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News

  • 12 January 2012

    2011 SABI CONGRESS

    Agriplas and John Deere Water sponsor the 2011 SABI Congress


    Agriplas and John Deere Water flags circle the boma at the congress dinner
    (more photos under our image gallery)

    The Congress theme was “Sustainable Irrigation”, as a route for enhancing people’s lives and the environment, while ensuring prosperity on our planet.
    Subjects of discussion at the congress were:

    - Water resources now and in future - quality, availability, consumption and sharing
    - Irrigation research and practice - sugarcane and more
    - Making the most of our water through better irrigation scheduling - new methods, same message?
    - Optimising the use of electricity and other energy sources
    - Floods and droughts - taking risk in agriculture to a new level in a new climatic era?
    - Irrigation projects in Africa - opportunity or threat?
    - Alternative irrigation technologies.


    As Platinum sponsors there were a number of promotional benefits at the congress for Agriplas and John Deere Water.  Both company logos appeared on all marketing material and we received a free 3 x 3m² exhibition space.  Logos were also printed on the SABI Congress bags and name badges for delegates.

    The only flags and banners displayed at the Congress were those of SABI, Agriplas and John Deere Water and company brochures were inserted into the congress hand-outs.  Verbal acknowledgement for the sponsorship was received during the congress and international delegates from John Deere Water as well as Agriplas were given the opportunity to address the group.

    Our thanks go to SABI for a successful marketing venture.

  • 08 January 2010

    Beware of imitations

    Agriplas noted an advertisement in a local newspaper wherein FARM RC160 impact sprinklers were being advertised at a greatly reduced price compared to normal.  Upon further investigation, we noticed that the advertised sprinklers were actually imitations of the real FARM RC160 sprinklers.  These imitations were imported from China while the original FARM RC160 is manufactured in Spain and sold under agency license by Agriplas in South Africa.

    A similar report was received earlier this year that someone was importing these imitations from China.  The importing of these products was however later stopped as a result of problems experienced in the market with the imitations.  Unfortunately it has since been discovered that someone else is now importing the same product and selling it under the FARM trade name.

    Problems are now being experience in the irrgation market due to the availability of these types of imitation products.  The imitations are manufacutured using lower quality materials than the original RC160.  Agriplas is currently in possession of two of these imitation products one of which is a new unused product while the other was in use for approximately three to four months.  The used sprinkler is however already broken, the spring is broken and the metal parts have rusted.  The danger these imitations cause for us as the distributor is that the end-users in the irrigation market will think that the FARM RC160 sprinkler is a substandard product thereby also affecting the reputation of Agriplas as a whole in that the market impression given is that we are selling an inferior product.  The danger this product has for the uninformed farmer is the possibility of them spending a large amount of money on substandard products resulting in the purchase of a product with a far shorter lifespan.
    These imitations are however easily recognisable against the original FARM RC160.  The most noticeable difference is that the FARM RC160 has “Made in Spain” inscripted on it whereas the imitation product has the inscription “Spain Model”.  These inscriptions appear on the arm of the sprinkler.  Secondly, the metal pin of the original RC160 has a small point at the top while the imitation one is flat on the top.  A third characteristic is that the arm of the imitation product is has more play around the metal pin while the arm on the FARM RC160 has less play.  The fouth characteristic is that the arm of the imitation product is approximately 1cm shorter than that of the RC160 and lastly you will see that the rings on the imitation product are noticeably thinner than that of the RC160.

    The general appearance of the imitation product is not bad, it does however look “thinner” and looks as if the components do not fit neatly together.
    As mentioned, Agriplas is of the opinion that the farming community should be informed of the circulation of imitation products in the market.  It could have negative financial implications for them should they purchase these imitations and the lifespan is far less than that of the original product.