Agricultural services company Afgri Agri Services on May 20 unveiled its new agriculture technology platform called Axl, which is the first of its kind in South Africa.
The online platform is designed to enable the convenient rental of farm equipment by facilitating the contract between the renter and the owner in a few simple steps, which can all be done online.
Afgri explains that Axl allows farmers to find, rent and pay for agricultural equipment through a secure online portal, enabling service providers – equipment owners, retailers and contractors – to build their businesses and grow revenue streams and optimising the process of renting out their machines.
Axl provides world-class payment solutions that ease the cash-flow challenges for service providers while connecting renters to a quality rated service.
“Access to the right machinery at the right time is a critical success factor for farmers. Whether it is a small, emerging or large commercial farmer, this is an ongoing challenge for farmers of all sizes.
“Especially now, as the global pandemic has left global supply chains under immense pressure, uncertainty remains in the minds of our customers and currency volatility has resulted in the increase in equipment costs,” notes Afgri technology services head Niki Neumann.
The company opened the platform up sooner than originally planned owing to the increased need for an alternative solution. As with all new products, Afgri expects some teething issues, but has already facilitated successful rentals through the platform.
Afgri Equipment branches will be the first to offer the rental service to their customers. However, the platform is for all South African farmers and equipment owners, including contractors and retailers alike.
Afgri Equipment MD Patrick Roux says the platform allows farmers to fully use their equipment throughout the year and he is optimistic that this platform will change the way farming equipment is used in future.