The two new farming methods expected
to revolutionize agriculture globally namely, Precision farming and
Conservation, have succeeded in reducing jobs in South Africa’s agric sector, reports
NaijaAgroNet.
Precision agriculture, experts say,
taps into Global Positioning System (GPS) technology such thatfarmers could
gather precise soil data to target exactly what inputs they need and where,
while conservation involves trying to preserve South Africa’s erosion-prone
soils.
Information reaching NaijaAgroNet said that samples are scooped from each hectare of a field,
which is marked off into grids. The field map that emerges is colour-coded to
denote exactly what needs to be applied in each square.
Analysts say this is at odds with
policy proposals by the ruling African National Congress, which is seeking
to limit farm size and create rural jobs. Technology, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is threatening to uproot such efforts.
South African farmer,Cobus van
Coller, report said, usedthe technology to demonstrate “precision”
farming for maximum profit. He scans the computer screen in the
cab of his harvester. As the machine mows down corn stalks, numbers are updated
on the screen, giving the precise moisture levels and yield in each
section of his field. “This shows you if you’re going to make money,” he
said in an interview with Reuters.
Van Coller also uses the technology
for planting. “The GPS tells the computer where you are, and the computer tells
the seeder which product to apply and how much.”
“We need to build up our soils again
because they have been so degraded,” said Hendrik Smith of industry group
GrainSouth Africa.
Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE
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