GROW MORE WITH LESS INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS IN WATER MANAGEMENT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
OPTIMISING WATER USE TO INCREASE CROP PRODUCTIVITY Netafim Mexico’s accomplishments within the food industry deliver tangible results in the fight against food, water and farmland scarcity
Written by Mateo Rafael Tablado Produced by Lucy Verde Interviewee Ricardo Medina, CEO for Netafim TM in Mexico and Central America
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etafim products and farming solutions were introduced to Mexico more than 30 years ago, with the Israeli global firm finally establishing branch offices in the country during the mid-1990s. Throughout all this time, the firm has provided irrigation systems with the purpose of optimising water usage and increasing farming lands’ productivity through products and services able to meet demands of an agricultural sector in constant evolution. Half a century’s worth of knowledge and specialised developments brought into the country and Central America via the Mexican branch has developed into a diversified portfolio, able to reach new clients and different industries. For instance, the mining sector benefits from all that Netafim has to offer for heap leaching processes. Mexico’s terrain is the ideal soil for Netafim, both for spreading its knowhow as well as creating and optimising the best conditions for growing cereals, berries, fruits, orchard, fodder and other vegetables either on open field or in greenhouses with controlled conditions. This has resulted in Netafim México earning an accolade from the corporation as the second best affiliate globally, only being surpassed by Turkey. Efforts leading to this and other achievements are led by Ricardo Medina, an accountant graduated from ITESM (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education) who also earned a Master’s in this discipline from the same college, as well
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“WE MUST SUSTAIN THE SAME EFFORTS WE HAVE PERFORMED FOCUSING ON HIGH VALUE CROPS, DIGITAL FARMING AND SUPPORTING PRODUCERS ABLE TO EXPORT” – Ricardo Medina, CEO for Netafim in Mexico and Central America
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Ricardo Medina CEO for Netafim in Mexico and Central America
as a Business Management Certificate from Harvard. Medina is currently taking the AD2 senior management diploma course from IPADE (PanAmerican Institute for High Business Direction).
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Current situation of the food and farming sector At the global level, the food industry is currently facing situations such as its workforce becoming scarce due to migration toward cities, water is also becoming scarce, and the reduction of fertile ground due to land’s erosion and its use for industrial purposes and housing demands. On the other hand, a growing number of consumers are now demanding healthier food with high quality ingredients. These factors combined increase Netafim’s value in contributing to profitable farming investments, making it possible for consumers to obtain nutrition from quality foods, even as natural resources able to satisfy these demands become scarcer. A better use for water and increased agricultural performance Netafim MÊxico is a pioneering company in irrigation technology. Its drip irrigation systems provide sustainable operations with 95% efficiency and minimal wastage, vastly superior to the 50% efficiency
NetafimTM, el mejor socio del campo
of traditional irrigation methods. This results in tangible benefits such as an increased productivity within the same surface, improving profitability. Technical support from Netafim also affects the rate of success in obtaining high quality crops. Global contribution from México From its headquarters in Israel, Netafim’s developed solutions and technology are exported to support food and farming sectors globally. And the Mexican operation has earned notoriety and an excellent
reputation across the corporation for its contributions in developing solutions and techniques amid the country’s territory offers a wide variety in kinds of soil and vegetable species. A recent demand for blueberries is attracting interest from investors and farmers whose immediate reference for growing this product is Netafim Mexico. “This is a high value crop requiring very specific care for irrigation, monitoring and fertiliser dosing; the Mexico affiliate has developed groundbreaking solutions before any other
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“THE MEXICO AFFILIATE HAS DEVELOPED GROUND-BREAKING SOLUTIONS BEFORE ANY OTHER COMPANY WORLDWIDE” – Ricardo Medina, CEO for Netafim in Mexico and Central America
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company worldwide,” Medina states. Netafim Mexico is also a leader in hydroponic and organic crops, both in high demand during the last few years. New products and digital farming The company’s farming solution portfolio grew during 2017 as new products were launched at the yearly Expo AgroAlimentaria Guanajuato (food and farming exhibition). The NetaJet 4G ‘fertigation’ system became a showstopper. This machinery automatically adds fertilisers during irrigation, rapidly balancing pH and electrical conductivity in each nutrient a crop requires; for this to happen, the NetaJet 4G has analog valves in each of its eight dosing channels. New products in the digital farming division are furnished with sensors and other measuring and monitoring instruments able to provide automation for different procedures and supporting decision-making in crop irrigation and nutrition. FertiOne, FertiKit 3G, NetaFlex 3G, rNet and rSense, among others, stand out
from the new line of products. Pace picks up in the mining division Up until a year ago, contribution from the Mining division in Netafim Mexico was minimal. But recent rises in the price of copper allows mining companies to invest in Netafim’s solutions for the leaching process. Netafim supplies hoses with high resistance to clogging and FlexNet pipes to the mining industry. The latter provide a light, durable, high quality solution with integrated connections eliminating any chance of leaking. “Farming is our core business, but we are also keeping an eye on growth possibilities for our Mining division, making a difference with unique products,” Medina adds. Reduced turnover rate and accurate position profiles It’s no casualty that turnover rates keep decreasing at Netafim Mexico. Company culture extends far beyond benefits prescribed by law, and promotions are customary when any new position opens, thus
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“WE MUST SUSTAIN THE SAME EFFORTS WE HAVE PERFORMED DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS, FOCUSING ON HIGH VALUE CROPS, DIGITAL FARMING AND SUPPORTING PRODUCERS ABLE TO EXPORT” – Ricardo Medina, CEO for Netafim in Mexico and Central America
TUBERÍAS, VÁLVULAS Y CONEXIONES Líderes en el mercado por más de 19 años distribuyendo las mejores marcas de productos en los segmentos:
Riego Agrícola Minería Urbanización Industria Sistema contra incendio Áreas Verdes Granjas Acuícolas
Comprometidos con la Calidad y Servicio
Surtimos de manera inmediata a cualquier parte de México, Centroamérica o Sudamérica, por barco o camión
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ventas@ideasconstructivas.com www.ideasconstructivas.com Tel. +52 (662) 210 95 00
increasing employees’ confidence. In 2017, Netafim Mexico hired a consulting firm, which reviewed every position profile, considering factors such as responsibility, risk, and knowledge levels along with wages, establishing a benchmark comparison whose results revealed the company stands well above the average in salary wages, among other factors. “This demonstrates to our employees that there are open possibilities within the company for them to achieve individual growth,” the CEO explains. Projections Global conditions within the food sector are becoming fertile ground for Netafim to offer solutions able to produce more high-quality vegetables in smaller areas.
Along with new products focused on digital farming to be released during 2018 and the company’s aftersales services, this year will mark the launching of the Netafim Mexico loyalty plan, dipping into the waters of rewards programmes during the first half of the year before a large-scale campaign. Digital farming solutions brought onto the market as the year plays on will be supported by cloud connectivity and platform unification for real-time monitoring and irrigation dosing. “We must sustain the same efforts we have performed during the last two years, focusing on high value crops, digital farming and supporting producers able to export,” Medina summarises.
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Anillo Periférico Manuel Gómez Morín # 1086 Piso 2 Colonia Residencial Poniente Zapopan, Jalisco, México 45136Tel. 52 (33) 3630 6544 www.netafim-latinamerica.com