Tech innovation in agriculture a step towards food security
WESTERN Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, told delegates at the African Agri Investment Indaba (AAII) yesterday that tech innovation and smart farming in the agricultural sector would work towards food security.
Winde, who is also responsible for the department of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism in the province, said that the indaba was created so that Africa might look at their role in food security for themselves as well as for the rest of the planet.
“People involved in agriculture, embrace change and innovation,” said Winde at the indaba taking place this week at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The indaba brings together over 600 key stakeholders, from governments, banks, financiers, investors, project owners, project developers, commercial farmers and the agro-processing industry, to discuss trends that will likely influence food and agribusiness economics over the next decade in Africa.
Winde said the agricultural sector had been looking at aerial mapping that could easily be downloaded onto a farmer’s mobile phone.
The app would be able to tell afarmer which crops to plant and where, as well as mapping out moist areas, or a lack thereof.
“We need to push the boundaries in innovation. There would also be wi-fi hotspot rollouts in the next year and a half, helping people in rural agricultural areas,” said Winde.
He explained that innovation was meant to be a healthy disruption that would benefit the agricultural sector, as well as the world.
According to Winde, the cost of drought in South Africa was roughly R16 billion.
‘The West Coast has actively embraced the smart ways of harvesting and with minimal rainfall.’
Winde proposed a positive outlook, where climate change would not have to be detrimental to agriculture. “The West Coast has actively embraced the smart ways of harvesting and they have done that with minimal rainfall.”
Winde said that when speaking to young people about agriculture, they did not seem interested.
However, they should, he said, because a billion rand would be spent in the Western Cape over the next three years in order to innovate and become the bread basket of the world.
“Under 25s will find massive opportunities in the agri space,” said Winde.