The TYI’s pilot project, AKIL Ta Ballet will be carried out on 3000 hectares of agricultural land in the Loka Round Central. Maize planting is expected in the months of March and April to be primarily dependent on rainfall. After maize harvesting, sorghum will be planted to ensure crop rotation and maximize land productivity.
The land will be subdivided into six equal pieces which will employ 10 individuals for the first three years. For each of the 500 ha, 20 ha will be provided for growing vegetables for subsistence and export. There will also be a Central hub (Central distribution centre) to house the milling plant, bankers (maize silos), milling plant, mechanical workshop for repairs and maintenance of farm equipment, dairy processing plant, chicken plant, and hydrogen facility. The total initial capital outlay inclusive of de- bushing, farm machinery, and storage facility for the 3000 ha is projected to be $1, 991,460. Maize production per hectare is projected to be 9.0 tons for the first year and is expected to grow at 2% per year for the subsequent years. After all the production cost deductions, TYI projects to yield a net profit of $1 600 per ha with a 2% growth rate p.a. This profit will be complemented by the revenues from vegetables and sorghum.
In line with one of the objectives of The Emmanuel Taban Foundation, which is to develop critical skills for the youth in Africa, TYI will endeavour to partner with like-minded individuals and organisations towards the realization of this objective. One such partnership is with Bosch, a leading multinational engineering and technology company. The program will commence with the training of 10 young individuals, mostly from South Sudan who will embark on a nine-month long training program under the Bosch Rexroth Africa Development Program. Trainees will be introduced to and skilled in areas such as hydraulics and pneumatics.
While skills development is an important part of the vision of The Emmanuel Taban Foundation, it is also crucial that once these skills are acquired, the newly trained individuals have opportunities to apply the learnt skills in real-life work environment. To this end, the Foundation, has developed plans to be build a technical and agricultural hub cantered around a secondary school in Loka Round, in South Sudan.
The whole system is intended to be self-sustainable and commercially viable. The agricultural produce will be used in the school and the surplus sold to generate additional income streams. The Foundation also has plans to build a manufacturing plant within the central hub and the skills of the Bosch Rexroth Africa Development Program trainees will be critical for efficient functioning of the hub. The manufacturing plant will also provide technical training to existing students from the secondary school, thereby providing a more holistic educational offering to adequately prepare learners for the working environment.
TYI will cover all crop production costs. After the pilot project and achieving the learning curve for the 60 farmers, additional land will be obtained through a partnership agreement with other interested farmers in which landlords will provide land on a five-year contract. TYI will manage the cultivation process and cover all production costs. TYI will recoup all costs upon selling the product and pay the farmers the balance. TYI intends to integrate science and technology into the project altogether. The firm will incorporate smart farming (SF), ICT, and the use of improved and high-quality inputs. Land preparation, planting, weeding, fertilizer application, herbicide and insecticide spraying, storage, and processing will be fully mechanized. This next stage will also incorporate other diversified components of the project. These include dairy and beef, seed oil crops, chicken, sorghum, fish farming.
For sustainability, the TYI management will commit to sustainable agriculture and preservation of both natural fauna and flora. The subdivision of the 3000 ha into 6 equal parts will help preserve and protect natural vegetation in the area. Furthermore, the dairy and beef farming intended for the future of the project will only include the cattle already bred in the area. Farmers will be educated on environmental conservation and preservation. The irrigation system will use drip irrigation which has been proven efficient and cost-effective. The system prevents disease by minimizing water contact with the leaves, stems, and fruit of plants. The system also allows the rows between plants to remain dry, improving access and reducing weed growth.