Improve your yields with the right products and expertise
Terason, an innovative South African company, assists farmers across Africa to increase their yields and improve crop quality. We spoke to Gideon Hefer, Terason’s financial director, about the company’s solutions for the agriculture sector
Give us a brief overview of Terason
Terason provides crop solutions to the agriculture industry through the supply of crop protection chemicals, plant nutrition products and seeds. In addition we also provide our clients with technical advice on how to properly use the products in order to boost yields and improve the quality of crops.
Our field staff give advice and make recommendations on the application of various products and programs, taking into account specific requirements, such as complying with export regulations. For example, our technical team compiles spray programs for each specific crop prior to the production season, which is handed to our clients as a guideline that complies with good agricultural practices. The package we offer clients include both products and know-how.
How can farmers in Africa benefit from Terason’s services?
Rather than following an approach of just providing single products, we are able to assist farmers to optimise their yields, improve the quality of their crops and farm in a sustainable manner. With a product approach there is a lesser chance for the farmer to be successful because there is a lack of a holistic approach. With a holistic approach products compliment each other to optimise efficiency and anti-resistance strategies can be followed. The required expertise is given by a company like Terason.
Is Terason only targeting large commercial projects, or are you willing to service small-scale farmers as well?
Terason will get involved in projects that involve a group of small-scale farmers. These projects are typically backed by governments or NGOs. We are currently busy with a project in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province that includes a number of local communities. For us, and the individual farmers, it is more viable to provide our products and services to the entire group rather than to each farmer individually.
Terason has developed a concept called Carbology; please tell us more about this.
CarbologyTM is basically the management of carbohydrates of the plant in order to optimise the crop potential by providing the plant with the correct nutrients at the right time. The concept of CarbologyTM is done over a longer period of time, taking into account the status of the plant, climate and soil conditions as well as the type of crop.
Another product that Terason offers is controlled release fertilisers (CRF); how can these products save African farmers money?
CRF is in essence a fertiliser that has been developed to release nutrients based on soil temperature through diffusion. CRF products are applied during the planting of the crop which eliminates the need for additional top dressing applications at a later stage. All the nutrients required for a specific crop is therefore already in the soil when the seed is planted. This saves farmers significant time and money.
CRF removes the risk of leaching and fertiliser being wasted through inappropriate top dressing applications. It simplifies the management of crops and reduces risks. We believe that CRF is the solution for many agricultural applications in Africa.
What are the major challenges in Africa in the areas of crop protection and plant nutrition?
General expertise and knowledge are two major factors. Many farmers in Africa aren’t exposed to new practices, products and application methods in order to optimise yields. Another problem is the lack of proper equipment to apply the products correctly.
Contact details
For more information about Terason’s products and services, please contact Gideon Hefer at:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.terason.co.za