More African farms turning to hydroponics

As climate change begins to pose new challenges for conventional outdoor food production methods, hydroponic farming is fast gaining popularity in South Africa. Considering the current drought in the Western Cape and other parts of South Africa, you may say it is a forced shift, but it does bode well for the environment and our scarcest resource on planet earth – water.

For anyone who cares about our resources, it’s not difficult to obtain research about the “carbon footprint” of food transportation and the many other ways in which we harm our environment through producing our food. It is clear that we cannot continue on the way we have always produced food.

NFT Hydro, as the manufacturers and suppliers of Hydroponic NFT Systems and equipment, has become a key part of this shift change in South Africa & Africa. We have seen a significant up-take in growing hydroponically from our South African urban farmers, rooftops growers in our cities and commercial farmers searching for alternative methods of farming to meet the demand for higher yield and the consumers’ concern for the environment.

These urban growers and emerging farmers in South Africa are able contribute to food security through the KHULA farmers App (meaning GROW) which allow farmers to list their produce and track real time inventory levels from emerging farmers as well as basic production forecasting. The App also includes a crowd-sourcing marketplace where farmers can satisfy market demand and incoming orders.

That being said, some of our African neighbours have been even quicker on the uptake of Hydroponics than South Africans, the vast majority of whom, not surprisingly, are women.

NFT Hydro export on a regular basis into Africa as well as the rest of the world, attesting to the quality of our products proudly manufactured here in South Africa.

For more information:
Lynn Gunning
NFT Hydro
Tel: +27 (0)83 737 8602
Lynn@nfthydro.co.za
www.nfthydro.co.za