food safety in traditional markets. EatSafe’s research shows that there is a lot more to do. We’re calling on governments and donor groups to provide resources and further research so that evidence-based decisions about food safety measures can be taken to strengthen traditional markets, to ensure safer foods,” continued McClafferty.

Traditional food market vendors apply COVID-19 measures

In parallel to EatSafe’s core mission of engaging consumers to demand food safety, the programme recently expanded efforts to include gathering key data from traditional markets to understand how they have been impacted by COVID-19 through GAIN’s Keeping Food Markets Working programme. EatSafe is interested in what is needed to ensure the availability of affordable, safe, nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected from traditional food markets in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Bangladesh bi-weekly during the last quarter 2020. Interviews and focus groups are continuing throughout 2021 to learn how consumer behaviour has changed and how resilient the traditional market supply chains are.

“We can build on the fact that safety measures are now a reality in people’s lives. With better surveillance and education regarding food safety measures, consumers getting their foods from traditional markets can help create an enabling environment to start closing the system's gaps and upgrading markets to support the safety of foods,” concluded McClafferty. 

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Event News

Biosecurity practices can boost overall performance even at a low cost for pig producers. (Image source: DLG)

Event News

Disease prevention and herd health management require continuous health monitoring and farm-tailored vaccination programmes

Sound management practices include maintaining barn hygiene, access controls, early detection and modern preventive measures. Such practical solutions for economic livestock production will be addressed at the DLG Expert Stage: Biosecurity and Feed Safety by EuroTier, which is set to return in Hanover, Germany, from 10 to 13 November. There will be specialist presentations and panel discussions covering current challenges and practical solutions, from modern hygiene concepts and feed quality assurance to innovative technologies for herd management and disease prevention. Experts from farming, science, industry and advisory services will present the latest developments and future-oriented production and housing concepts.

Animal health remains central to effective livestock production, driving the significance of biosecurity management. Prevention is better than cure when it comes to addressing epidemics like African swine fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to name a few. The right hygiene protocols can break infection chains and restore economic losses.

Optimised barn climate and customised feeding strategies can help boost overall performance even at a low cost for pig producers. Strict adherence to biosecurity measures, including herd depopulation and restricting movements, has made a huge difference in curbing the African swine fever. 

Biosecurity practices have also helped check the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Preventive measures such as maintaining consistency in barn and personnel hygiene, or vehicle disinfection, among others can protect farms keeping cloven-hoofed animals.

Biosecurity in the poultry sector can prevent seroious threats like avian influenza, with proper cleaning and disinfection practices. Alkaline cleaners can wipe out fat and protein residues, followed by disinfection with approved products and effectiveness testing through environmental swabs.

The separation of clean and dirty areas, changing footwear and clothing, regular handwashing and visitor logs are standard practice. External vehicles should avoid entering farm premises whenever possible. If vehicles must visit multiple farms, cleaning and disinfection are essential. Preventing contact between wild birds and feed, water or outdoor areas is also crucial, while rodent and insect control remain important components of disease prevention.

IPM ESSEN unites global supply and demand in one place. (Image source: IPM ESSEN)

The Kigali Convention Centre will host VIV Africa 2026. (Image source: VNU Exhibition)

Livestock

BAITS3 deliver comparatively nuanced animal registration and traceability.

Cattle

Veterinary authorities are deploying the Botswana Animal Information and Traceability System (BAITS) to accelerate monitoring of livestock movement as cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) become apparent in Kgatleng District

The BAITS system supports the management of movement with revised movement controls. Movement management depends on animal identification, traceability, veterinary checks and other disease-control requirements. The system helps in tracking livestock registration and ownership records.

The system allows veterinary authorities to verify an animal’s registered ownership and location and to support movement controls alongside vaccination records, quarantine measures and veterinary inspections. 

BAITS2 is now upgraded to BAITS3 to deliver comparatively nuanced animal registration and traceability. BAITS3 is also digitally equipped to support livestock owners in registering animals, recording ownership transfers and arrivals, reporting deaths and updating veterinary information. 

BAITS3 is central to Botswana’s broader FMD-control approach, which involves zoning, vaccination, quarantine, surveillance and restrictions on animal movement. This practice aligns with the vision of World Organisation for Animal Health.

The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has advised farmers to update livestock records and ensure animals carry required identification, including ear tags and brands. This helps to check rapid spreading by localising disease risks within specific control zones. 

The Ministry is prioritising precautionary measures against suspected FMD cases at several crushes in the Oodi and Mochudi extension areas. It has initiated investigations and prohibited livestock movements in Disease Control Zone 11, except within the designated containment area, and imposed additional restrictions in Zones 3, 8, 9 and 10.

 

Cagemax considers quality the key to success. (Image source: Cagemax)

Pork and beef demand might see contraction.

Crops

The delegation examined intelligent seedling equipment.

Agriculture

As part of China-Africa cooperation programme, more than 10 experts and scholars from South Africa visited Jinhua in East China's Zhejiang province to explore the city's development and achievements, with their itinerary also comprising Wuzhou Ancient City and the China-Africa (Jinhua) Agricultural Science and Innovation Park

The delegation examined intelligent seedling equipment and took a tour of the China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Exchange Center. They got to see firsthand Jinhua's agricultural innovation capabilities.

At the China-Africa (Jinhua) Agricultural Science and Innovation Park in Changshan township, Wucheng district, the delegation sampled specialty agricultural products such as lotus seeds and sweet potatoes cultivated by the Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences. These were meant for consumption like fruits, and were highly appreciated. China-Africa agricultural cooperation were explored through insightful exchanges on modern agricultural technologies.

This visit is part of the lead-up to the 2026 China-South Africa Seminar on Human Rights in Hangzhou. Before the seminar, participants have conducted field visits in Jinhua and Hangzhou to deepen their understanding of local advancements and collaborative efforts in agriculture.

Agroecology can be the solution to food security.

Ecovado's plant will be driven by the Alfa Laval processing line.

Technology

The training is part of Federal Government’s wider mechanisation programme.

Machinery & Equipment

The graduation of 250 Nigerians marked the first cohort of the National Agricultural Mechanisation Service Providers Training Programme organised by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with Agcoms International Trading Limited, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

The partnership reflects an administrative structure where FMARD will provide policy oversight; NADF serves as the implementing authority; Agcoms brings private-sector equipment, technical and training expertise; and ITF provides training and assessment support. The original programme design calls for two operators per tractor, helping to extend operating hours while ensuring that equipment is handled and maintained properly. 

This comes as part of the Federal Government’s wider mechanisation programme, with this phase involving 2,000 John Deere 5E Series tractors and associated implements to be supplied by Agcoms. The larger programme targets 4,000 tractor operators and mechanics. 

The programme was born out of the necessity to modernise Nigeria's agriculture, questioning the operation, maintenance and use maximisation of existing tractors over making available new ones. This demanded a shift of focus towards investing in human capacity to boost farm productivity and lower production costs. 

The programme falls in line with the agricultural policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which considers agricultural mechanisation central to Nigeria’s food-security challenge. It has in mind the best interests of smallholder farmers, working to improve access to modern machinery, reducing dependency on manual labour and increase yields. 

 

 

 

MTC's PE2 re­inforced gloves can be a good fit for sugarcane farmers.

FederUnacoma offers tractors to levelling machines and weed-control robots. (Image source: FederUnacoma)

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