AFT Trenchers at SIAM 2023

AFT Trenchers are delighted to be exhibiting at the SIAM 2023 exhibition in Morocco at the beginning of May, where the UK will have a significant presence.

What is SIAM 2023?

Initiated by the General Commission of SIAM, the “Pavilion Village Start-ups” provides a dynamic and innovative ecosystem within a 1,200 m² space, showcasing 30 national and international start-ups. These start-ups, of which AFT Trenchers is one, will present solutions that can transform the agricultural business model, enhance its offerings, practices, and expertise, while addressing the agronomic, economic, and environmental challenges it faces.

A new feature in this edition is the “Digital Immersive Farm,” a 300 m² demonstrator situated at the heart of the “Start-ups Village” pavilion. This space will feature a FirmaTech e-services desk, connected presentation stations, a digital greenhouse, a virtual reality area, and networking zones for vertical agriculture, crops, livestock, and aquaponics, a method that combines plant cultivation and fish rearing in a shared environment.

From AgTech to FoodTech, GreenTech, and WaterTech, this new hub aims to unite various stakeholders to promote and accelerate innovation, food sovereignty, sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness in the agriculture of the future. The 30 start-ups participating in this event seek to propose new approaches to both public and private entities in order to enhance the yield, efficiency, and profitability of the agricultural sector.

AFT Trenchers Involvement

AFT Trenchers have been asked, as of only three companies to appear on the UK Start Up pavilion, we will also have an AFT Trenchers stand so that we can showcase British innovation and engineering.

Lord Benyon, the Minister of State for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, will be attending and presenting the UK pavilion to the Crown Prince of Morocco. In addition, there will be a variety of speeches and panels held at both the UK pavilion and the SIAM conference rooms.

Here is the video we have prepared specifically for the exhibition:

We are also delighted to have been asked to be on the Agri-Tech Panel Q&A discussing one of our favourite subjects, Agricultural Drainage, below is a sneak peak of the kinds of things we will be talking about.

Why is Agricultural Drainage so Important?

Agricultural drainage is crucial because without it, yield loss becomes inevitable. An effective land drainage system can enhance yields by 25 to 35%. This improvement occurs due to addressing the cumulative effects of various factors.

These factors include things such as machinery traveling across wet arable lands, the presence of weeds and grasses that favour wet ground, timeliness of cultivation, crop establishment issues due to poor root development, leaching of fertilisers, fungal diseases, uneven ripening, and other issues like extra drying costs, quality of saleable grain, and reduced activity of microorganisms in waterlogged soil.

Farmers can expect significant financial gains from improved drainage. Farmers and contractors can benefit from using a tractor-mounted trencher, as it allows for timely work, efficient labour utilisation, and convenient scheduling according to field conditions.

There are several advantages to using a tractor-mounted trencher, including increased output compared to a conventional digger, ease of backfill by digging narrow trenches, the ability to use an automatic laser system for following a predetermined gradient, and easy maintenance without the need for specialised equipment. In addition to drainage systems, trenchers can be used for various tasks such as installing fibre optic cables, electric and gas lines, water pipes, and irrigation systems.