Mechanization

PRESENTATION TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MARCH 2013

Contents Introduction Background Problem statement Mechanization guidelines for household food

production Equipment provided to provinces by DAFF State of mechanization Conclusions

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Introduction• Mechanization can increase household food

production

• The cost of mechanization is not affordable at household food production level

• Land is available

• Transport costs increase the price of food in rural areas

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Background• Food insecurity exist in rural areas due to high cost of food

(accessibility and affordability)• Transport• Increased value chain

• Increased dependency on social grants• Estimated 2 million households with access to land but no ability

to produce on that land• Input supplies• Inadequate manual labour to work available land

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Problem Statement Unavailability of traction power and equipment in

rural areas Existing contractors cannot provide a timely

service of good quality to all clients Fencing of crop lands inadequate Operation and maintenance support services

lacking Credits restraints due to various Acts

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Mechanization guidelines for household food production (1)

Qualification criteria

Households that participate in the programme must be living close to the land that qualifies.

The size of the land must not be more than two (2) hectares under dry land conditions or half (½) hectare under irrigation per household.

Relatively poor households will be prioritized eg those that have income from social grants.

Households must have access to land with a potential to produce food crops under dry land conditions or irrigation.

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Mechanization guidelines for household food production (2)

Mechanization support programme

Provinces must provide the following free services to households that qualify:

• Identify and map the land that qualify per household• Apply fertilizer according to the requirements for the crop• Prepare the seedbed• Plant the crop or provide the seed

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Mechanization guidelines for household food production (3)

• Provinces must acquire, operate and maintain the agricultural machinery needed to address the requirements in each district.

• Provinces can deliver the services directly or through contractors, an agency or in collaboration with district municipalities.

• The total cost for the service including production inputs must be provided free of charge.

• Provinces must report annually to the Chief Director Food Security (DAFF) on the number and size of tractors and implements available, the area worked with each unit and the cost incurred. The number of household serviced, the size of land worked, the production inputs contributed/received and the production realised per household per ward/district.

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Equipment provided to provinces• 24 x 42 kW 4WD Tractor

• 36 x 65 kW 4WD Tractor

• 12 x 90 kW 4WD Tractor

• 12 x Ripper - 5 Tine auto

• 22 x Trailed Offset Disc Harrow - 18 discs of 26“

• 12 x Trailed Offset Disc Harrow - 24 discs of 26"

• 26 x Offset Disc Harrow - 10 discs of 22" on 3-point linkage

• 15 x Mouldboard plough - 4 row Auto reset heavy duty

• 30 x Mouldboard plough - 3 row frame plough

• 40 x Disc plough - 4 row Disc heavy duty plough

• 20 x Planter - Mechanical 2 row planter with fertilizer bins [maize & beans]

• 20 x Planter - Mechanical 4 row planter with fertilizer bins [maize & beans]

• 20 x Trailer - E-Natis registered,4 wheel dropside

• 20 x Crop sprayer - 75 liter/min piston pump, 600 liter tank, 12 m boom

• 20 x Cultivator - 4 row cultivator with fertilizer bins

• 40 x Rotary slasher -1,5 meter cutting width, four blades

• 25 x Ridger - 1 row disc ridger

• 30 x Bin fertilizer spreader - 300 liter, 3-point linkage

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Provinces that benefitted

• Eastern Cape• Free State• Gauteng• Limpopo• Northern Cape• North West• Western Cape (Maize planters was exchanged for wheat drills)

• Mpumalanga and KwaZulu/Natal received 85 tractors and associated implements earlier

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State of mechanizationEquipment EC FS GP KZN LP MP NC NW WC

Delivered yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Transferred yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Registered yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes no

Distributed to operational sites

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no

Services implemented

yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes no

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Outcomes

• Each province implement the mechanization support according to the needs and existing support programmes executed by that province

• The numbers of tractors deployed by provinces over and above those provided by DAFF could not be established yet

• The total area planted could also not be established yet.

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Problems experienced• The equipment provided only address a small portion of the

demand.• Supply chain processes hamper effective utilization of the

equipment• The cost of providing input supplies associated with the

mechanization exceeds the budget available in provinces• An order has been issued for the micro-dots to be etched in

Western Cape

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Conclusions

The mechanization provided is totally inadequate compared to the demand.

Budget restraints do not allow the demand to be satisfied.

The total value chain of production need to be supported and not only the mechanization aspect thereof

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