Rethinking Agricultural Engineering Post-Land Reform.

Rethinking Agricultural Engineering Post-Land Reform.

Agricultural Engineering is an applied scientific discipline, often narrowly associated with farm machinery, but now much wider, emboding key areas of global food security such as soil and water management, agroprocessing, mechanization and automation of livestock farming, and bioenergy. This broad view has led to the subject being redefined to Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. A multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, that applies complex engineering principles in real time and on real life while sympathizing with the environment, is what makes the discipline not only indispensable but also critical to deliver food security post land reform.

The Fast Track Land Reform, brought about abrupt and unprecedented transitions that required robust structural adjustments and in some cases total strategic turn around. A unique set of challenges and opportunities arose and some traditional technologies and practices were rendered ineffective under the new agrarian structure posing a huge threat to productivity and national food security.

I will expound on 3 post-land reform challenges and then proffer solutions and recommendations from an Agricultural Engineering perspective in the next article.

 Land Size and Unresolved Ownership Issues 

Just the size of arable land at one's disposal can determine what machinery is economic to own. For instance it is not economic to own a tractor that can till all the land one has in a day and remain idle the rest of the season-the downtime is just ridiculous and fixed costs unsustainable. The size of land in general terms limits the maximum attainable yield and revenues. Cost becomes a limiting factor when purchasing machinery and investing in farm infrastructure. An unclear tenure system restricts the new farmer's access to credit and this calls for new farming tools and methods that suit budgetary constraints. The size and proximity of the subdivided land units meant the already existing natural resources and man-made infrastructure (dams, storage and livestock structures) were left without a clear owner and no clear plan on how to utilize them for cooperate benefit. Oftentimes that resulted in people dismantling the infrastructure and selling parts or attempting in vain to rebuild it, this time at a scale they saw fit for their farms.

Capital (intellectual and financial)

The new farmers were financially disadvantaged coupled with chronic economic crisis that bedeviled the country from the year 2000. Procurement of mechanization and irrigation equipment  became a challenge as the farmers only had just enough capital to grow food for subsistence. At national level, the increased demand for resources that are critical to agriculture such as electricity caught the government unprepared leaving farmers  with only a few available but expensive energy alternatives like diesel and solar. New farmers had little knowledge on why and how to safely store larger harvest while maintaining best quality standards, and the cost that come with post harvest processes. To cater for their lean budget, farmers need value-add their produce but again that invites the uncomfortable question of whether they can afford or access the available agroprocessing technology options on the market.

Climate Change and Land Degradation

The implications of climate change vary with one's access to resources and knowledge to mitigate its devastating effects. Large scale farmers managed to cope with climate change by accessing cutting-edge innovations to enhance water use efficiency and facilitate water harvesting. Most people are under the illusion that drip irrigation is cheap and meant for small scale farmers by virtue of it being small in size only to realize later that beyond certain scale, the costs far outweigh the benefits.The principles of the "gospel" of Conservation Agriculture, which are minimum soil disturbance, crop rotation and soil cover, have been well received by farmers. The intention of Conservation Agriculture: to abate land degradation, retain and sustainably use water and nutrients, is well articulated and the issue is no longer a knowledge problem but a technology problem. Are we developing the right technology and techniques to implement these programs effectively and efficiently? .

We cannot give an infant the same drug we give to adults just because they are suffering from the same ailment, neither can patients, drug dispensaries and pharmaceuticals operate on auto-pilot_ markets unchecked, efforts uncoordinated, and findings undocumented.The effects can be disastrous. Similarly, small scale farmers require small scale tailor-made solutions that are equally effective and sometimes context-specific models that ensure co-access and broad-based ownership of critical infrastructure and resources.

The dilemma of scale, resources and global natural trends requires interventions at policy, institutional and micro-level. Policy to give vision and highlight the gravity of the issues in order for the government to avail resources. Institutions to crystallize the policy elements that resonate with their objectives into practical strategies which they can implement. At micro level, it's about execution, monitoring and evaluation, and results used to inform policy evolution efforts. Currently, interventions in the agricultural sector are de-linked from each other and an integrated approach of supporting the full continuum of research and development, production, processing to marketing of food must be vigorously and intelligently pursued. "Hondo yeMinda" translated "War for Land," is the vernacular name given to land reform but the war is not over yet until the beneficiaries and survivors have something to show for it. Let's take it to another level! In my next weekly article, I will share my remarks and recommendations on the aforementioned challenges.


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