Hosted at JHB Expo Centre, the African Farmers Workshop and Expo is a three year old interactive agricultural show, with the objectives of promoting and empowering the emerging African farmers of South Africa and the rest of Africa, facilitating their training, skills development and showcasing opportunities within the agricultural sector. It also provides a unique opportunity in ensuring that the private sector interacts with the public sector in the efforts of empowering and upskilling emerging African farmers. A variety of workshops are been held, where experts and governmental organisations are able to do presentations to farmers and educate them on various topics, ranging from financing, to access to markets, commercial vehicles and export opportunities.
Haygrove will be exhibiting at the exhibition once again this year and will make use of the opportunity to introduce a new product, the farm-in-a-box kit for emerging farms at this year’s exhibition.
The ‘Farm-in-a-box” kit is aimed to be a complete and sustainable Food Upliftment Project that involves teaching people vegetable production in greenhouse tunnels. The project aims to address the issues of unemployment and food insecurity. It also serves as a way for Government Departments, NGO’s and corporate sponsors to ensure funds spent have a measurable outcome.
In order for these projects to be a success we believe we need to take four key factors into account:
- We need to be realistic in achieving goals. 60% success rate at least.
- The project will only work if we give the necessary training and ongoing support
- The project needs to be sustainable. We need to give good backup support to the benefactors
- There needs to be some form of accountability rather than just a hand-out.
Initial Equipment: Vegetable Farm-in-a-box
Each project initially begins with all the equipment necessary for vegetable production. Equipment includes but is not limited to:
- Haygrove Growhouse: 4mX10m, 8.5mX15m, 8.5x30m Haygrove tunnel
- Irrigation System: Appropriate irrigation system for tunnel (Drip or overhead) including pump and tanks where required.
- Farmer’s Sprayer: 20 Litre Knapsack Sprayer
- Vegetable seedpack: 5 types of vegetable seeds
- Fertilizers: One season worth of required fertilizer
- Soil conditioners: Treatment for one growing season
- Fungicide/Insecticide: Environment Friendly product for one season crop protection
- Growhouse implements: Spade/Rake/Fork/Hand tools
- Training: 3 day on site training offered on the usage of the kit.
- Haygrove mentorship support package: A Haygrove extension officer will visit Farm in a box projects at their site 3 times during a 12 month period to consult, advice and address any agricultural issues that may need attention. During these visits the emerging farmers will be expose to new technologies, growing techniques, products and Markets available. Continued offsite telephonic and online/email support offered during this period.
Haygrove now also offer similar kits for small scale chicken farmers
Please do visit us at the African Farmers Expo from 12th August – 14 August 2014.
