DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2017--
AGCO, Your Agriculture Company (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and
distributor of agricultural equipment, today held its sixth annual AGCO
Africa Summit in Berlin, Germany. A joint initiative of AGCO, Bayer
CropScience, Rabobank, De Lage Landen, Trelleborg and Fuse Connected
Services, this year’s Summit focused on ‘Organizing Farmers of the
Future.’
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Rob Smith, AGCO Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe and Middle East (EME); Christian Wulff, Former Federal President of Germany and Gary Collar, AGCO Senior Vice President and General Manager Asia Pacific and Africa (APA) at the AGCO Africa Summit 2017. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Co-operation among farmers has proven advantages in the advancement of
agriculture,” says Gary Collar, AGCO Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific
and Africa. “As well as giving farmers a voice and pushing for
beneficial policies from the grassroots, collaboration can help achieve
economies of scale and facilitate access to inputs, credit and markets.
Today, technology, particularly through the proliferation of mobile
phones and social media in Africa, is providing one of the greatest-ever
opportunities for groups to organize themselves into powerful,
influential bodies.”
Keynote speakers at the event included Christian Schmidt, Germany’s
Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Elsie Kanza, Head of Africa,
World Economic Forum, Christian Wulff, Former Federal President of
Germany and Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA (Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa).
Through presentations and panel discussions, the Summit explored how
agribusiness and farmer-based organizations can be aligned as
co-creators of rural wealth; how youth and Information and Communication
Technology (ITC) can catalyze the organization of farmers in the future,
and how maximum ‘value’ can be secured from the value chains for the
farmers who participate in them.
Among the panelists were figures from farmer organizations in Africa and
Europe including Dr. Theo de Jager, President Pan African Farmers’
Organization, Joachim Rukwied, President German Farmers’ Association,
Ishmael Sunga, CEO Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions
and Jehiel Oliver, CEO and Founder of Hello Tractor, an innovative
shared-economy platform that makes tractor usage affordable to
marginalized farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
“AGCO is investing significantly in Africa and growing its local
presence there by providing African farmers and African agribusinesses
with comprehensive agricultural solutions,” says Nuradin Osman, AGCO
Vice President and General Manager Africa. “The Company is committed to
the transformation of African agriculture based on a strategy of
inclusive and sustainable farm mechanization. In 2017, we will be
retaining a strong focus and investment in small-scale agriculture, as
well as leading the way in high-tech solutions for commercial farmers on
the continent.”
Since its premiere in 2012, this AGCO Africa Summit has established
itself as an important institution for discussing critical issues
impacting Africa’s agricultural development. The Summit has a strong
focus on private sector-driven agricultural growth, promoting the idea
of agriculture as a business and not a development agenda. The focus of
panel topics, discussions and workshops engage with practical real-life
examples of leading edge projects and initiatives. The international
conference attracts CEOs, industry experts and political leaders with a
common interest to accelerate the development of African agriculture.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and
distribution of agricultural solutions and supports more productive
farming through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO
products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®,
Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® precision technologies
and farm optimization services, and are distributed globally through a
combination of approximately 3,000 independent dealers and distributors
in more than 140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered
in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2015, AGCO had net sales of $7.5 billion. For
more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For
company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter:
@AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag
#AGCOIR.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170123005509/en/
Source: AGCO
AGCO
Louisa Parker-Smith
Manager External Affairs, Africa
Mobile
UK: +44 (0)7789 746268
Mobile Zambia: +260 (0)971398169
louisa.parker@agcocorp.com