Zambia has a very short rain season. Therefore, farmers need a reliable supplier such as Valley® for all their irrigation needs. Valley® is an American company with a prominent presence in Africa. From its Head Office in South Africa, an abundance of equipment, knowledge and experience in irrigation and water application techniques is available throughout the African continent.
Climate change with more heat units and dry seasons mean irrigation trends in the future need to adapt to less water applied more efficiently. Besides, a growing world population means that production does not dare decrease if farmers want to remain competitive.
Charl Marais farms between Livingstone and Kazungula in Zambia. In 2005 Charl purchased his first two Valley pivots and today he is the proud owner of six Valley® pivots. Two of them cover 30 ha each, and the other four 25 ha each. During the winter months he grows wheat, and in summer seed maize and seed groundnuts. He also recently started to grow oranges under a 25 ha pivot.
“I have been farming in Zambia for sixteen years,” Charl explains. “We mainly irrigate our crops from the Zambezi River.” The first centre pivots that I bought, still run every day, 17 years after I invested in them. Valley® provides a high-quality product, but in the end, everything depends on how the farmer maintains his machines.
“We have a very good relationship with Irritech, the local Valley® agent based in Lusaka. Whenever we order parts, they send it by courier to Livingstone. If I call for parts today, I’ll be able to pick it up tomorrow,” Charl says.
One of the six Valley pivots on Charl Marais’ farm between Livingstone and Kazungula in Zambia, with the mighty Zambezi River in the background. This was also the winning photo of week five in the Show me your Valley contest.
Based in Lusaka, Irritech has been a Valley Irrigation® agent in Zambia for the past 32 years. Valley® clients in Zambia have become accustomed to the excellent service provided by Irritech.
Irritech Zambia keeps enough stock in Lusaka to meet the farmers’ needs. They assist with the whole process of installing an irrigation system, from planning to erection and after sales service. Valley Irrigation® has been providing African farmers with excellent service and high-quality irrigation products for the past 48 years.
Irritech installs a complete range of Valley® centre pivots of various sizes. They determine the farmer’s needs and design a unique solution for every farmer to ensure that he gets the best from his irrigation system.
For farmers in Zambia, some of the biggest challenges are the high price of fertiliser and the low price obtained for their products, so it is of utmost importance that a farmer gets the best yield at the end of the day.
“We farm on Kalahari sand, so our timing with irrigation is of critical importance — thus, we cannot afford any interruptions. “In the beginning of the summer months, October and November, our average temperatures are between 40 and 44 °C with an evaporation rate of 15 mm per day. Should we fail to irrigate our summer crops for two or three days, the results can be devastating,” claims Charl.
“Most of the farmers in our area prefer Valley® pivots. “We are four farmers down the road here who decided to follow the Valley® route together. Should you urgently need something, you can quickly drive to your neighbour, and so we help each other out.
“We intend to set up a few more Valley® centre pivots in the future as our farming setup expands,” Charl says. “The newer pivots have so many amazing features built in to increase efficiency and to make the farmer’s life easier; the most important thing is to keep up with everything!”
The mist caused by Victoria Falls 20 km away from Charl Marais’ farm in Zambia.
Charl says: “Valley’s® prices have always been pretty fair compared to other brands, and you get real value for your money. Valley® provides excellent pivots with a proven design. I would definitely recommend Valley® to other farmers.”
Valley® remains dedicated to each of their clients and strives to assist more farmers in growing their businesses.
Valley Irrigation® is situated in Nigel, but their agents are located throughout South Africa, as well as Southern and East Africa. Over the past 50 years, Valley® farmers have become accustomed to the excellent service that Valley® and its agents provide across the region.
For more information, contact Francois Griesel on +27(0)10-350-0055 or e-mail francois.griesel@valmont.com, or André van Wyk from Irritech Zambia on +26(0)97-877-2550 or send an e-mail to andre@irritechzm.co.zm.
