Land, water, sun, infrastructure, capital and know-how are needed for any agricultural development. Sub-Saharan Africa has immense natural resources, though often not immediately available altogether in the same place, but is generally short of the other inputs. That is why a public-private partnership can be an effective approach to deal the projects with modern agricultural development: public partner provides land, most of the infrastructure and finance; private partners provide the intensive farming practice, processing know-how and part of the equity. Financial analysis of lower and higher capital demanding scenarios and testing of the impact of changes in the critical drivers of costs and revenues shown that a combination of staple crops and cash crops can be found to balance national food security policy targets and financial appeal for private partners in a mutually satisfactory venture capital. The effect of environmental and infrastructural constraints was also considered, showing how likely-to-happen threats on the side of the implementation of the project may turn into challenging opportunity to climb the agribusiness value chain upward.

Non-PR | IFPRI5; CRP2; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry | MTID; PIM | CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM)

Precision Agriculture is a well-established concept in agricultural field production. It has developed over the last three decades. As part of this concept, farmers are used to collect and handle data. Farmers are also used to create solutions for field operations based on their knowledge of diversity and local data. When compared to classic industrial production, agricultural field operations interact with a biologically-active system. From a production management system point of view, industrial production takes place in close, well-defined environments in which performance data can, to a great extent, be measured by deterministic matters: mass (kg), volume/dimensions (m3 /m), time (sec), etc. In agricultural operations such as work involving tillage, seeding, fertilising, and plant care, there are by nature a good many possible adjustments available in order to optimise the operation method, plus intensity and timing. The challenge here is to establish the levels of knowledge that are necessary to support the control of the individual and/or graduated, precision-based operations. Within this context, parameters such as, for example, the workability of the soil cannot be defined in terms of a few deterministic parameters. Neither can the operational impact upon the soil which is made by the tools being used. It is assumed that this challenge is part of the reason why the concept of precision agriculture still contains a great deal of unutilised potential. The hypothesis raised by this article is that analysis should be carried out in regard to whether inspiration for the concept of an ‘Industry 4.0’ can facilitate the establishment of operational solutions in the field of precision farming.

Precision Agriculture is a well-established concept in agricultural field production. Ithas developed over the last three decades. As part of this concept, farmers are used to collect andhandle data. Farmers are also used to create solutions for field operations based on theirknowledge of diversity and local data.When compared to classic industrial production, agricultural field operations interact with abiologically-active system. From a production management system point of view, industrialproduction takes place in close, well-defined environments in which performance data can, to agreat extent, be measured by deterministic matters: mass (kg), volume/dimensions (m3/m), time(sec), etc.In agricultural operations such as work involving tillage, seeding, fertilising, and plant care, thereare by nature a good many possible adjustments available in order to optimise the operationmethod, plus intensity and timing. The challenge here is to establish the levels of knowledge thatare necessary to support the control of the individual and/or graduated, precision-basedoperations. Within this context, parameters such as, for example, the workability of the soilcannot be defined in terms of a few deterministic parameters. Neither can the operational impactupon the soil which is made by the tools being used. It is assumed that this challenge is part ofthe reason why the concept of precision agriculture still contains a great deal of unutilisedpotential. The hypothesis raised by this article is that analysis should be carried out in regard towhether inspiration for the concept of an ‘Industry 4.0’ can facilitate the establishment ofoperational solutions in the field of precision farming.

Radopholus similis is the major parasitic nematode of banana and plantain plants worldwide. R. Similis feeds on the root tissues and causes damages going from simple root lesions, reducing the crop yield, to the fall of seedlings. Hence, R. similis is one of the most regulated plant pests. Its control mainly relies on toxic nematicides, but with limited efficiency. Our global aim is to design more efficient and sustainable control strategies, including alternative methods to nematicides. Our approach is based on a hybrid model describing the plant-nematode interactions over several cropping seasons. During the inter-season, in the absence of host, the pest population undergoes a rapid decay. A longer inter-season duration reduces the pest population the following season, which is correlated with the seasonal crop yield. However, longer inter-season durations also decrease the number of cropping seasons during a fixed time horizon, and potentially the multi-seasonal yield. An optimisation problem is therefore formulated to determine the inter-season duration that maximises the multi-seasonal yield. Two cases are considered: a fixed or a variable inter-season duration. The existence of an optimal solution is proven and its location is computed. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate our results.

A descriptive alalysis of countertrade is presented as background for understanding the possible uses and pitfalls of this variety of trading arrangement as an alternative agricultural marketing strategy. Countertrade appears to have considerable merit to an increasing number of foreign buyers, but this paper cautions that there are inherent problems with such arrangements that should not be overlooked.

International audience | Radopholus similis is the major parasitic nematode of banana and plantain plants worldwide. R. Similis feeds on the root tissues and causes damages going from simple root lesions, reducing the crop yield, to the fall of seedlings. Hence, R. similis is one of the most regulated plant pests. Its control mainly relies on toxic nematicides, but with limited efficiency. Our global aim is to design more efficient and sustainable control strategies, including alternative methods to nematicides. Our approach is based on a hybrid model describing the plant-nematode interactions over several cropping seasons. During the inter-season, in the absence of host, the pest population undergoes a rapid decay. A longer inter-season duration reduces the pest population the following season, which is correlated with the seasonal crop yield. However, longer inter-season durations also decrease the number of cropping seasons during a fixed time horizon, and potentially the multi-seasonal yield. An optimisation problem is therefore formulated to determine the inter-season duration that maximises the multi-seasonal yield. Two cases are considered: a fixed or a variable inter-season duration. The existence of an optimal solution is proven and its location is computed. Numerical simulations are provided to illustrate our results.

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) is currently conditioned by the development of industry, society and many other factors. The ever increasing trend of ICT development is directly connected with the agricultural enterprises. ICT play important roles in the development of these enterprises and automation of their processes. Revitalisation of financing and budgets, dynamically evolving strong competitive environment and growing regulation lead to ever growing need for swift reactions and making precise decisions in all institutions and organisations, including manufacturing and agricultural organisations. Access to the right information in the right time is crucial for every subject. There are several fundamental areas for modern agricultural enterprises. All processes carried out in agricultural enterprises need to be planned and managed; automation of the processes via suitable information systems brings significant competitive advantages and strengthened market positions. Enterprise resource planning systems are convenient in this respect. The systems represent efficient instruments for planning and management of all crucial internal processes, particularly at the tactical and operational levels of management. The paper provides a picture of the current state of business information systems’ application in agricultural enterprises in Slovak republic and analyses the influence of selected factors (benefits and functions of the information system) on the satisfaction of managers with the implemented information system.