FARM GENERATORS FOR AGRICULTURE PURPOSES – WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
The agriculture industry is critical to our nation’s economic health and impacts every Zimbabwean’s personal survival. To ensure farms and fields produce healthy crops and livestock and remain in operation, agricultural businesses require a dependable supply of electricity. That’s why backup farm generators are vital.
If you are a Zimbabwean farmer, you know how essential an uninterrupted electrical supply is to support your livelihood. Continuous electrical power is mandatory, especially in today’s increasingly automated agricultural world where complex systems are helpless when the power grid drops off. However, that would not be a problem if you have a backup generator for your agriculture business.
AUTOMATION NEEDS IN AGRICULTURE
In the centuries since the Industrial Revolution caused the Agricultural Revolution, farm mechanization allowed increased yields with less human effort. Harnessing electricity and delivering it through a nation-wide grid system allowed distant areas to capitalize on generated power. Reliable electricity helped develop automated agricultural equipment to increase productivity and profits. The key to successful electric farm automation was making sure the power supply was dependable.
Today, Zimbabwean and at large, world agriculture is a huge economic generator. Because of automation, farmers can parlay their human and mechanical assets into greater yields than possible even a few decades ago. Statistics establish how important employment is in the agricultural and farming sector. Overall, the bigger umbrella of agriculture employs thousands of workers while the farming subsidiary also supports thousands of people, which makes up a chunk of the entire Zimbabwean workforce. This wouldn’t be possible without electricity supporting advanced automation in every agricultural facet.
THE RISKS FARMS FACE WITH POWER OUTAGES
The farming industry depends on an immense electrical power supply. Farming and agricultural business use automated systems to keep production running. Automated processes have shifted over time, and today’s automation is highly evolved. Because automated agricultural systems are so intertwined with core business functions, it’s never been more necessary to back up the electrical supply.
A modern automated farm can’t allow their electrical flow to be interrupted. Even short term electrical outages can have devastating effects on livestock and crop survival. Although automation has improved almost every farming process, high technology has created an Achilles’ heel for the modern agricultural industry.
Fortunately, there’s a proven solution to this problem. You can easily protect yourself and your business from the electrical stoppage vulnerability by incorporating a generator into your farm’s infrastructure. A backup generator lets you continue regular operations while waiting to tie back into the communal grid.
BACKUP POWER GENERATOR FOR FARM USE
Backup power generators are necessary for farms and other businesses involved in agricultural production. Investing in a backup farm generator is just as critical as carrying general insurance policies that cover farm buildings, production equipment, and living assets.
Electrical power interruptions will cause immense grief to plants and animals being raised in human-created artificial environments. Defending crops and livestock from power loss is a top priority for responsible farmers. In fact, no farm incorporating an automated production system should be without an auxiliary power generator.
Successful farming means that electricity keeps flowing when the regular power supply stops. The main reason for commercial power outages is Mother Nature. Harsh weather creates high winds, heavy rains and storms that sever transmission lines. Although you can’t do anything about the weather, you certainly can protect your farm or agricultural operation from power loss with a backup generator.
Power interruptions also happen from grid overloads that cause rolling brownouts. These happen when electrical demand on a grid exceeds the supply at a given time. Brownout periods will likely increase as areas of the country grow, placing more draw on a maximum-capacity electrical grid. Having a backup generator protects your farm against brownout interruption or other electrical downtimes.
WHO DO FARM POWER OUTAGES AFFECT MOST?
Farming is a primary contributor to the agricultural industry, even though not all agricultural activities happen directly on farms. However, it’s frontline farmers who suffer the most when their automated systems fail from power outages. Power failure affects both of these two primary farming segments:
- Crop producers: Farmers produce a wide array of crops that require electrical support. Many greenhouse operations are fully automated with electrically controlled lighting, irrigation, nutrient, and ventilation systems. Crop producers can’t afford electrical interruption and must have generators backing up their power supply.
- Livestock producers: Many livestock farmers raise their animals in indoor conditions where life support systems depend on electrically powered automation. Live creatures in close quarters are at the mercy of mechanical components. Most livestock can’t survive for long when an electrical failure happens. Back-up generators are a livestock lifesaver.
Although living crops are vulnerable to power loss, their health risk isn’t as severe as livestock. Artificially grown crops like vegetables and flowers quickly distress from a lack of light or water. However, crops are nowhere near as risky compared to livestock such as poultry, meat, and dairy stock.
Losing any living animal on a farm due to unnecessary electrical downtime can cost an agricultural business a lot of money. Prolonged power loss could be fatal to a farm’s bottom line through losing an entire crop or barn full of livestock. Backup generators will protect you from a loss no matter what agricultural sector you operate in. Here are principal agricultural segments that benefit from farm generator use.
1. DAIRY
Automation has revolutionized the dairy industry. Since the milking machine was invented, technological advancements led to computerization and automation of dairy production. Today, every part of a modern dairy farm depends on an unbroken electric supply to keep production steady and safe.
Electrically powered computer systems track cow location, milking schedules, and feeding timelines. Electricity also keeps milk storage facilities at a healthy level. Any power loss in a dairy farm would have a serious economic impact, and this can easily be prevented with an auxiliary electrical generator.
2. POULTRY
Farm-raised poultry like chickens and turkeys also depend on electricity for survival. Many birds raised for meat and egg production reside in tight quarters that contain automated systems controlled by electrically powered components. Poultry farms implement complicated feed and watering systems.
Automated farms also require continuous ventilation and air conditioning controls to keep healthy stock. Even short electrical interruptions in a poultry barn could have fatal consequences. That risk is completely managed by having a backup generator for poultry farm automation.
3. GREENHOUSES
Technological advancements in the greenhouse industry allow for higher crop yields in smaller areas than growers can achieve under natural field conditions. Automation drives greenhouse efficiency, which results in higher profits from denser settings. Automated greenhouse features like light control, precise heat settings and intricate ventilation systems are vital supports to greenhouse operations.
Computerized water and nutrient supplies also increase crop yield. Greenhouse automation and plant health depend on uninterrupted electrical energy flow. For that, a backup generator for greenhouse operations is mandatory. Generators ensure crops never fail from power loss and that supports a greenhouse business’ bottom line.
4. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Animal husbandry is the science of breeding farm animals as well as caring for their welfare. Farmers who raise meat animals like hogs and cattle have a lot invested in their livestock. Many modern animal husbandry farms have sophisticated automation systems assisting their operations. Every automated system depends on continuous electricity for animal welfare.
Total confinement facilities are highly productive for livestock like hogs. While confined pens and corrals allow easy stock management, they pose extreme risks to the animals’ health and survival when the power supply stops. That’s because confined facilities have precision heat and ventilation controls, and animals can quickly overheat or suffocate from dangerous air conditions. Looking after animal husbandry responsibilities is a principal benefit of farm generator uses.
5. HARVESTING
Automation makes harvesting crop yields and livestock returns highly efficient. Electrically powered automation systems help dairy farmers milk cows, hog farmers harvest stock, and egg producers gather inventory. Automation also helps greenhouse growers harvest crops quickly and profitably.
While automated systems are invaluable when it comes to harvest time, they also have to be dependable and available. Harvests can be delayed or destroyed because of sudden and unexpected power stops. Investing in a backup generator prevents delays or destruction, and lets harvests proceed as planned with produce delivered to the market on time. Without a doubt, generators for harvesting are excellent investments.
POWERING AREAS OFF THE GRID
As the agricultural industry expands, it moves into areas that are off the grid. Those are untapped regions where land is available but conventional electrical supplies are not. That used to be a major restriction for expanding farmers while they waited for commercial power suppliers to extend their grid.
Grid restriction isn’t as big an issue as it was in the past. Today, many enterprising farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs choose off-grid locations because they have a reliable and economical power alternative. These energy alternatives are technologically advanced electrical generation systems that run independently of a high-voltage power grid.
Off-grid locations also include specialized zones where economic benefits make farming attractive despite having no available electrical grid. Benefits include plentiful water supplies, the right weather conditions, and even tax breaks. Many off-grid farmers also benefit from the solitude that remote farms offer and capitalize on the get-off-the-grid factor.
Off-grid agriculturalists are resourceful people. They choose this lifestyle for personal reasons. Some like the freedom of off-grid life. Others enjoy the challenge of developing non-traditional farming methods and make the most out of challenging conditions.
Growing crops and raising livestock off the grid still requires some sort of power. Some resourceful off-grid farmers experiment with alternative energy sources like water, wind, and solar power. While these use natural energy sources to convert into electricity, the cost of infrastructure can be prohibitively expensive. That’s not to mention intermittent interruptions and general unreliability that alternative energy production offers.
CONTAINED GENERATOR SYSTEM – BEST CHOICE FOR OFF THE GRID
The best choice for off-the-grid agricultural electrical energy needs is a contained generator system. There is no better alternative electricity provider than a quality generator that’s carefully chosen and properly sized for your off-grid farm. Today’s high-tech generators provide you with a continuous and dependable electrical supply. That’s regardless of weather conditions or how far in the future the mainstream electrical grid reaches your location.
Off-grid farmers usually choose diesel-powered generators. Stand-alone electrical generators using diesel fuel to run engines driving generation units are efficient, economical and safe.
If you’re an off-grid farmer, your best choice for continuous and dependable electricity is a generator. You can certainly experiment with wind, water or solar alternative energy sources, but you’re wise to mix in a mainstay diesel-powered generator. Your crop and livestock lives depend on it.
DOES MY FARM NEED A GENERATOR?
Your farm will benefit from a generator whether you’re on or off the electrical grid. As a large capacity farmer who depends on a commercial electrical supply for mainstay power, you still need a backup generator for those inevitable moments when the grid goes down. When your diesel or natural gas-powered generator kicks in, your operations continue as normal.
The same applies if you’re a smaller scale farmer making a living off the grid. Your farm needs a dependable generator to keep you running on a day-to-day basis. Your generator becomes the backbone of your agricultural operation, and you can’t prosper without it.
There’s a lot at stake for all farmers when they don’t invest in backup generator insurance. Even short and temporary power outages can have devastating effects on livestock and crops. You might not be able to financially recover from losing your animals due to heatstroke or suffocation and your crops from cycle interruption shock.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GENERATOR FOR AGRICULTURE PURPOSE
Investing in a backup generator prevents lost revenue and unnecessary agricultural waste. Whether you choose a new electrical generator or a premium used generator, a high-quality generator is a perfect solution to power problems no matter where you are.
There are two crucial factors in choosing a backup generator for your farm or agricultural application. One, make sure your generator is the correct size for your current and future needs. The other critical factor: partnering with the right electrical generator supplier. Your next step is finding that right supplier.
TECH AFRICA IS YOUR AGRICULTURAL GENERATOR SUPPLIER
TECH AFRICA is your agricultural generator partner. We specialize in selling new high-quality generators in Harare, Zimbabwe. At Tech Africa, you can choose from a wide range of diesel and petrol powered generators in sizes from 2KVA to 1000KVA.
To learn more about how TECH AFRICA can help you with agricultural electrical generating problems on and off the grid, call us today. We’ll help you assess your specific needs and find the right agriculture generator.
Call and ask to speak with Daniel on +263772156504, or you can always reach us through our online contact form.
.png)
.png)
