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Business Reporter
DELTA Corporation is working with financial partners to speed up procurement of modern irrigation equipment for contracted commercial farmers to drive production of its raw materials.

Apart from the negative impact of Covid-19, farmers have increasingly fallen prey to natural disasters, droughts and torrential rains caused by climate change.

Delta relies on agriculture for inputs required in the manufacture of its beers and sweeteners needed for its soft drinks. The company set aside US$3,9 million to support farmers during the 2021/22 farming season under its outgrower schemes targeting growers across the country.

In its latest sustainability development report, Delta said it had taken a farmer-centric approach to its public commitment to ensure 100 percent of its direct farmers are skilled, connected and financially empowered.

“Our barley, maize and sorghum contracting schemes engage over 9 000 farmers including both commercial scale and communal and smallholder farmers,” said the company.

Delta requires about 11 400 tonnes of red sorghum and 2 400 tonnes of white sorghum annually, although requirements vary every season, depending on projected domestic beer consumption levels.

The sorghum contract scheme aims to integrate marginalised communities through its value chains and promote the cultivation of small grains and drought resistant crop varieties.

The 2020 winter barley and summer cropping programmes were adversely affected by drought, leading to lower produce quality and yields.

“We remain self-sufficient on barley covering both domestic and export malt requirements. The country had to supplement imports of both maize and sorghum during 2020,” said Delta. It believes that technology has enormous potential to positively transform the future of farming.

“We are working with banking partners to accelerate the acquisition of irrigation equipment and other capital items for the commercial farmers,” said the company.

The 2021 summer contracts for both maize and sorghum are set to achieve both output and yield targets, benefiting from the good rains and stable electricity supply, according to the company.