India's Kabra Extrusion Technik Ltd. and Israel's Metzerplas have formed a technology partnership to jointly develop drip irrigation machinery, seeing opportunities in supplying the water-saving equipment to farmers in developing countries.
Mumbai-based Kabra, one of India's largest extrusion machinery manufacturers, said it's supplying the extrusion equipment while Metzerplas Cooperative Agricultural Organization Ltd., as it is formally known, is supplying specialized dies and insertion and perforation equipment.
“These lines are being developed especially for India and other developing countries,” Kabra said in an announcement. “Kabra is also exploring possibilities of new avenues in bringing low cost cylindrical [and] flat drippers, high-end equipment… and micro irrigation systems for drip irrigation suppliers at competitive prices to boost yield.”
The companies recently announced what they claimed was new technology for the drip industry, extrusion machinery capable of manufacturing flat drip line tubing at speeds up to 250 meters per minute.
Drip, or micro-irrigation, makes extensive use of plastic pipes and specialized irrigation equipment to deliver small amounts of water precisely to crops, rather than flooding a field with water.
Metzerplas, based in Kibbutz Metzer in Israel, makes irrigation equipment and plastic and metal pipes and tubes for water and infrastructure, and supplies turn-key irrigation system designs to farmers worldwide. It was established in 1970, and has subsidiaries in Argentina and Australia.
Kabra's Vice President of Marketing Sunil Ambekar said the companies began working together two years ago, and said each company can sell the equipment independently.
He said the two companies want to use Metzerplas's extensive experience in the agriculture industry to develop more products, including low-cost flat and cylindrical drip lines, and higher-speed, high-end flat drip lines.
“This is a technical association and we look forward to enhance it with collaborations in coming years and offer many products [and] solutions to the industry,” he said in an email.