Pivot Irrigation

Lindsay Corporation speaks to farmer Fanie Botha, who still uses the Zimmatic pivot his father-in-law bought in 1978.

Zimmatic pivot ensures long-life quality, says farmer Fanie Botha

BUYING A PIVOT is usually a big decision for farmers, as they require a fair amount of capital to invest in equipment, which ensures proper irrigation in their fields. Lindsay Corporation speaks to farmer in Northern Cape, South Africa.

Fanie Botha lives in Taaiboschpoort, which is located just outside of Petrusville. “I farm with a little bit of everything. We make food for the nation here,” he says, when he is asked about his favoured choice of farming equipment. His crops include corn, wheat, peas, sunflowers and lucerne.

Fanie has a 42-year-old Zimmatic pivot irrigating one of his fields. The pivot was bought by his father-in-law in 1978, and it was the second Zimmatic pivot sold in the country. Back then, Zimmatic was new in the market and had to work hard to convince farmers to buy their products. Fanie says his fatherin-law bought it all those years ago, because it promised to offer unparalleled durability and strength.

“Besides that, Zimmatic pivots were also lightyears ahead of all other pivots back in 1978. They had more features and capabilities than most other brands,” he added.

The salesperson promised Fanie’s father-in-law that the Zimmatic pivot would last at least 15 years. He could have hardly guessed that even after so many years, the same pivot would still be operational.

“They really are tough. Look, we still need to do basic maintenance, as you should be doing on any pivot, old or new, but the fact that this one is still working without major issues is just astounding,” Fanie explained.

The pivot has recently been adapted to work with Lindsay’s FieldNET solution, so that Fanie and his team can control the pivot remotely. This adaptability is something that Fanie admires about Zimmatic’s products too.

Fanie says he has added several Zimmatic pivots to his farm in recent years. When asked what kind of challenges do they help him overcome, he says, for him, it is more important to know, that his money is being put to good use.

“Every time I buy a Zimmatic pivot, I know it will last for many years and eventually become my son’s equipment to farm our land with. And that’s what convinced me to make Zimmatic our preferred irrigation system,” Fanie said.

Fanie has a standard answer at the ready for friends who ask him, which pivot to buy. “I tell people to go and buy any other brand of pivot. Then you look at how long it takes before that pivot starts to give you issues. When buying Zimmatic, you know what kind of quality you are getting and the chances that you will encounter issues are virtually zero,” he stated. h