Local investment drives dripline supply

Netafim South Africa has announced the expansion of its local dripline manufacturing capacity.

To date, locally produced dripline included Uniram, Dripnet PC and Aries driplines with wall thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm. Netafim South Africa says it has been investigating the possibility of extending its local dripline production to include its thin wall dripline, Streamline X.

“In 2017 we invested in new extruders and have continuously improved our equipment and systems. We now have three state of the art extrusion lines and production runs 24 hours a day seven days a week,” says Netafim South Africa factory manager Joe le Roux.

“We are very excited to announce that, after the latest upgrades to our extruders, we can now manufacture thin wall pipe with wall thicknesses below 0.2 mm. This means that Streamline X can be extruded right here in our Cape Town manufacturing plant,” said Le Roux.

According to Netafim South Africa MD Michael Esmeraldo the irrigation industry is seeing a global shift by farmers 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.”

Netafim South Africa is mostly known for its premium heavy wall driplines but notes that its offerings of thin wall, medium wall and heavy wall driplines with ranging dripper features and capabilities, as well as a wider range of precision irrigation solutions, further meet the needs of end-users.

“With this announcement, we can proudly say that our locally produced dripline offer is complete, and we can nimbly react to the needs of our end-users,” adds Esmeraldo.

“[Streamline X] is the toughest thin wall dripline ever made. This was confirmed by extensive testing at our headquarters in Israel and on local soil,” he says.

The characteristic of toughness is said to be attributed to the longevity of the dripper, and the durability of the dripline. Internal and external reinforcement ribs enhance dripline durability and protect the pipe from damages on the pipe surface and close to the dripper, making installation and retrieval easier. Netafim says its  advanced dripper technology ensures optimal turbulence, self-cleaning capabilities as well as wide water passages and a large, deep and wide cross section for high dripper clogging resistance. The dripper's large filtration area is designed to efficiently prevent the entrance of sediments into the drippers, ensuring optimal performance even under harsh water conditions.

The company asserts that local Streamline X production is an important highlight for the Southern African irrigation industry, ensuring faster and more stable supply, cost-efficiency and a smaller environmental footprint.