Netafim South Africa is happy to announce that the first roll of locally produced Streamline™ X thin wall dripline was recently extruded at its Cape Town dripline manufacturing plant. To supply a changing market with optimal efficiency, the necessary upgrades were made to allow for advanced thin wall dripline extrusion in this plant.
Netafim South Africa team members, At the back from the left is, James Everts, Suren Moonasar and Buks van Zyl. In the front from the left is Alfie Delport, Edward Appolis, Joe le Roux and Gerard Hyster.
In the context of impaired economic growth, investment in the South African economy is more necessary than ever. Any investment has the potential to increase economic activity, build capacity and create opportunities. It is against this backdrop that Netafim South Africa is especially proud of being able to expand its local dripline manufacturing capacity.
To date, locally produced dripline included Uniram, Dripnet PC and Aries driplines with wall thicknesses ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 mm. Netafim South Africa has been investigating the possibility to extend its local dripline production to include its tough thin wall dripline, Streamline X, for some time now. The need for local production is driven by its aim to always adapt to market requirements and ensure that its business systems are optimised for efficiency.
Beyond the benefit of faster and more stable supply, this move speaks to the company’s passion for efficiency. Le Roux explains that local production is more cost-efficient and importantly leaves a much smaller environmental footprint. Lastly, do not forget the massive value of stimulating the local economy as highlighted earlier.
Thin Wall Trend According to Michael Esmeraldo, managing director of Netafim South Africa, the irrigation industry is seeing a global phenomenon that farmers are shifting to increased use of thin wall driplines. “We prioritise the needs of our end-users and it is therefore important for us to adapt to market trends in order to supply the industry with what it needs in the field.”
What makes Streamline X so special? “It is the toughest thin wall dripline ever made. This was confirmed by extensive testing at our headquarters in Israel and on local soil,” says Esmeraldo.
Industry Highlight
In its challenge to help farmers find new ways to use water efficiently, the announcement of local Streamline X production is a massive highlight for the Southern African irrigation industry. “It is important for the irrigation industry to unite and ensure that resources are used sustainably. We also need to focus on upskilling communities and agricultural subsectors in efficient resource use to ensure ongoing success,” said Esmeraldo. There have been many highlights on Netafim’s local journey, as well as in the stories of irrigation and agriculture in Southern Africa. “Personally, I am looking forward to many more highlights and to see what the future holds for precision irrigation technology. May we continue to advance the industry in order to help the world grow more with less.”
For more information:
Marike Brits
Netafim South Africa
Tel: +27 721 855 157
Email: [email protected]
www.netafim.co.za