Blog

At Vegtech Netafim, we’ve built our business with a passion for farming and a focus on technology. And we’re always looking for innovative ways to help farmers achieve growing success. That’s why we’re excited to partner with agritech company MyCrops to offer our clients a range of smart crop monitoring tools designed to support and enhance their greenhouse operations.

What an honour it’s been to have had a place in the agricultural landscape in Africa for three very fruitful decades. We’re immensely grateful – to our people for their passion and dedication, and to our clients for their love of the land and their continued support. To celebrate our 30 year milestone, we’re looking back at our roots and looking forward to an exciting future.

At Vegtech Netafim, we offer true end-to-end project services. Whatever the requirement, we’re able to manage each aspect of a project from start to finish – and this capability is largely thanks to our wealth of in-house expertise.

We recently completed a greenhouse project for a big player in the South African flower bulbs and cut flowers market. This new state-of-the-art space is set to optimise the climate to one that best germinates and cultivates bulbs. Before we look at the role a greenhouse plays in creating the perfect bulb, let’s zoom in for a moment on the bulb itself.

Mali is a large, vibrant country in West Africa with a thriving private sector and massive agricultural potential. Netafim has operated in Mali for over a decade, and Vegtech Netafim completed our first greenhouse project in the country in 2016. Here’s a look at the agricultural landscape and how greenhouse projects have the potential to make a real difference to farmers, communities, and the economy.

One of the biggest benefits of greenhouse growing is that you can control the climate and offer the best environment to your crops at each unique growth stage. How do you protect your plants from soaring temperatures and harsh UV radiation? Here’s a closer look at the tools and systems that form part of a climate-controlled greenhouse solution for hot conditions.

For greenhouses to create the most successful yields for your specific crop and environment, choosing the right plastic cover is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Knowing what factors to consider when selecting a cover will equip you with the knowledge to choose the right one for your crop. For example, understanding how much light you want to let in, whether or not you want to retain heat and how much UV blocking you need will all help when choosing a cover. 

At Vegtech Netafim, we use advanced plastic films, and here’s an overview of the important physical and mechanical properties some of these coverings offer. Both the physical and mechanical properties are important in any decision-making process.

Growing mediums play a key role in supporting the health and development of crops – everything from fruit and vegetables to flowers. And they do this by providing support and stability to the root system, absorbing and retaining water to deliver to the plant when needed, and supplying air and important nutrients. To ensure growing success, it’s vital that the optimal growing medium is selected for the crop in question. 

Choosing the right growing medium for the right crops, weather, environment and stage in a plant’s life is really important for the health and success of a yield. Let’s explore each medium and its uses below.

Agronomists play a vital role in helping farmers around the world increase their crop yields, ensure optimal crop quality and maximise their returns. At Vegtech Netafim, our team wouldn’t be complete without the input of leading agronomists, assisting our team to offer insightful, precise and advanced crop expertise.

One of the many things the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted is that it’s more important than ever to grow local produce. Pandemic-related lockdowns and travel restrictions have disrupted food chain supplies and affected communities around the globe.

So much so that the World Bank says the effects of the pandemic have “led to severe and widespread increases in global food insecurity, affecting vulnerable households in almost every country, with impacts expected to continue into 2022 and possibly beyond.”

At Vegtech Netafim, we believe commercial greenhouses can play a vital and sustainable role in building food security. And we’re passionate about helping local growers increase their production while reducing the risks associated with traditional farming.

For almost three decades, Vegtech Netafim has successfully engineered innovative greenhouse solutions for farmers throughout Africa.

While the SADAC region has been our primary market, we’ve been steadily expanding into other countries in recent years, including Chad, Mali, Mauritius, and Madagascar. Here’s a closer look at our approach to greenhouse design and construction in Africa, our ongoing commitment to growers across the continent, and some of our most recent projects.

Barney Isralls may be a successful businessman, but this down-to-earth father and grandfather is really a farmer at heart.