Technology

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

Mbabane Trading Company (MTC) is offering a wide range of farming essentials from protective clothing and foot­wear to reliable hand tools that will support farmers withstand any demanding conditions while in the field

MTC designs its products with practicality, durability and value in mind to suit farmers' needs. To address mud exposure, for example, MTC's Egoli boots serve as sturdy footwear. Its Jons­son reflective overalls is a practical workwear, which also retains visibility to protect workers working around vehicles, machinery or in low-light conditions.

MTC's PE2 re­inforced gloves can be a good fit for sugarcane farmers who have to work around sharp cane leaves under wet conditions, tackling mud, dust and long working hours. Lasher cane knives with a solid blade and wooden handle, which are widely used in sugarcane farming, are also available at MTC. Farmer files are offered as well for sharpening and the maintenance of farm tools. 

Cutting and maintenance tools besides, MTC also stocks safety goggles for eye protection against dust, debris and other hazardous exposure. 

MTC's strategy is driven by farmers' safety, with quality gear designed to make life easier for them. Of everyday items, it supplies Jerry cans for the transportation and storage of liquids around the farm.

MTC's store at Unit 2, Riverside Centre at the Mbabane Industrial Site serves as a convenient one-stop shop for farmers.

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

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.” 

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

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. 

Zoomlion's participation is part of a broader Hunan business delegation.

Hunan-based heavy equipment manufacturer, Zoomlion, exhibited six machines at the 61st Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) in Mozambique

The Chinese agricultural machinery manufacturer aims to widen reach in the southern African country by technically equipping Mozambican farmers through local partnerships.

Jacinto Almeida, the company's Mozambican representative who was present at the exhibition venue said that they mainly represent agricultural machinery. "The idea, in the end, is to bring technology to Mozambique at a competitive price, a price that small producers, communities and large producers can afford," he said. 

Almeida said the company's ambition extends beyond equipment sales to supporting broader agricultural mechanisation in Mozambique.

"We are here representing Zoomlion, but with the final intention of bringing the business to Mozambique and bringing technology to agriculture in Mozambique," he said, while speaking of the company's ambitions to collaborate with local farmers, offering broad ranged agricultural solutions.

Zoomlion's participation is part of a broader Hunan business delegation organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Hunan Sub-council, bringing about 13 companies to FACIM for the first time.

Amy Zheng, representing CCPIT Hunan, said the participating companies cover sectors including agriculture, medicine and construction, with many showing strong interest in the Mozambican market.

The participation, she added, provides an opportunity to deepen economic and trade ties between China and Mozambique.