This involves embracing technology (information technology, mechanical and biotechnology) and also private sector partnerships. There also needs to be confidence in the citizenry to manage their land parcels. This will involve the granting of title deeds or tradable long-term leases in various African countries. And in the case of better seeds, the evidence from South Africa is there for many countries to observe and learn.
The economic recovery from the pandemic therefore presents an opportunity for governments to explore available technologies that could help in the registration of land rights. These include global positioning systems, mapping and blockchain technologies.
This will help solve disputes and also with the tradability of land rights. This process can be piloted on agricultural land. The proper recording and confirmation of land rights will encourage individual entrepreneurs to invest in their farmland and thereby trigger the commercialisation and growth of the agricultural sector.
Farming can be an unforgiving business. However, as we have learnt during the coronavirus lockdown, the agricultural sector is highly resilient and meaningful – if you’re adaptable and brave enough to make some clever moves. Here is a list of ten ideas for lucrative, small-scale farming in 2021. Despite being a technical and volatile business, farming can be one of the most satisfying jobs to see your produce grow, regardless if it is animals or crops.
South Africa agriculture should face climate change head-on
The South African agriculture sector is estimated to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2020-2025).
The increase in the population level of the country has fueled the demand for cereals. Maize is the staple food in the country, consumed in its direct form, and is used for products, such as sweeteners, bread, and cornmeal. Wheat is also another major staple food in the country, which is mostly imported, as it is economical to import rather than produce it domestically.
The major fruits consumed in the country are apples, pears, litchis, mangoes, plums, peaches, apricots, grapefruit, pineapples, avocados, and lemons. There is also an increasing demand for products derived from fruits, such as fruit juices and jams, in the country that drives the market. Also, more than 1.5 million metric ton of grapes were used every year domestically in South Africa's renowned wine industry.
The most demanded vegetables in the country are lettuce, chicory, pumpkins, tomatoes, and carrots. Apart from these, leafy vegetables, like cleome, amaranth, blackjack, and Jews mallow, which are locally produced, are also consumed in the country. Improved awareness across various social media platforms related to health and well being has boosted demand for various food products and, in particular fresh fruits and vegetables. It was estimated that South Africans spend nearly 16% of their incomes on fruits and vegetables. People in the country are discovering the link between healthy food and their well being and switching their alternatives to fruits and vegetables.
In addition to this, with the rising health consciousness, there is also an increasing consumption trend towards varieties of off-season fruits, which are usually met by rising imports. For vegetables, like potatoes, there is a recent trend of growing consumption, especially among the middle-income group in South Africa. The crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions, sweet corns, beetroots, apples, citrus, grapes, bananas, litchis, peaches, pineapples, and avocados are some of the significant fruits and vegetable crops identified with great market growth potentials in South Africa during the forecast period.
New technologies and improved solutions should further contribute to the achievement of digital agriculture.
1- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already gaining ground in Brazil and, in 2021, it should be consolidated alongside machine learning. Not by chance, the Brazilian government announced the creation of the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Network, which is expected to invest more than BRL 140 million in AI projects - with almost 30% of this total focused on agribusiness and the automotive sector.
One of the applications of AI in the field, for example, happens in relation to diagnostics and predictability. The technology works by processing data received from agricultural machinery, designing scenarios, anticipating undesirable situations, and making recommendations in real time for the machines, in order to avoid waste, promote savings and optimisation of productivity.
For the future, technology is expected to better understand the field and its needs, improving databases, and reading, and increasing accuracy.
2 - Autonomous equipment
Along with AI advancement comes process automation. In the industry, the vision of factories with assembly of robotic products is already common, but in the field, this technology is still moving towards a practical application.
However, there is no shortage of projects by large companies that want to bring autonomy to the agricultural market through fully automated machinery. Equipment without cabins, controlled through computers or smartphones, should be a reality soon, resulting in synchronised and more efficient activities.
3 - Internet of Things and Edge Analytics
The Internet of Things (IoT) is already a trend in agribusiness, especially with sensors and on-board computers used in agricultural machines and connected to the Internet. For 2021, the focus is on a specialisation of this technology, Edge Analytics.
The idea of this new area is to analyse the data collected in the equipment itself, without the need to send it to a processing centre. In an agricultural spraying activity, for example, the use of this technology would enable sensory devices to determine alone which area should be sprayed, using the collected data. The advantage is speed in actions.
4 - Drones and sensors
Equipment such as sensors and drones should become widespread in the field next year. With these, it is possible to monitor every second of what is done in the rural area and monitor every centimetre of the plantation.
An example that has grown in this sense is the use of images collected by drones for the detection of diseases or pests in huge plantations, which allows us to verify where it is really necessary to act in the application of inputs. The analysis of the behaviour of machines with sensors also favours the identification of more economical and efficient practices, supporting companies in improving their activities.
5 - Mobile applications
Another trend for 2021 that should strengthen the digital transformation in the field is the use of smartphones and tablets in integration with existing solutions in the agricultural market.
You still need to work- 24 hours a day- no app can fix a mechanical problem.
The idea is that information collected by on-board computers, for example, which was previously transmitted to control centres, can be monitored directly from these mobile devices. This will facilitate the management and monitoring of processes.
