Agrico’s support makes commercial farming in Botswana possible

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Farming in South Africa is certainly not child’s play.

Yet, in certain aspects, South African farmers are blessed with a variety of service providers, specialists, and products that are generally available in the nearest town. That, however, is not the case in most other African countries.

Shaun Buffee, originally from Zimbabwe, has been farming with his team in the Francistown region in Botswana for the past eight years. He has realised the value of good technical support and equipment for commercial farming.

“We started from scratch, without any farming experience,” says Buffee. “Our biggest challenge was finding the right technical support. The reality is that we could only expand because of the excellent support from Agrico. That was essential.”

Equipment for success

The farm utilises a combination of Agrico equipment and solutions that meet the needs of the farm’s unique requirements. From pump stations, pipelines, high-quality dam linings, overhead pivots, to drip irrigation – Agrico provided everything.

“The pivots are primarily used for fodder crops, while drip irrigation supplies vegetables with water. These strategic choices are the result of comprehensive testing and consultation with Agrico’s technicians.

“We tried various options,” explains Buffee. “The pivots function at their best under certain conditions, and drip irrigation is ideal for watermelons.Farming wouldn’t have been possible without this equipment. Technical support is of the utmost importance, and when something goes wrong, we can fix it quickly because of the service we receive from Agrico.”

Technical support that matters

One of the most important challenges of this project and many others in Botswana is energy supply.

The farm relies on a combination of solar power and power generators since it’s cut off from the network.

Agrico’s project manager, MC Pretorius from the Nylstroom branch, played a vital role in the design and implementation of the system.

“We had to understand the energy needs and crop requirements from the beginning for optimal design of the system, says Pretorius.

“We pumped water from sandpits in the middle of the river up to a dam and from there it’s transported to the pivots. The challenge was to do this by utilising the least possible kilowatts, as excessive use is expensive.”

Buffee points out that a significant difference between farming in Botswana and South Africa is essentially the limited technical support.

“The distance means that you must be self-sufficient, and you can’t just quickly call a supplier when something goes wrong. That’s why good support from Agrico is so valuable.”

Buffee describes an incident where a new pivot experienced problems with wiring: “I contacted MC and his team, and a technician from Agrico arrived here within a matter of hours. The pivot worked again the next morning.

“Remember that they had to drive from Nylstroom in South Africa to my farm near Francistown. A slow reaction time would have put our crops at a disadvantage.”

Tailor-made solutions

The project wouldn’t have been possible without the ability and willingness to adjust the equipment to suit specific needs.

“Agrico designed a system that completely meets our needs. We realised that other suppliers couldn’t supply the same level of service,” says Buffee.

“In Botswana, you must be self-sufficient and adapt your solutions to the environment and the available energy supply.”

Pretorius adds: “From the beginning, we planned the project with Shaun and his team – from the water source to the final establishment of the pivots. We considered every possible challenge and designed solutions to make the farm as efficient as possible.”

The crops are already showing good progress, although it is too early to discuss production value.

“After five weeks, you can already see that everything’s on track. Come back after a year and I’ll be able to provide more definitive results,” says Buffee.

For more information visit agrico.co.za, or email [email protected].