The crucial role of technology in the advancement of agriculture is front and centre at this week’s Africa Agri Tech conference taking place in Pretoria.

Opening the event, master of ceremonies, Aki Anastasiou rightly pointed out that Africa has the potential to be the world’s biggest food producer. “In 50 years the most populous cities will all be in Africa so we need to achieve a higher level of food production to feed them. Embracing technology will get us there.”

The first day of the conference focused on agri technology that empowers farmers. The expo area featured the latest offerings from the agricultural sector, geared to enhance the sector’s participation in the fourth industrial revolution.

Norman Cilliers, CEO of AFGRI, stated that readily embracing technology has played a big role in AFGRI’s success over the last 100 years. “We will continue to innovate and find new ways to take the industry forward into the next 100 years. Agriculture is perfectly poised to address some of the most pressing agricultural challenges today. This includes the shift brought about by ‘the next one billion’ – the one billion consumers that are moving out of poverty levels, towards greater levels of consumption. As African farmers we are in prime position to feed these consumers, who will be largely Africa-based.”

Cilliers said that global concerns, coupled with future technology will result in opportunities for the agricultural sector far beyond what has been seen before.

Confirming the role of technology, Prof Ferdi Meyer, managing director of the Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy (BFAP), stated that technological advancements have meant higher maize yields. “Productivity rates are keeping up with demand without having to increase area planted to maize.”

Striving for higher yields is a key factor in Kevin Kalb’s success. Known as the King of Corn, the farmer from the United States said that he would not be pushing the envelope on farming methods, striving for record yields if it did not pay. “We make more money on high yielding corn than any other fields, where precision is not done on such a high level. High yields require a mass of data collection and knowing exactly how much every hectare costs to produce. Technology has taken the guess work out of farming, and with it the costly mistakes that comes with guessing.”

He advised farmers to ‘Think outside the box’. “When we started improving our yields we shunned the norm and sought alternative methods. There’s a lot of low-lying fruit, easy to reach if you change just a few practices. There’re much more efficient ways to achieve high yields.”

In a panel discussion hosted by Lynette Francis-Puren, the effect of technology on job security for rural communities was discussed. Lennox Plaatjies, operational manager of PALS, stated that research had shown that machines will not replace labour. “We need to look at technology enhancing our labour, not replacing them. It should make what we do better, and enable more far flung communities to be a part of the value chain. There is so much technology can do to help us produce food, we should not be afraid of it.”

Implementing new systems should however come with due diligence and careful scrutiny over the real benefits that will be obtained. Prof Johan Steyn, from AI for Business, noted that if you are not in the trenches and understand what is happening at ground level then you can’t implement changes that will truly make a difference. He said that often the simplest changes can enhance the way people operate and how systems flow.

Implementing new systems should however come with due diligence and careful scrutiny over the real benefits that will be obtained. Prof Johan Steyn, from AI for Business, noted that if you are not in the trenches and understand what is happening at ground level then you can’t implement changes that will truly make a difference. He said that often the simplest changes can enhance the way people operate and how systems flow.

With the advent of the internet of things, the agricultural sector faces increasing risk of cyber attacks, with recent attacks paralysing systems that administer feed to livestock and produce vaccines. Billy Petzer, researcher of cyber security systems at the CSIR, noted that the modern supply chain is very long and complex, making it difficult to secure against cyber attacks. He also pointed to research that showed that attacks on the agricultural sector were increasing.

Looking at the numbers, South Africa does not provide a positive picture: “South Africa is ranked 8th worst in the world for falling prey to ransomware. We rank 5th on the list for the worst cyber security globally. Agriculture in general has been shown to have a low level of cyber security in place, since attacks are not perceived as being as prevalent as in the banking sector, for example.”

Since 98% of incidents are enabled through human error, through for example phishing emails, companies would do well to educate employees about cyber security.

Addressing the ever-present threat of loadshedding, Gerhard van den Burgh, senior analyst at BFAP, said that much of the agricultural sector had already adapted to include renewable energy, but still had a long way to go to get off the grid and reduce all risk of power outages.

“The current high levels of loadshedding is a crisis we shouldn’t waste and agriculture has a massive opportunity to rethink their energy supply and find better solutions. The biggest problem however is accessing capital and determining the return on investment period. We urgently need policies that enable adoption of energy alternatives and provide tax incentives. The renewable and green transition can be very beneficial to the climate, but cost is a big issue.”

Dr Faffa Malan was the first inductee into the SA Agriculture Hall of Fame, launched at the conference. Known to the sector as Doc Faffa, Malan has spent decades promoting animal health in South Africa. He was honoured for his contribution to supporting the national herd and educating emerging farmers on livestock health. The announcement was made by Dr John Purchase, custodian of the Hall of Fame.

Ending the day on an encouraging note, Prof Nick Binedell from the GIBS, commented that most people sleep through revolutions, but leaders try to shape the world to come. “We are in a critical moment in history. It might seem like a crisis, but the greater issue is, do you have a plan, and can the situation be reversed? Nations can change their fate if there is enough momentum from society. Out fate is not sealed. Succeeding or not is a choice we make.”

Don’t miss more insights on how you can propel your business into the future. Join us tomorrow for Science and Biotechnology Day, where we will focus on advances in biotechnology to solve Africa’s food challenges.

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