Somdia Group CEO Olivier Parent today took part in the agri-food round table at the ‘Invest in Africa’ Forum on the theme of “Agri-food: how is climate change changing the face of agriculture on the continent?
This was an opportunity to share Somdia Group’s vision of the major climatic challenges facing African agriculture: droughts, erratic rainfall, hydric stress on plants, attacks by pests – all of these have a direct impact on agricultural yields.
“In Chad this year, just before the harvest, we had an unprecedented excess of water, which damaged the roots of the sugar canes. This affected our yields at the start of the harvest.
“Agriculture is all about optimising the supply chain. In sugar cane, it goes from the machete to the fork. Throughout the value chain, we train our employees locally so that we can better manage the elements to maintain the company’s economic performance.”
In response to these challenges, our Group is committed to :
Developing more resilient agricultural varieties through varietal selection.
Optimising irrigation with advanced technologies.
Using drones and satellites for precision farming.
Implementing biocontrol solutions against pests.
Other testimonies supported these remarks:
- Peter Bentata, Vice-President of Production at Compagnie Fruitiere: “Climate change is not as obvious as it seems, but it has a significant impact on productivity and profitability.
- David Ralambofiringa, MBA, Madagascar’s Minister of Industry and Trade: “The island is vulnerable to all these climate changes. And the slightest change can affect the entire annual production on which the future of families who make their living from agriculture is built.”
