DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2015--
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of
agricultural equipment, today held an official opening ceremony of its
Future Farm and Learning Center near Lusaka, Zambia. “We are very
pleased to announce the grand opening of our first Future Farm in
Africa,” said Rob Smith, AGCO Senior Vice President and General Manager
for Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Africa has tremendous growth
potential in the agricultural equipment sector and our mission on the
African Continent is to provide agricultural solutions for all African
farmers. The Future Farm will help to empower local communities to
develop a sustainable food production system and to increase farm
productivity by implementing modern farming techniques.”
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Photo: Tom Welke, Senior Vice President, Global Grain and Protein, GSI; Honorable Given Lubinda MP, Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Zambia; Rob Smith, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Europe, Africa and Middle East at opening ceremony of AGCO’s Future Farm and Learning Center near Lusaka, Zambia. (left to right) (Photo: AGCO)
AGCO’s Future Farm vision is to support sustainable food production
systems and increase farm output by using agricultural resources more
efficiently. The 150-hectare farm is divided into a wide range of
demonstration crop areas all cultivated, planted and harvested using
AGCO’s full-line of agricultural equipment, and with support from
commercial and not for profit partners from across the value chain. Its
facilities will include a state-of-the-art Mechanization Learning Center
as well as a Grain and Poultry Learning Center, each a first of its kind
for Africa. “As Africa’s population is set to rise to two billion by
2050, the need for inclusive, sustainable mechanization and training,
and to inspire the next generation to move into agriculture has never
been greater,” explains Rob Smith. On AGCO’s Future Farm, those
supporting small to medium scale farmers with limited access to modern
farming practices will benefit from a range of training courses from
basic agronomy, post-harvest solutions and mechanization. Training on
best practice for protein production, grain storage and precision
farming technologies will target the needs of large-scale commercial
farming. “For us, inclusive, sustainable mechanization means designing
our products with Africa in mind. It means building our products on the
continent and supporting our products and customers locally with parts
from our new logistics center in Johannesburg. It means providing local
farmers with education in core agricultural practices and training
operators, mechanics as well as our local dealers on how to operate,
service and maintain agricultural equipment,” adds Rob Smith.
Mechanization is the critical ingredient to raising agricultural
productivity in Africa although other constraints are slowing the speed
of progress and need to be tackled in parallel. Factors include
inadequate access to and use of improved seed, the right blends of
fertilizers; the need for favorable trade and land policies; quality
post-harvest management solutions and functional markets for harvested
crops. “Perhaps one of our greatest achievements to-date in the short
time we have been in Zambia is to bring together such an impressive set
of Future Farm Partners,” states Nuradin Osman, Director of Operations,
Africa and Middle East. “What we are launching in Zambia is about more
than just bricks and mortar, it’s about people and partnerships and with
the right people and the right partnerships, the possibilities are
endless.” Providing employment, training on new skills and increasing
incomes, the Future Farm is expected to have a direct impact on the
local community.
At the moment, approximately 200 people are living in the community on
the farm. The initiative employs 40 workers and, through a 4H enterprise
gardens project, around 60 children enjoy gardening classes on the land.
In 2015, the cropped areas cover 70 hectares and the crops harvested are
maize, soybean, sunn hemp, orange maize, ground nuts, cassava, sorghum,
cowpea and sunflower.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and
distribution of agricultural equipment. AGCO supports more productive
farming through a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers,
forage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems, seeding
and tillage implements and replacement parts. AGCO products are sold
through five core equipment brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey
Ferguson® and Valtra® and are distributed globally through a combination
of approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than
140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA,
USA. In 2014, AGCO had net sales of $9.7 billion. For more information,
visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com.
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Source: AGCO
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Rebecca Fabian, +1-646-415-8518
Rebecca.Fabian@instinctif.com