Developing Angola's Agriculture by Introducing No-Tillage Farming to Subsistence Farmers & Helping Reduce Carbon Footprints

SUMMARY

As a country that has one of the most desirable agricultural conditions, with favorable climates and more than 5 million hectares of arable land. The country has tremendous potential in it's agriculture and used to market a great majority of their crops in cities or exported.

Due to the Angolan Civil War which stretched from 1975 up until 2002, the country's agriculture hit a low. Mass production in this sector has stopped as a result of the war and the farms were abandoned. The decline in the farming production and the rapid growth of the urban population led to the country's great food crisis.

Angola is in a transitional period from emergency to development and faces three great socioeconomic challenges which includes poverty, food insecurity and soil nutrient depletion.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the plan is to help restore Angola's soil, to help teach farmers skills in No - Tillage farming and lessen the import of fertilizer to the country which would leave more resources to develop the sector.

PRODUCT

We have designed a No-Tillage animal drawn planter, which would be easy to use, assemble and which does not require technical training. A very basic implement which is not too complex and which untrained and even new start-up farmers would be able to operate. The implement would be easily exported, easily set-up and each implement will come with a No-Tillage farming leaflet, which introduces the farmer to the concept.

No-till is sowing a crop without prior cultivation and with very little soil disturbance at seeding. This helps to improve soil properties and increase sustainability. It can do this by lifting and modifying soil biological activity that gives excellent improvements in all aspects of soil fertility, being physical, chemical and biological. These improvements lead to better farm management as well as improved sustainability.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS

As a result of farmers receiving and using the implements this will help revive the agricultural sector. The soils will be more fertile and more crops will be produced by farmers, helping with the struggle of poverty and food insecurity. This defeats all three the main socio-economic challenges of the country.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Other than supplying farmers with highly technical equipment we provide them with a basic implement that anyone can use. A robust implement that doesn't need as much maintenance as a mechanical planter that needs replacement of parts and supplies from distributors. As it is a struggle to supply farmers with these replacements for the heavy machinery.

Because the planter is a animal drawn implement, this also reduces the carbon footprint for the country. The manure of the draft animal can also integrated as organic fertilizer for crops.

EXECUTION

Angola's government has already taken the initiative to revive the once flourishing agricultural sector. Some of the efforts haven't been as successful as the training, skills and services for the equipment given has not been highly prioritized.

Our product does not need technical skills, services for the product if well taken care of and extensive training therefore further injection of resources would not be as needed.

I am currently working on the estimated budget for the execution of this project and updates will be posted shortly.

- Robyn Tallie.

robyn&[email protected]