Capital Equipment News May 2017

Smith Power Equipment will be showcasing its range of agricultural solutions at this year’s NAMPO Harvest Day.

building technology company which supplies its solutions to the farming community, is also optimistic that this year’s show comes at a time when the agricultural sector is rebounding, especially on the back of some good rains earlier this year, which he believes will result in better yields this year. However, he cautions that some of the farmers are not out of the woods yet, with some regions, such as the Western Cape, still experiencing severe drought conditions, while there has been

an outbreak of the Fall Armyworm in some parts of the country as well. Nazlie Dickson, marketing and sales director at Hydraform, says while the agricultural sector remains vital to the economy and the food security of South Africa at large, it remains a fragile sector that is dependent upon unpredictable variables such as weather, pestilence and the instability of the labour market. “The local agricultural sector has faced several obstacles of late, due to the drought and

more recently, the outbreak of the Fall Armyworm in Limpopo and North West Province,” she says. “Although there is an estimated 80% growth in maize production compared with last year, many farmers may still struggle, especially with maize prices expected to be much lower this year.” Robert Keir, marketing manager at Smith Power Equipment (SPE), a South African importer and distributor of leading global specialist machinery, turf maintenance equipment and off-road vehicles, says while the agricultural market has seen trying times over the past two years, there is room for optimism. “We are very positive about what 2017 has and will bring and are already observing some positive trends in the market; the Rand is showing signs of strength and customers are spending more

“Even though we see disparate weather patterns and rainfall in different provinces, with the Western Cape still navigating a bad drought, it is encouraging that we have had good rains in the northern regions and that the crops are yielding.”

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