Farmers looking to maximize their water efficiency via drip irrigation without an upfront investment in equipment have a new option. Netafim’s irrigation-as-a-service model eliminates startup costs while connecting farmers with irrigation experts who can optimize their operations.
“We can provide all of the same services but without ownership of the system,” says Claude Corocs, senior director of business development for Netafim North America. “We do all on-farm system management — system repairs, fertilizer injection, winterization and spring startup.”
For a monthly or annual fee, Netafim installs and operates the system. Corocs says drip irrigation systems are typically expensive and require expertise to install for optimal efficiency. The service model is designed to maximize productivity without requiring in-house expertise. It enables farmers to learn about drip irrigation and observe professional management techniques before investing in their own system.
Each system can be customized, and the arrangements are tailored to a farm’s specific needs.
“We have Netafim experts on the farm every day running the drip irrigation system. We’re injecting fertilizers. We’re doing all of the maintenance activities like fixing leaks and cleaning filters and those sorts of things,” says Corocs, noting that reduced water and fertilizer usage, and improved yields make the service worthwhile.
For larger operations, drip irrigation systems often have a quick return on investment — in as little as six to nine months, according to Corocs. For smaller operations with lower-value crops, they can pay for themselves in three to four years. If after a season, farmers want to invest in and manage their own irrigation system, Netafim offers different levels of operation and maintenance services.
“Maybe they want us to come out every couple of weeks to make sure that they’re running it correctly, but they’re doing all of the work themselves. We can do that too,” he says. “Our goal is to make sure that growers are successful, as successful as they possibly can be, utilizing a drip irrigation system.”
For more information, visit netafim.com.