Mechanisation of small-scale farmers crucial – SARO
Written by Millennium on August 5, 2019
BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes
THERE is need to create more innovative and affordable farming equipment to boost small-scale farmers’ contribution to food security, Saro Agro Industrial Limited Company technical sales officer, Justine Chileshe, has said.
Mr Chileshe said mechanisation was the way to go if the smallholder farmers were to make meaningful contribution to the agriculture sector.
He said the transformation of the two wheel hand ploughing to a four wheel tractor was helping smallholder farmers increase land under cultivation.
Mr Chileshe said in an interview at the on-going 93rd Agricultural and Commercial Show being celebrated under the theme ‘Embracing industrial development.’
“We want our farmers to graduate from ox-ploughs in something higher, so we have brought in two tractors which we have done some further innovation, value addition to it to enable the farmers boost their crop yields.
“The farmer will no longer walk behind [the small ploughing tractor] as was the case previous because we added value to the two wheel tractor by making it a four wheel tractor. It has been specifically being designed to carter for those farmers who are graduating to emergent farmers or commercial,” he said.
Some of the equipment being offered by Saro Agro Industrial Limited for the farmers includes crop processing and irrigation machines, tractors and trailers.
Mr Chileshe said apart from being a trader, the company manufactured 40 percent of the equipment locally.
“We also have hammer mills which are manufactured by us and so far, we have sold close to 300 pieces with each selling at about K28,000,” he said.
Mr Chileshe also said that in the awake of power outages, the company offers energy solutions such as solar and generators to help businesses maintain production.
Commenting on the theme, he said Saro Agro Industrial Limited would continue to conduct research as it was critical in uplifting the production capacity and income levels of the smallholder farmers.
