AfTrak - Micro Electric Agriculture for Africa

AfTrak -- A micro electric tractor designed for Africa to mechanise land preparation.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), over 800 million people have no reliable access to electricity, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and rural regions of developing Asia. However, despite many existing initiatives energy poverty eradication is a demanding challenge and requires novel strategies to meet the ambitious targets. Obstacles include high capital costs, difficulties with energy demand forecasts, environmental factors, theft & damage.

The roll-out of grid or micro-grid connections to rural communities is often limited by the expendable income of a community being too low to purchase sufficient energy to be attractive to an infrastructure investor; AfTrak focuses on providing a significant agricultural revenue boost to pave the way for future energy rollout whilst simultaneously providing community power for key applications such as cooking, phone charging and lighting.

The AfTrak system is a micro electric tractor capable of mechanising land preparation. This low-cost, walk-behind tractor system is powered entirely by solar, has built-in battery storage, can prepare the soil to a depth of 400mm and provides power for agricultural applications such as water irrigation and domestic applications such as phone charging, electric cooking and lighting.

Across large areas of Malawi, under the few inches of topsoil, there is a heavily compacted layer of rock-hard earth. This is largely the result of long-term use of manual hoes, human and animal footfall, and occasionally heavy machinery. Plant roots cannot generally penetrate through this hard layer. Nor can air or water, which is necessary for the healthy living soils that support good agriculture.

The AfTrak system has been coupled with an innovative agricultural methodology developed by Tiyeni called Deep Bed Farming (DBF). DBF reimagines the traditional Malawian farming cycle, the methodology has won approval from the Malawian Ministry of Agriculture and demonstrates a significant increase in yield. However, DBF requires a substantial increase in the amount of land preparation in the first year before an increase in yield is produced.

This creates a barrier to entry, especially for those households with a deficiency in family labour (child, female, and elder lead households). Coupling the capabilities of AfTrak to significantly lower the labour required for the initial land preparation, Tiyeni will be able to educate and engage communities at a heightened rate, whilst also allowing the communities to generate additional income and gain access to energy.