One can’t imagine a world without bread, dairy, meat, fruit or
vegetables, but with a growing population towards 1.5 million, Africa’s farmers are challenged to
produce more with less. World Food Day is commemorated annually on 16 October and marks
the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which was established to
amplify public awareness on issues such as privation and scarcity of food in the world and to
join in solidarity in the struggle against hunger and poverty. This year’s World Food Day theme
is: “Grow, Nourish and Sustain, Together”. Emphasising that our actions impact our future.
John Deere pays tribute to World Food Day and the farmers who feed the world with the launch
of “Feeding the Nation” and “Hope Remains” videos which aim to inspire hope in Africa. As
leaders in agricultural equipment, John Deere remains dedicated to providing solutions to
ensuring food security in Africa and strives to continuously develop innovative technology to
assist farmers in their yield and cost of production.
“All farmers need access to mechanisation, whether they are small or large,” says Stephan Nel,
Divisional Sales Manager at John Deere. “Technology has the ability to increase productivity
and efficiency, whilst decreasing the negative impact on the environment. With the adoption of
precision agriculture technologies, the farmer can produce more food at a lower cost and
reduced impact on the environment – this is part of the John Deere EDGE value proposition
and our contribution towards farmers and sustainable food production.”
John Deere can empower farmers in Africa through the SMART campaign, “With our
combination of skills-based education and technology to equip farmers, John Deere hopes
to assist in the development of combating food and resource challenges,” continues Nel. “A
complete SMART system (Solutions for small farmers, Mechanization to increase yield,
Access to finance, Product reliability to reduce cost of production, and Technology and
education) can bring upwards of a 200 percent yield increase when combined with quality
seeds, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, and suitable agricultural practices. In the last
seven years, more than 30,000 farmers in Africa have been trained on the SMART system,
this is a huge achievement for John Deere.”
Boosting the agricultural sector remains a priority and John Deere Africa Middle East aspires to
unlock the agricultural value chain to meet the tailwinds, population growth and efficient green
farming.
“These innovations permit farmers not only to be more productive and profitable as they feed a
growing local and global population, but also to safeguard the soil, water, air and communities
upon which their livelihoods depend. We remain hopeful in combating food scarcity in Africa and
will continue to drive effective smart farming, together,” concludes Nel.
Ends/
John Deere Bio:
With a rich history of more than 137 years in South Africa, John Deere is a trusted,
world-renowned leader in producing turf, agricultural, construction, forestry machinery and
technology solutions. With its continued focus to strengthen its presence throughout Africa and
the Middle East (AME), John Deere Africa Middle East serves its customers through more than
190 dealer touch points across Africa and the Middle East, committed to promoting food
security while actively driving a successful and inclusive agricultural community.
With core values of integrity, quality, commitment and innovation, John Deere AME remains
dedicated to the success of its customers, to those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich
and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, clothes,
shelter and infrastructure.
“At John Deere AME, we believe that together we can achieve greatness and address the
needs of an ever-growing population,” says Stephan Nel, Divisional Sales Manager at John
Deere.
