Agriplas, part of the KAL Group, is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of irrigation equipment for the agricultural industry in South Africa and has been one of the leading suppliers of plastic irrigation equipment since 1968.
Agriplas provides an indispensable service in the agricultural industry and in 2002 became part of the KAL Group. Filtration systems for industrial water and the mining industry are also becoming increasingly important in their value chain.
Craig Matthew, Executive Manager of Agriplas, is speaking from the company's head office in Brackenfell. "We do not work directly with the end customer but focus on dealers who are experts with many years of experience in the irrigation industry. These dealers provide irrigation design services and products to producers of a variety of agricultural crops, from tomatoes and avocado to apples, pears and citrus fruits - in fact all horticultural crops that require irrigation. The transactions are then between us and the traders, or service providers, in the irrigation industry who take our products to the end customer," he explains.
According to Craig, Agriplas provides all the necessities, and thanks to their experience in the industry, the dealers handle the rest. This includes the design of the irrigation system, the procurement process and installation, as well as the after-sales service and maintenance. In turn, Agriplas' experts are more involved in system automation because they have the experience.
"We serve the whole of South Africa, as well as the southern part of the African continent, and are involved in the supply of world-class irrigation equipment in virtually all the SADEC countries - from Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania as far as Malawi. In these countries we also have seasoned service providers who distribute our products, do the installation and provide the maintenance service. We can rely on their technical ability, thanks to the strong relationships they have with the producers in their regions," explains Craig.
Far reaching distribution network
Agriplas' primary manufacturing facility is in Cape Town, but there are two other distribution points in Nelspruit and Centurion, from which the northern part of the country and the rest of Southern Africa is served. Agriplas also supplies products to Agrimark branches nationwide. If large projects are to be installed outside national borders, the components are assembled domestically and then transported to the final destination, where contractors take care of the installation.
Irrigation designers' instructions are carefully followed throughout. The acquisition of the parts and the distribution thereof is Agriplas' responsibility. The manufacturer currently employs approximately 130 full-time workers, including factory workers, technical advisors, as well as mechanical and agricultural engineers who operate as a close-knit team.
Agriplas' product range covers the entire irrigation value chain and they manufacture most products themselves.
The product range includes the following: polyethylene pipes; plastic microsyringes; a variety of drippers allowing different amounts of water through at different angles, some with pressure compensators; spreaders in various sizes and for different applications; impact sprinklers; hanging sprayers; flow regulators; filters; pumps; valves; automation equipment, and equipment for spreading and applying fertiliser via the irrigation system. The products are usually custom-made according to the producer's needs. Agriplas is the leader in manufacturing micro sprinklers in South Africa and is proud of its reputation.
Product development of imported products is largely done by the suppliers, while the development of locally manufactured products, is done by Agriplas itself. In season, between 80t and 100t of raw materials are processed monthly to produce products.
Allan Roodman, factory manager, explains how the different systems work in the manufacturing plant and how the products are put together. "Every year, between 8 and 11 million micro sprinklers are assembled by hand by a team of approximately 22 people. In season, there are more than 50 people at work in the factory and there is also a night shift," he says.
According to Quinton Kotze, Agriplas' production manager, most work is done by automated machines managed by well-trained staff. In the manufacturing plant, there is a strong emphasis on waste material, and some products contain up to 75% recycled material. Recycled polymer is also purchased for the manufacturing process.
Accurate traceability
The factory meets strict requirements for traceability and each product is marked with lasers with the date, time and the machine on which it was produced to facilitate this process. Of course, quality control also forms an integral part of every production process in the plant.
There is increasing emphasis on automation equipment because it enables producers to manage their water resources more accurately, including from afar. Effective irrigation management must take into account a large number of factors, including climate and microclimate, soil type, water quality, the crop type, the topography and the systems used. All this helps to apply precise farming practices to ensure savings and maximum yield.
Every drop counts
According to Craig, the services of agronomists are regularly engaged by traders to determine the moisture quality of the soil, thereby helping to determine the right irrigation equipment. They look at the overall picture and make recommendations for water and fertiliser application. The appropriate equipment is then manufactured and supplied by Agriplas.
"For example, we have a variety of micro-sprinklers that release between 20 l/hour to 100 l/hour of water, depending on the contractors' recommendations. In this way, we can schedule precise fertiliser application with our products, while dripper lines with an accuracy of as little as 0.8 l/hour are also produced. This application is scientifically determined, and one can understand that a producer with 100 ha under irrigation cannot afford to apply even 5% more water than is necessary.
Our products help with that. Because agriculture is one of the government’s focus areas for development, and due to the water scarcity in the country, we play a key role in its efficient use by supplying the right products to producers. Our main goal is to continue to focus on water management solutions and to make sure that what we do is as precise as possible, for the benefit of the producers and their production processes.”
Pieter Joubert, national sales manager, says Agriplas' filters for irrigation start from sizes of 20 mm up to and including 12 and 14 inch steel filters, capable of filtering anything from 50 l/hour to 2,000 cubic l/hour. The filters themselves vary from coarse, about 800 microns, to very fine, 20 microns, depending on the application for which they are used. He explains that it has become increasingly essential for farmers to use efficient filtration systems. Filters play an essential role in the reuse of water both in the agricultural industry and on an industrial level.
Accurate soil moisture meters
"We are the only producer in the market that produces a 'wetting front detector', a basic scheduling tool that determines soil moisture content and indicates how quickly moisture spreads after water application. The instrument tells the grower how long and how often to irrigate. We sell thousands of them and because it doesn’t need electricity to operate, and is so cheap and efficient, it’s ideal for small farmers."
Agriplas has already started to supply industrial filters of various sizes to the agricultural industry, but an increasing demand from industrial and mining sectors has created a new business market.
Craig is supported by a strong management team with extensive experience in the irrigation industry. Pieter has been in the industry for 35 years. The rest of the team also includes Allan and David Sass, the logistics manager, Chandré Brandt, the financial manager, and Johann Verster, the product manager for automation.
"It is important to realise that the products and services we provide are backed by KAL Group, a listed company with substantial gravitas and strong financial backing. This also helps us to assist producers in the financing of their irrigation projects - even if they work through the dealers or contractors who handle the planning, installation and maintenance of irrigation systems. We are a very good alternative in the market, and the price advantage we can offer with our irrigation products makes us extremely competitive," he believes.
Agriplas Bellville
13 Spilhausstraat, Stikland, 7530
Tel: 021 917 7177
www.agriplas.co.za
