US agricultural equipment manufacturer, AGCO, revealed it will invest US$100mn in Africa over a three-year period by the end of 2012 at AGCO Africa Summit 2014
The company, who held its third annual summit in Berlin, Germany said it was working towards transforming Africa’s farming sector by introducing new machinery to support farmers across the continent.
Many farmers are adverse to using agricultural machinery on the continent and prefer to use tradition farming techniques making it difficult for machinery manufacturers to target farmers on the continent, AGCO stated.
“Currently, the majority of power for farming in Africa is provided by draught animals or human hands. This not only severely limits productivity but the hard work for so little return also makes agriculture an unattractive occupation,” the company said in a statement.
A recent study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation noted that farming mechanisation can provide both economic and social gains in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Zambia AGCO has already invested in a demonstration farm and training centre in a bid to improve the knowledge of farmers in the country on modern agricultural technology and the latest farming practices.