Heifer International, a global non-profit organization focused on eradicating hunger and poverty through sustainable farming, has published a report detailing the positive impact of a technologically-driven mechanization scheme on the lives of smallholder farmers in Africa.
Titled “Mechanization for Africa: Innovative Financing for Agricultural Transformation and Youth Job Creation”, the report presents an in-depth study on the influence and advantages of agricultural innovation, mechanization and catalytic funding, especially in the context of African smallholder farming communities. It also explores the new opportunities such a scheme creates for Africa’s young population.
The report illustrates how Heifer’s support and investment in innovation and youth drove the growth of an agri-tech initiative that enabled widespread, affordable access to tractors for smallholder farmers. Subsequent increased mechanisation boosted productivity and improved the living conditions of smallholding farming communities in the pilot countries.
“Smallholder farmers are responsible for up to 80% of the food production in sub-Saharan Africa,” remarked Adesuwa Ifedi, senior vice president of Africa programmes at Heifer International. He highlighted that equipping these farmers with appropriate resources and sustainable mechanisation is crucial for improved productivity. As demonstrated by the report, access to reasonably priced tractors enhanced beneficiary incomes by 227%, leading to improved productivity, increased inclusion, a revitalised ecosystem and job opportunities for Africa’s youth.
The report disclosed that, in collaboration with Hello Tractor, the initiative provided services to 21,048 smallholder farmers in need of mechanization in the pilot countries of Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, as of December 2022. A total of 104 farmers became tractor owners using a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model, and the project led to the creation of 368 direct jobs and 784 indirect jobs.
This successful mechanisation initiative is currently being expanded to other countries in Africa. The complete report can be accessed here.
