Netafim
Encyclopedia
Netafim is a company in the field of irrigation for agriculture and landscaping. The company focuses on crops in the area of drip irrigation
, greenhouse turnkey projects, and biofuel
energy crops. Founded in 1965, Netafim introduced a new concept of low-volume irrigation, launching the drip irrigation revolution.
Simcha Blass
, Netafim was established in 1965 at Kibbutz Hatzerim
. It has since become a global enterprise controlling over one third of the global micro-irrigation market. Netafim has expanded its basket of products to other areas of agriculture
, public landscaping
and private gardens.
Netafim produces drip irrigation
systems and other water technologies intended to increase yields and improve crop production while preserving quality and quantity of water and soil fertility. The company products are designed to provide solutions in the areas of efficient irrigation
, control and agronomy
for a range of field crops, orchards and vineyards grown under varied topographic and climatic conditions throughout the world. At present Netafim is developing ecological solutions for producing fuel from alternative sources. Concurrently, Netafim is launching a low pressure irrigation system that offers a solution for areas where water pressure and/or electrical infrastructure do not permit using high pressure systems. This development will facilitate introduction of the drip irrigation systems into additional agricultural areas. Netafim products are manufactured under quality standards and its quality management complies with ISO 9001: 2000.
im (Hatzerim
, Magal
and Yiftah
) and two private equity funds (Markstone Capital and Tenne). The president and CEO is Igal Aisenberg. Annual sales in 2010 totaled over $400 million and expanded rapidly into emerging markets like China,Vietnam and South Asia.
Netafim Greenhouse produces a variety of greenhouses, from net houses for hot climates to more advanced glass greenhouses in cold climates. Netafim's Agriculture Division conducts research, development and training in agriculture
and agro-technology. It collaborates with research institutions in Israel
and the world in conducting experiments on a broad range of crops.
In 2007, John Deere
(the American agricultural machinery company) acquired Plastro Irrigation Systems
, Netafim's biggest competitor, and thereby became the second largest player in the industry.
Drip irrigation
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation or localized irrigation , is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves,...
, greenhouse turnkey projects, and biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
energy crops. Founded in 1965, Netafim introduced a new concept of low-volume irrigation, launching the drip irrigation revolution.
History
Based on a concept developed by agronomistAgronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
Simcha Blass
Simcha Blass
Simcha Blass was an Israeli water engineer, a main figure of water development in Israel, initiator, introducer and developer of new drip irrigation systems, inventor of new dripper .-Early life:Simcha Blass was born in Warsaw, Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire, to a Jewish orthodox...
, Netafim was established in 1965 at Kibbutz Hatzerim
Hatzerim
Hatzerim is a kibbutz located 8 kilometers west of Beersheba in the Negev desert in Israel. It is named after the Bible , mentionning a site nearby: "the Avvites who lived in farmyards as far as Gaza".-History:...
. It has since become a global enterprise controlling over one third of the global micro-irrigation market. Netafim has expanded its basket of products to other areas of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, public landscaping
Landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
and private gardens.
Products
Drip irrigation
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation or localized irrigation , is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves,...
systems and other water technologies intended to increase yields and improve crop production while preserving quality and quantity of water and soil fertility. The company products are designed to provide solutions in the areas of efficient irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, control and agronomy
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
for a range of field crops, orchards and vineyards grown under varied topographic and climatic conditions throughout the world. At present Netafim is developing ecological solutions for producing fuel from alternative sources. Concurrently, Netafim is launching a low pressure irrigation system that offers a solution for areas where water pressure and/or electrical infrastructure do not permit using high pressure systems. This development will facilitate introduction of the drip irrigation systems into additional agricultural areas. Netafim products are manufactured under quality standards and its quality management complies with ISO 9001: 2000.
Global operations
Netafim operates in 112 countries through 32 subsidiaries with 13 factories throughout the world. The company has 2,400 employees. Netafim manufactures products in 11 plants with over 2,000 employees. Netafim is jointly owned by three kibbutzKibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
im (Hatzerim
Hatzerim
Hatzerim is a kibbutz located 8 kilometers west of Beersheba in the Negev desert in Israel. It is named after the Bible , mentionning a site nearby: "the Avvites who lived in farmyards as far as Gaza".-History:...
, Magal
Magal
Magal is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Wadi Ara region of the northern Sharon plain near the Green Line, it falls under the jurisdiction of Menashe Regional Council...
and Yiftah
Yiftah
Yiftah is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near the Lebanese border and Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council...
) and two private equity funds (Markstone Capital and Tenne). The president and CEO is Igal Aisenberg. Annual sales in 2010 totaled over $400 million and expanded rapidly into emerging markets like China,Vietnam and South Asia.
Netafim Greenhouse produces a variety of greenhouses, from net houses for hot climates to more advanced glass greenhouses in cold climates. Netafim's Agriculture Division conducts research, development and training in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and agro-technology. It collaborates with research institutions in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the world in conducting experiments on a broad range of crops.
In 2007, John Deere
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
(the American agricultural machinery company) acquired Plastro Irrigation Systems
Plastro Irrigation Systems
Plastro Irrigation Systems Ltd. is an Israeli manufacturer of irrigation products and a subsidiary of Deere & Company. The company was established in 1966, and today operates through 13 subsidiaries worldwide, with 100 representatives around the world...
, Netafim's biggest competitor, and thereby became the second largest player in the industry.
See also
- Science and technology in IsraelScience and technology in IsraelScience and technology in Israel is one of the country's most developed sectors. The percentage of Israelis engaged in scientific and technological inquiry, and the amount spent on research and development in relation to gross domestic product , is amongst the highest in the world...
- Economy of IsraelEconomy of IsraelThe economy of Israel is a technologically advanced market economy, including a rapidly-developing high-tech and service sectors. As of 2010, Israel has the 24th largest economy in the world, and ranks 15th among 169 world nations on the UN's Human Development Index, which places it in the category...
- Agricultural research in IsraelAgricultural Research In IsraelAgricultural research in Israel is based on close cooperation and interaction between scientists, consultants, farmers and agriculture-related industries. Israel's semi-arid to arid climate and shortage of high quality water are major constraints facing Israeli agriculture...
- Agriculture in IsraelAgriculture in IsraelAgriculture in Israel is a highly developed industry: Israel is a major exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally conducive to agriculture. More than half of the land area is desert, and the climate and...
External links
- Netafim
- Netafim Greenhouse
- Interview with Israel Makov, Netafim’s Chairman of the Board, from TLVInsider, Issue 3, November 2009