A bold initiative was launched to raise Africa’s agricultural productivity. This initiative is called the John Deere SMART campaign, and it aims at helping new era farmers to mechanise, improve yields, and increase profitability.
Over the past decades, various studies have tested the effectiveness of mechanisation schemes in Africa. Most findings report that the ‘tractor service provider’, or ‘contractor’ model is the most effective method of empowering new era farmers with the mechanisation to improve yields and achieve long-term sustainability.
John Deere Africa Middle East’s successful piloting of the branded contractor model, called S.M.A.R.T, provides governments and allied agricultural and economic development agencies the insight and tools to increase agricultural productivity and profitability in a sustainable way.
The programme has the potential to revolutionize Africa’s agrarian sector and wider value chain. The deployment of mechanisation through S.M.A.R.T is proven to create jobs while driving the broader investment and growth key to permanently addressing poverty by placing economies on higher productivity and growth paths.
S.M.A.R.T stands for Solutions for farmers, Mechanisation for higher yield, Access to finance, Reliability for lower costs, and Technology and training. At the same time, the campaign assists governments and their partners to create jobs and lift citizens out of poverty through the establishment of vibrant mechanisation businesses.
Benefits
Under the SMART programme, John Deere provides farmers with package solutions for their operations; from the right tractor for their operations, as well as implements such as, ploughs, planters, fertiliser spreaders, balers, and many more.
Under the SMART model, customers gain access to flexible and affordable financial solutions to buy the company’s farming equipment through John Deere Financial. In addition, the SMART campaign provides farmers with after-sales service through its extensive dealer network.
This means that upon acquisition of a John Deere machine, the operator is trained on its use to ensure optimal productivity. Included is information on the daily checks and maintenance required. In short, the dealer network provides the support that farmers need to keep their machines operating at peak performance. John Deere invests heavily in the availability and seamless delivery of parts through its dealers and service touchpoints.
To this end, PartsCatalog.Deere.com is an easy-to-use online platform that allows customers to search and identify part numbers linked to their equipment’s serial numbers. This makes it possible to find a part quickly and accurately, and minimises the chance of ordering the wrong part.
Customised solutions
John Deere’s equipment is built to withstand Africa’s tough and demanding farming conditions. Based on country-specific needs, the company and its independent dealer network recommend the appropriate equipment solutions for land preparation, planting, and crop maintenance through to harvesting and haulage. A golden thread of quality and professionalism runs through John Deere’s mechanisation offering.
Key aspects of this are:
Reliability:
The company’s machines are renowned for their quality and dependability under harsh working conditions.
Fuel efficiency:
John Deere uses cutting-edge technology that ensures a balance between high performance and excellent fuel efficiency.
Operator comfort:
Every aspect of the operator space layout is engineered to ensure long, safe, productive hours in the field.
Training:
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” John Deere understands this adage well and applies the message in its SMART programme. The company uses hands-on training to teach operators how to handle John Deere equipment, and to equip mechanisation service contractors with the skills they need to run their businesses smoothly and profitably.
Invest in the future – invest in John Deere.
