The AGCO (agricultural company) corporation has expanded into Africa from their Asia Pacific region, and has said it hoped to offer solutions to small-scale farmers.

“Our line of mechanisation, grain storage, seed processing and protein solutions supports the complete spectrum of farmers, from emerging sector to large [scale farmers] and professional agribusinesses,” said Nuradin Osman, vice-president and general manager of ACGO (Africa).

Africa is to be included in the Asia Pacific region, effective from 1 January 2017, with the new region to be named Asia Pacific and Africa (APA). The company has an existing footprint in Africa, with a parts distribution service and training centre in South Africa, and Future Farm in Zambia.

Osman said the company had made significant progress in Africa recently and hoped to drive growth and service through the expansion project.

“Our core farm equipment brands which include Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey-Ferguson and Valta, play a critical role providing sustainable and inclusive mechanisation solutions to boost the development of agricultural productivity on the African continent.”

Gary Collar who will be appointed senior vice-president, and general manager, of APA, said the move realigned the regions and gave the company an opportunity to leverage the similar dynamics of both markets.

“Among the key synergies is the emergence of a growing smallholder farming segment, product and application similarities, shared consumer finance patterns and growing trade between the two regions.

Part of the expansion will be the opening of an office, in early 2017, in Johannesburg.