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Irritech
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Founded in 1992, Irritech Agencies International (PTY) Ltd. is a specialist irrigation company based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with business dealings across Southern Africa. The company prides itself on top-quality work utilising state-ofthe-art design and its ability to deliver systems that last.
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ounded 25 years ago by Franek Raciborski, Irritech is a company with a strong environmental and business ethos and a commitment to training and retaining skilled staff.
“System planning, once an occasionally informal process, is now highly complex, using satellite imagery and specialist irrigation design software to plot optimal tracks and positions for irrigation systems
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SMART
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IRRITECH AGENCIES INTERNATIONAL South Africa – +27(0)33 3423177 reception@irritechsa.co.za ZAMBIAN IRRITECH LIMITED Zambia – +260 97 779 1356 sales@irritechzm.co.zm
Sole Valley Irrigation agents for Zambia
irritechsa.co.za *Additional hardware or subscription required. **Limitations based on field conditions.
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Valley Irrigation of Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. Contact: 010 350 0050 | Email: infosa@valmont.com | valleyICON.com
I r r i t e c h
“Franek has a passion for what he does and through this has mentored and shared his knowledge with the Irritech team. The company’s strongest bond is the feeling of family and home grown roots within the company,” says one of the directors and senior engineers, Paul Anders. “Irritech will be celebrating 25 years this year and as part of the celebration we will be having a 25 day sale,
From left to right: Caitlin Koch (née Raciborski), Franek Raciborski, Andrew Fowler and Luke Fowler.
“Close bonds and family ties are a key element to the success of our business,” says managing director Franek Raciborski. “Both Andrew Fowler (director and general manager) and I foresee our legacy continuing with junior staff, including our children Luke Fowler and Caitlin Koch (née Raciborski).”
“With water in short supply, it’s no longer enough to use traditional irrigation methods or haphazardly built and poorly planned systems. with one item on sale a day through the month of May.” The fi rm was one of the early players in the smart farming boom across Africa in the 2000s, using and providing a variety of technological solutions to design and run its systems. System planning, once an occasionally informal process, is now highly complex, using satellite imagery and specialist irrigation design software to plot
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Swan Plastics (Pty) Ltd 49 Jeffels Road, Prospecton 4110 P.O. Box 55 Umbogintwini 4120 T: +27 (0)31 912 1607 F: +27 (0)31 912 1821 E: swanplastics@dbnmail.co.za
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CONTACT 031 792 9500 dennisn@sizabantupipingsystems.com sagrenn@sizabantupipingsystems.com
Based at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), Sizabantu Piping Systems opened its new R300m PVC-O pipe plant factory in 2016. The factory specialises in the manufacturing and distribution of a comprehensive range of high pressure PVC pipes and drainage solutions using Molecor’s proprietary technology. The factory’s target markets are the agricultural, civil and industrial sectors locally, as well as in southern Africa and the sub-Saharan region. Plastic pipes come with many inherent advantages in comparison to other traditional materials. These include its non-corrosive properties, which enables a longer lifespan and unlike traditional metallic pipe, no cathodic protection is required. Additional advantages include better hydraulic performance, lower pumping costs, and better surge or water hammer capabilities. Plastic pipe is a tried and tested product, well-suited for Africa and the infrastructure sector. In addition, the demand for potable water in Africa is enormous and its user-friendly products will assist in speeding up the supply of much-needed reticulation systems, particularly in urban centres where the trend points to exponential expansion. This is due to rural communities increasingly migrating to towns and cities in search of better prospects. PVC-O pipes are proving to be a better cost effective alternative option, where large diameter and higher pressure ratings are required for bulk water lines.
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PVC PIPING PUMP STATIONS
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I r r i t e c h
optimal tracks and positions for irrigation systems. “Once the system has been planned, Irritech then designs the various fittings, pump stations, booster stations and irrigation barges using
“A major part of the corporate plan for the next five years is to prepare and train a new generation of junior engineers to take over roles currently held by senior personnel. autoCAD, a computer-assisted design software that allows rapid and accurate prototyping and design that’s specific to the client farm’s needs. Many of our system designs use variable speed drives that allow a measure of flexibility and increase the economic and environmental efficiency of the systems.” Alongside flexibility, precision is often also important – Irritech’s Swaziland partner Irriwater uses a GPS-steered tractor for accurate laying of lateral pipes, the driver positioning the vehicle and
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Sustainable Intelligent Water Solutions
I r r i t e c h
then operating nothing but the accelerator and gearshift. The company’s environmental and efficiency concerns also extend to its own offices, which use a system of rainwater tanks (the water flowing off the roof of its workshops is enough to run the taps and plumbing continuously), while solar power and LED lights reduce electricity use. These measures, along with partnerships with tree-planting groups like
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Greenpop, are estimated to reduce the company’s dependence on municipal electricity by 50% and will save the equivalent of 460,000kg of carbon dioxide and 2.1 million kg of nitrogen dioxide.
A necessary system
Both Irritech’s smart systems and its environmental focus make sense in the broader context of South African agriculture, frequently disrupted by droughts and wrong-footed by the changing climate. Following a particularly severe El Nino and a string of droughts during 2015 and 2016, the market for irrigation systems has boomed as farmers try to find ways to sustain their production levels. With water in short supply, it’s no longer enough to use traditional irrigation methods or haphazardly built and poorly planned systems. Farmers are keenly aware that they need to make the most of every drop of water they receive, especially as South Africa’s reservoirs drop to 30% capacity with insufficient rainfall to refill them. Beyond South Africa, the southern nations of the continent are all struggling with food insecurity. The United Nations has labelled the current droughts as the worst in 35 years, with more than 40 million people at risk of starvation. Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe are
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Agriculture
all being targeted by the World Food Programme for support. Climate change is also changing the habitats of many animal species, including pests like the armyworm, which has spread south with alarming speed as temperatures rise. Eco-farming, which prioritises reduced emissions and the use of technology to adapt to changing conditions, is now vital, and companies like Irritech are at the forefront of this adaptation.
What next?
Irritech’s major capital investment is in its staff and engineers. Large amounts are invested on training of staff at all levels each year, ensuring that the company has an efficient and knowledgeable workforce in place. As the company plans to
expand its operations north as far as the Congo, meeting demand created by the changing climate and years of drought in the region, management are also working to ensure that that expansion is sustainable.
then move back into a more supervisory role, allowing the company to take on more business while creating a strong technical, sales, advertising and logistics team to carry the Irritech name forward.�
“A major part of the corporate plan for the next five years is to prepare and train a new generation of junior engineers to take over roles currently held by senior personnel who can
With so much at stake when it comes to a successful irrigation infrastructure in Africa, it seems sensible to entrust operations to a company with long-term quality and reliability in mind.
Follow us: @IrritechAgenciesInternational Irritech Agencies International (Pty) Ltd
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343 Boom Street Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)33 342 3177 Fax: +27 (0)33 394 0539
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