ISSN 1751-8407 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

TM

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE MIDDLE EAST AGRIBUSINESS

US
VISIT
AT
SAUDI AGRICULTURE
SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2012, RIYADH

SAHARA
SEPTEMBER 23-26, 2012, CAIRO

HORTI FAIR
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 2, 2012,
AMSTERDAM

MATERIALS HANDLING SYSTEMS INTERVIEW WITH OPTIMISING FEED AL DAHRA AGRICULTURE WANGARA WOVEN
FROM GUTTRIDGE YEHIA ELAZAB, CEO ASTRACHEM MILL OUTPUT A SUCCESS STORY PLANTER BAGS

22 24 50 56 68
CONTENTS

20 34

36

40

NEWS UPDATE PAGE 04

IDEAL BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS PAGE 18
ALYASEEN AGRI. KEEPS AN EYE ON ITS CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS PAGE 20
25 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONGER PAGE 28
FOCUSING NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS PAGE 30
HORTI FAIR 2012 TURNS FULL POWER OF THE SPOTLIGHTS ON INNOVATIONS PAGE 32
42
ASIA SEED CO LTD: ALWAYS A STEP AHEAD PAGE 34
SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN IRRIGATION DISTRICT TAKES THE LEAD IN 21ST CENTURY FLOW MONITORING PAGE 36
NEED GREENHOUSE, BE SURE TO TAKE A LOOK PAGE 40
DEDICATED TO PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS PAGE 42
OFFERING FULL RANGE OF PLANT NUTRIENTS PAGE 45
FOLIAR POTASSIUM NITRATE APPLICATIONS INCREASE THE YIELD OF OLIVES AND THEIR OIL CONTENT PAGE 46
BIOHEALTH THE SUCCESSFUL ANTAGONIST TO SOIL BORN FUNGI PAGE 48
LEADERS IN AGRICULTURE RETAIL AND LANDSCAPING PAGE 55
45
ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE FOR SOIL DISINFECTION PAGE 59
SPANISH AGRICULTURE: AN OVERVIEW PAGE 61
HIGH QUALITY, WELL CARE PAGE 63
RURAL DEVELOPMENT & AGRICULTURE IN VIETNAM PAGE 65

Editor in Chief Mohammed Nasser Editor Marie Matthew Associate Editor Andrew Thomas Graphic Designer Elizabeth John
Marketing Manager Shibu Vargis Production Manager Abdul Shareef
Contributors Neville J. Chandler, P.K. James, Douglas Bott, Shakeeb Kolakadan, Dr. Terry Mabbett
Head Office Matt Media International Ltd, Woodgreen, London N22 5AR, UK.
E-mail: gulfag@emirates.net.ae, Web site: www.gulfagriculture.com
Middle East Office Al Saad Advertising & Publishing L.L.C., P O Box 25694, Sharjah, UAE, Tel:+971 6 5639494, Fax:+971 6 5639449.
Gulf Agriculture is read by agri professionals, farm managers & owners, landscape consultants, contractors, agri-equipment suppliers, horticultural
engineers, greenhouse managers, agronomists, veterinary surgeons, ministries, poultry & dairy breeders, importers, distributors, manufacturers
and whole salers of food and agri inputs.
Printed and published by Matt Media Intl. Ltd.(U.K.) 2012
All rights reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are requested to seek specialist advice before acting on information
contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstance. The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for any
error or omissions contained in this publication.

2 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

NEWS UPDATE
Ferm O Feed invests in
a brand new production
facility for organic
fertilizers
FERM O FEED works hard
to achieve the realisation of
a new production facility for
its core business producing
organic fertilizers. This new
factory is FERM O FEED's
answer to the increasing
demands from the market
due to decreasing supply in
food and healthy, fertile soil.
The production facility will
be built on the biggest plant
of Den Ouden in Helmond,
the Netherlands, situated
near important highways.
Also, this location has
outstanding possibilities for
transport over water.
The realisation of this
new factory is expected to
improve the autonomous
position of the company,
that produces liquid and
pellet fertilizers. Currently
FERM O FEED relies on
third parties when the needs
of customers exceed FERM
O FEED's capacity.
Although these partnerships
are a solid solution, the
company raises the standard
and aims for an even better
and direct service for its
clients.
New Holland completes
first delivery of a fleet of
over 100 machines
New Holland Agriculture - a
global manufacturer and
seller of agricultural
equipment and part of CNH
- with its distributor
GT Group Ltd., recently
delivered 12 combine
harvesters to the Georgian
Ministry of Agriculture as
part of a larger purchase
program. The company will
ultimately supply the
Ministry with a total of 92
4 GULF AGRICULTURE
tractors and 25 combine
harvesters, complemented by
50 grain and maize headers,
25 sunflower header kits and
22 dozer blades.
The first twelve TC5070
combine harvesters fitted
with 17-foot grain headers
were handed over to
Meqanizatori LLC, the
Ministry of Agriculture's
farming mechanization
service provider. The
machines, built at New
Holland's manufacturing
plant in Plock, Poland, are
the first units of the entire
program to be delivered and
are ready to start harvesting
around the country.
These first units will be
joined by thirteen more
combines and sixty-seven
T6000 Series units from the
New Holland plant in
Basildon, UK, which will
supply the majority of the
tractors. Twenty-two
TK4060 crawler tractors
built in New Holland's
specialty tractor plant in
Jesi, Italy, and three high
horsepower T8.390 tractors
made in Racine, USA will
also be provided.
As part of CNH, each
New Holland plant is
dedicated to specific product
families.
This means that each
facility has developed
specialized technical and
manufacturing expertise to
achieve the highest levels of
quality in its products in
order to fully meet each of
its customer's requirements.
These 117 machines will
be used by Meqanizatori to
provide service to farmers in
all regions of Georgia with
ready-to-use equipment
featuring the most advanced
technology.
The wide selection of
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
NEWS UPDATE

models and attachments in this

new fleet will enable
Meqanizatori to deliver a
broader range of services in
order to efficiently cover a large
variety of farming applications.
The 101-horsepower TK4060
crawler tractors - the first to be
sold in Georgia - are ideal for
working on slopes too steep for
wheeled tractors and, with 88 for livestock, arable developed extensive experience
PTO hp, rise to the challenge of applications or for contractors. and know-how regarding local
big tillage and PTO New Holland, with GT farming needs and, along with its
applications. The long Group's service technicians, has distributor GT Group, has
wheelbase 340-horsepower started training for over 230 supported the Georgian
T8.390s are built to perform in operators in the country on government since the delivery of
heavy applications and are very product use and maintenance to its first large fleet of 122 tractors
well suited to secondary ensure the farmers will get the and 25 combine harvesters to
cultivation, drilling, top best performance from these Meqanizatori in 2010.
dressing and transport. The machines. We are dedicated to
T6000 Series, which ranges New Holland has been supporting Georgia's requests
between 112 and 165 present in Georgia for more than and their efforts to mechanize
horsepower, is a natural choice a decade. The company has the country's agriculture by

6 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

NEWS UPDATE
introducing advanced farming
practices, commented Stuart
Campbell, New Holland
Business Director Central Asia
& Caucasus. That is why when
we undertake to supply such a
large fleet of equipment, this
includes much more than the
provision of advanced and
reliable agricultural machinery,
but also top-notch support, from
parts availability, technical
assistance and training for
operators and technicians to
tailored financing packages.
New Holland offered
Meqanizatori a competitive 6-
year financing package at
attractive rates. This was made
possible through the support of
ECGD, the UK Export Credit
8 GULF AGRICULTURE
Agency, which saw the
significance of this project for
New Holland's UK-based
manufacturing plant.
Empower's district cooling
consumption rose 23.2%
Emirates Central Cooling
Corporation (Empower), the
largest district cooling service
provider in the region, has
said that consumption of
district cooling provided by
the company rose by 23.2
percent in July 2012,
compared to same period last
year. The company also
reported that its total square
footage committed to district
cooli has achieved a
remarkable increase.
Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of
Empower, said that the increase
reflects the economy rebound in
the UAE and it shows that the
country is on the right way to
partially outperform
conventional AC systems in the
favour of district cooling. He
added that with every increase
in district cooling consumption
there is savings being achieved
in electricity and water
consumption in Dubai which
contributes in reserving the
natural resources of the emirate.
He stressed that Dubai is
increasing its dependence on
district cooling for the better of
the environment and to reduce
operating and maintenance
costs of chilling.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
NEWS UPDATE
Chemical weed control on
paved surfaces: better for
the environment
In collaboration with the IVAM
research and consultancy
agency (University of
Amsterdam), scientists from
Plant Research International
(Wageningen UR) determined
the environmental effects of the
most common weed control
methods on paved surfaces such
as sidewalks and roads. Life-
cycle analysis (LCA) shows
that the careful use of chemicals
on pavement has better results
from an environmental
perspective than non-chemical
methods such as burning,
brushing, hot air and hot water.
Considerable discussion is
currently taking place in the
Netherlands on the Dutch
10 GULF AGRICULTURE
government's proposal to
prohibit the professional and
private use of herbicides on
paved surfaces. The LCA shows
that prohibiting chemical weed
control on paving will not
improve the environment.
The analysis focuses on the
entire life cycle, from the
production of raw materials to
waste processing. The LCA
score consists of 17
environmental categories that
are compared individually,
standardised and weighed and
then totalled. The scores are
expressed in LCA points; the
higher the LCA score, the
poorer the method's
performance.
Based on the total LCA
scores, the chemical weed
control methods using
glyphosate have much less
impact on the environment than
non-chemical methods.
Chemical techniques achieve a
total score of 0.3 - 0.5 LCA
points. The environmental
impact of brushing is mainly
determined by the extra wear of
the pavement as a result of the
rotating brushes. As a result, the
LCA score of brushing varies
from 2.8 for no wear to 7.0 for
a 25% shorter lifespan of the
pavement.
Biological pesticide to
control Date palm leaf
hopper Dubas bug
Russell IPM has launched an
innovative biological pesticide
Fytomax N for the successful
control of Date palm leaf hopper
Dubas bug in IRAQ.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
 ITS TIME
www.masseyferguson.com

Visit your local dealer for more information

or email us at: AGCOMiddleEastSales@agcocorp.com
NEWS UPDATE
Fytomax N specialised Ultra
low volume (ULV) formulation
is developed for arial
application.
Specialty, naturally, ready to
use, Fytomax N is an
Azadirachtin based
multifunctional biological
pesticide extracted from Neem
tree. The novel ULV
formulation is ideal for Aerial
applications without mixing
with water. This powerful
biopesticide is also available in
EC formulation. The key
advantage of this solution is the
dual impact on both adult and
eggs of Dubas bug, preventing
and interfering with the insect's
development, Fytomax N has
been applied from aircraft on
date palm orchard in Iraq.
Date Palm leaf hopper,
12 GULF AGRICULTURE
Ommatissus lybicus commonly
known as Dubus bug, is a
serious pest of date palm. Arial
application of Fytomax N
resulted satisfactory level of
control Dubas bug in IRAQ.
Owing to biodegradable
properties Fytomax N can be
applied close to harvest time.
EIMA International, a
world class event
The EIMA International
agricultural mechanization
review is preparing for the
experience of a 2012 record
edition. The great biennial of
mechanization for agriculture,
gardening, greenskeeping and
components will take over
117,000 m2 under cover in
pavilions and another 20,000 m2
outdoors for trials of machinery
and equipment for the
bioenergy production line
compared to a total of 105,000
m2 allocated for the 2010
review. Overall, the exhibition
set up on 137,000 m2 will be the
world's largest in the sector to
mark the highest achievement
in the history of the event.
Explained at a press
conference held in the Bologna
center, was that the expansion of
the exhibition area was required
in part because of the return to
the EIMA International fold of
the gardening and greenskeeping
sector with the specialized EIMA
Green Salon to flank three other
theme salons, EIMA Components
for a focus on components,
EIMA Energy for a look at
biomass energy production and
EIMA M.i.A on multifunctional
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
NEWS UPDATE

agriculture. The upcoming EIMA International is sales of tractors of greater than

edition is drawing 1,700 coming along at a time spoken 30 HP up to 470,000 units for a
exhibiting industries from 40 of by FederUnacoma President 20% increase over the previous
nations, organized in the 14 Massimo Goldoni as especially year's sales, sales in China
sectors of specialization dynamic and interesting, a time reached 350,000 units for a 9%
characteristic of the review, and witnessing substantial growth increase, U.S. sales rose to
on the side of attendance, in demand in the Asian giants 168,000 units for a 2% rise, the
expectations are for numbers well as well as in Turkey, Russia increase for Western Europe
over the 166,400 visitors who and Brazil and recovery in the came to 13% at 162,000 units,
arrived for the 2010 exhibition, a traditional Western European 37,000 units for Russia for a
figure which included 26,000 and United States markets. At surge of 76%, and 60,500 for
from 140 nations. the end of 2011, India reported Turkey for a gain of 68%.
Increases in recent years in
Brazil were followed by a
Worldwide open day natural decline of 7% due to
Urbinati has been at the forefront of the horti-floral-nursery equipment since its the extremely high number of
foundation in 1980. Born out of the insight and the technical knowledge of his tractors registered, 52,300
founder and CEO - Nino Urbinati- the company has known a solid and steady units. According to the findings
growth for the last 30 years employing today over 70 people. of surveys conducted by
Technical innovation, customization, responsive and effective after-sale services Agrievolution, the international
are the cornerstones ensuring the highest degree of customer satisfaction. forum of manufacturers
And the doors of the company will be open at next 28-29th of September for all associations in the world's
visitors and sector' experts to show the products 2013 of the company so as the leading countries, the current
latest news in the agricultural sector. year should continue on the
The Urbinati team including his Engineers - along with some of the most positive side. In the first
qualified and experienced technicians of the sector - will wait all people during the quarter tractor sales rose 1% in
Urbinati Academy to show the excellence of a full made Italian production and the United States over the
every Urbinati machine operating besides the possibility to meet international same period in 2011 to 33,700
experts of the sector discussing personal solutions for their activities. on national territory, in Russia
The Open Day program includes also meetings and representations connected to the gain was 50% to 6,300
the Mac frut exhibition that it will take place in conjunction with the event and units in the first two months of
Urbinati will be there at Hall G at Orto-group Stand. the year and Germany reported
sales for the first quarter at
For more information about how participate at the event please follow the new 8,300 units for a 14% increase
website www.urbinati.com or contact the company at the references below: in sales following the
Urbinati Srl, Via Della Liberazione 18 - I 47030 San Mauro Pascoli (FC) substantial 26% growth in
Tel + 39 335 7161 537 or mozaraa@gmail.com (Mr Adel Zaraa) 2011 with 36,000 tractors sold.
Goldoni confirmed that

14 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

recovery on these international markets favors
exports by Italian industries and noted the highly
position balance sheet for 2011 for tractor exports,
up 14%, as well as for other types of machinery.
He said the current year is promising and cited
National Statistics Institute data showing increases
for the first four months coming to 18.4% in value
to Euro 534 million for tractor exports and 8.3%
for other types of machinery, valued at Euro 963
million. The domestic market, on the other hand,
is still plagued by recession and hopes are that the
arrival of EIMA International might mark the
reversal of this trend. Figures elaborated by
FederUnacoma on the basis of registration
applications in the first half of the year reported
by the Ministry for Transport disclose domestic
market declines for tractor sales, down 21.9%, for
combine harvesters, off 7.5%, for tractors with
loading platforms, falling 23.7%, and trailers,
declining 15.2%.

Verbeek serves poultry farmers with better

hatching eggs and day old layer chicks
In Zeewolde, in one of Holland's new polders, on
an industrial site, in less than 9 months Europe's
largest layer hatchery was built. But the new
VERBEEK hatchery is so much more than just the
biggest. It is the best too!
Dutch Minister of Agriculture Henk Bleker
opened the hatchery by unveiling the new
VERBEEK logo. In his openings speech he
referred to the dioxin crisis in Germany, and
stressed the importance of Good Manufacturing
Practice. He insisted on the Layer Cage Ban
being implemented fully in all European
Member States, in order to maintain a level
playing field.
Prof. Anton Pijpers of the University of
Utrecht, Veterinary Faculty, and Ron Eek of
Lohmann Tierzucht were two of the valued guest
speakers at the openings ceremony. Sustainability
in the layer industry was the main theme of all
the lectures. Ron Eek emphasized that LTZ is
aiming at sustainable production for some years
already now. High production, low feed
conversion, good eggshell quality and low
mortality all contribute to a very efficient
production. On top of that, LTZ is performing
selection in alternative housing systems. And not
only for production traits, but monitoring factors
like feather cover, cannibalism and consistency
of droppings too. Thus LTZ is carefully
balancing an equilibrium between Profit, People
and Planet, according to Ron Eek.

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

SAUDI AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEW

IDEAL BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PLATFORM

FOR MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
SAUDI AGRICULTURE 2012, HELD UNDER THE PATRONAGE AND SUPPORT OF THE SAUDI MINISTRY OF
AGRICULTURE, IS BEING ORGANISED TO HELP SHORE UP ONGOING INVESTMENTS IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE
PRODUCTION AND ENABLE THE COUNTRY TO MEET ITS INCREASING, LONG-TERM FOOD REQUIREMENTS.

S
audi Agriculture 2012 -
The 31st International
Agriculture, Water &
Agro-Industry Show, will run
from September 24 to 27, 2012,
at the Riyadh International
Convention and Exhibition
Centre. The trade show, which
is accredited by UFI, the Global
Association of the Exhibition
Industry, will be held
concurrently with Saudi
Agrofood 2012 - The 19th
International Exhibition for
Food Processing and Packaging.
Saudi Agriculture 2012
serves as an ideal business-to-
business platform for major
agricultural producers,
manufacturers, dealers, agents
and distributors along with key
policy makers and high-ranking
officials from the Saudi
Agriculture Ministry. Other key
areas of focus of the trade event
include Fisheries & Fish
Farming, Greenhouses,
Handling & Transport Systems,
Irrigation & Landscaping
Equipment, Machinery & Spare
Parts, Organic Farming,
Packaging Systems & Products,
Pesticides, Pumps & Pipe
Systems, Seeds & Soil Nutrition
Products, Spraying Machinery,
Water Treatment, Water
Management Systems, and
Warehousing.
Saudi Agriculture 2012, held
under the patronage and support
of the Saudi Ministry of
Agriculture, is being organised to
help shore up ongoing
investments in food and beverage
production and enable the country

18 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012


to meet its increasing, long-term
food requirements.
Saudi Arabia has been a
major destination for regional
and international suppliers and
manufacturers in the food
production value chain because
of the enormous growth
potential of the Saudi food
market. Saudi Agriculture, the
country's prime agricultural
trade event for the past 30
years, certainly serves as a
major entry point for investors
and other key industry players
from the Middle East, Europe,
the Americas and Asia to
expand their presence in the
Saudi food sector and contribute
in addressing the country's long-
term food security challenges.
In 2011, Saudi Agriculture
attracted around 26,000
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
professional visitors including
high-ranking officials, major
producers, manufacturers, dealers,
agents and distributors looking to
explore partnership and growth
opportunities within the largest
and fastest growing agriculture
market in the GCC region
More than 630 specialized
exhibitors from the Middle East,
Europe, the Americas and Asia
in addition to local companies
showcasing the latest in
agricultural products, services
and equipment.
The Saudi Government
announced at the beginning of
this year its highest budget to
date; US$186 billion with
US$16 billion allocated to the
agricultural sector. This is in line
with the Ministry of
Agriculture's strategy to support
SAUDI AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEW
the continued growth of the
industry. In addition to existing
projects, the budget allowance
goes to new investments in
creating wheat silos, spreading
wheat storage facilities and
building mills to fulfill the
nation's growing needs.
The Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia with a population of 28
million is the largest individual
market in the region. The Agro-
Food sector in the Kingdom is
witnessing a steady growth rate,
due in part to the rapidly
increasing population. In 2011,
15% of Saudi consumers have
seen a rise in their disposable
incomes, while 50% maintained
the same level. All this
contributed to a 28% increase in
consumer spending, 5% of
which were spent on food.
GULF AGRICULTURE 19
SAUDI AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEW
ALYASEEN AGRI. KEEPS AN EYE ON ITS
CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS
A
lyaseen Agricultural
Company - during its
33 years of active
involvement in the Saudi
agricultural market - has
attained an outstanding position
Mahdi Y. Alramadan and accomplished a handsome
Chairman and a continued annual sales
growth of about 15% for the
last 10 years. Its services to the
Saudi growers has expanded
over the years from one branch
in its home town Hofuf, to
cover now all the main
agricultural areas through its
20 GULF AGRICULTURE
eleven branches. Each branch is
fully prepared to give the
customers all needed support.
Alyaseen business plan of
Technology Transfer and the
marketing strategy followed to
guarantee customer's
satisfaction and loyalty, has
paid well in giving Alyaseen a
wide range of customer base
from the large shareholding
agricultural companies to the
medium and small growers.
For that matter, Alyaseen
had used very well its wealth of
over 33 years of accumulated
expertise in the Saudi
agriculture market to put a
strong focus on introducing
innovative specialty input
materials such as highly pure
and soluble fertilizers, high
yielding hybrid seeds, and
effective agrochemicals from
renowned international sources
as a result for its diligent search
for innovative Agricultural
Technologies to be transferred
to the Saudi market.
To complement its mission,
Alyaseen has established a
Trial Station with the purpose
to put each and every new
technology under tests and
observations to ensure its
viability and suitability to the
customers prior to putting any
marketing and sales forces
behind it.
Currently, Alyaseen has
more than 200 different
specialty items of agricultural
inputs from international
sources.
Alyaseen also value very
much its relations and aim to
build a strong and long lasting
partnership with its
international suppliers through
exclusive agreements.
Alyaseen together with the
supplier's experts play a
magnificent role in educating
both Alyaseen technical staff
and also the major customers
on all aspects of using the
newly transferred agricultural
technologies. This is done by
arranging for the suppliers
experts to visit Saudi Arabia
and give several lectures and
workshops in different
locations for the best ways to
use their technologies.
Within Alyaseen plan to
grow and expand the base of its
work, it has added in 2010 a
Gardening Department selling
inputs for large gardens such as
coated hybrid grass seeds for
lawns and football pitches,
alfalfa seeds, and public health
products and in 2012 added
still a specialty Machinery
Department selling distinct
machines for nursery, vegetable
production, and seedling
planting.
ALYASEEN Agri. is very
well positioned now to be the
leading Saudi Agricultural
company to serve both its
customers and its international
suppliers.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
SAUDI AGRICULTURE SHOW PREVIEW
GUTTRIDGE WILL DISPLAY MATERIALS HANDLING
SYSTEMS AT SAUDI AGRICULTURE SHOW
G
uttridge Ltd, the UK-
based bulk materials
handling company, will
exhibit for the first time at this
year's Saudi Agriculture (31st
International Agriculture, Water
and Agro-Industry Show) in
Riyadh in September. This move
coincides with Guttridge's plans
to open a new office in Riyadh,
from where the company will
provide direct, local support to
customers throughout the region.
Guttridge is an established
and highly respected
manufacturer of conveyors and
elevators, and this year is
celebrating 50 years in business.
The company's materials
handling systems are used across
a wide range of industrial
sectors, including both the
agriculture and food industries.
Saudi Agriculture therefore
offers an ideal platform for
Guttridge as the show runs
concurrently with Agrofood and
22 GULF AGRICULTURE
Saudi Food-Pack, at the Riyadh
International Convention and
Exhibition Center, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, from 24 until 27
September 2012.
This is an exciting time for
Guttridge as we look forward to
establishing a new office for the
Middle East, in Riyadh, said
Sales & Marketing Director Paul
Gott. We see this as a very
important step in ensuring the
customer support excellence for
which we are known as our
business continues to flourish in
this region.
All Guttridge conveyors and
elevators are manufactured at the
company's large modern factory
in the UK. Here engineers use
the latest 3D design software
and computerised production
management systems, together
with state-of-the-art
manufacturing machinery
including CNC laser cutters,
press brakes, painting and
assembly facilities.
Much of our work in the
Middle East involves delivering
projects - systems rather than
individual machines, continued
Mr Gott. Here our close in-
house control of the whole sales,
design and manufacturing
operation provides us with an
unrivalled ability to meet our
customers' exacting design,
delivery and quality
requirements. In addition, our
practical experience built up
over many years allows us to
offer reliable and completely
current technical advice to assist
customers in their choices and in
the delivery of the overall
project.
Visit the Guttridge team at
Saudi Agriculture, Stand No.
706-3 or for details of the
company's materials handling
solutions please visit
www.guttridge.co.uk
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
SAUDI UPDATE INTERVIEW

ASTRACHEM: GROWTH POWERED BY

INNOVATION AND GEOGRAPHIC EXPANSION
Astrachem is one of the leading companies in the
agrochemicals and fertilizers sector in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, with a strong footprint across the wider
Middle East, Turkey and North Africa. A subsidiary of
Astra Industrial Group, a public listed company in Saudi
Arabia, Astrachem has recorded significant growth in
exports, which accounted for over 48 per cent of the total
sales in 2011. Yehia Elazab, Astrachem's CEO, provides
an overview of the company's expansion plans and goals in
an exclusive interview with Gulf Agriculture Magazine.

C
ould you tell us more
about the goals and
growth approach of
Astra Industrial Group
(AIG)?
Astra Industrial Group is a
Saudi holding company
established in 2006, with a
number of group companies led
by a focus on creativity,
innovation and long-term
values that the local community
and all our stakeholders.
The Group is committed to
sustainable development by
ensuring high operational
efficiencies, financial stability
and effective administrative
control. Our success has been
Yehia Elazab, CEO Astrachem
led by offering high quality
products and excellent
industrial output, thus
highlighting our
competitiveness in the local
and regional markets.
In which sectors are Astra
Industrial Group a market
leader?
Astra Industrial Group is
continuing its strategy of
expanding locally and
regionally in the
pharmaceutical, chemical and
steel industries as well as
maintaining the stability of the
group's through high
operational efficiencies and
guaranteeing added value
through our industrial
productivity and commitment
to quality.
Led by our success in the
local markets and sustained
growth, the Group has
developed and diversified its
products and expanded
continuously across all its
subsidiaries and to new
geographies in the Middle East
and North Africa as well as

24 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012


some European and Asian
countries.
Can you provide an overview
of the Group's performance
in 2011?
Despite the multiple
challenges that the group
encountered and the
exceptional circumstances that
prevailed in the region during
the year as well as the
increased competition, the year
2011 proved to be an
exceptional year for the Group.
The Group companies have
continued to modernize and
expand its existing facilities
and established new factories
to keep pace with the growing
demand for our products. This
has been instrumental in
attracting new customers and
establishing our footprint in
new markets while
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
maintaining the existing
customers. Sales increased to a
record of 1.9 billion riyals
during 2011, an increase of
27% compared to 2010.
In 2011, Astra Polymers
opened a new factory in the
industrial area of the Petro
Rabigh complex in Saudi Arabia.
The company also made the
decision to establish a new
factory for dyes and plastic
additives in India to serve the
markets of the Indian
subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
At the same time, Tabuk
Pharmaceutical Industries
continued to construct its state-
of-the-art factory in Dammam.
This was in addition to
strengthening the position of its
factory in Sudan, increasing its
production capacity and
upgrading the level and quality
of products.
SAUDI UPDATE
AstraChem has been
restructuring the Astra Nova
factory in Turkey, where we
have a 67% ownership stake,
and we are transferring it to a
new location to increase the
energy supply and expedite the
introduction of new products.
Simultaneously, the
International Building Systems
Factory (IBSF) is completing
its new factory in Jubail.
At the organizational level,
we have applied the resources
management system and
processes (SAP) in the
operations of the holding
company and three affiliated
companies in the kingdom.
This is a main component of
our unification project by which
the group plans to use the latest
information systems to link
operations across all group
facilities and subsidiaries.
GULF AGRICULTURE 25
SAUDI UPDATE
The system will provide
accurate information and
harness advanced technology
for the planning and
management process for
procurement, production, sales,
logistics, and financial
reporting to enhance
performance and improve the
accuracy of financial control
and performance analysis at the
group level.
The achievements of the
group and its subsidiaries
reiterate our commitment to
excellence which has earned
the confidence of customers
across the local and regional
markets. It also reflects on the
successful implementation of a
sound business strategy and the
diligent work of our
professional management team
and dedicated staff.
Astrachem is one of the
leading companies in the
chemical fertilizers and
Agrochemicals industry in
the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
the Middle East and North
Africa. Being the CEO of
Astrachem, can you please
explain to us the origin, early
growth, distribution networks
and its focus ?
26 GULF AGRICULTURE
Astrachem is driven by
innovation and growth in
various sectors in the
Agriculture and Mining
business. This focus steers the
company to be the leading
organisation in the
agrochemicals, animal feed
and fertilizers industries in
Saudi Arabia, the Middle East,
Turkey and Africa.
Astrachem was formed from
two primary Saudi companies
involved in the production and
distribution of agricultural
chemicals - the Astra
Agricultural Company Limited
and Astra Industrial Complex
Co. for Fertilizers and Pesticides.
In 1988, Astra Agricultural
Co. Ltd. was established in
Riyadh, after which the
company expanded to 12
branches covering all major
agricultural areas in Saudi
Arabia to provide tailored
solutions for the market and
meet the farmers' needs for
agrochemicals, fertilizers,
public health and veterinary
pesticides, vegetable seeds,
seed potatoes and other
agricultural products.
In 1995, the company
established its own
manufacturing facilities in
Dammam, which was
registered under the name of
Astra Industrial Complex Co.
Ltd. to manufacture compound
fertilizers and other
agricultural chemicals and
pesticides.
Astrachem has a growing
network of sales and
distribution centers in Saudi
Arabia and the region in
addition to branches in many
countries in the Middle East,
Turkey and North Africa such
as Algeria, Morocco, Tunis,
Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Oman,
Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine,
Syria, Sudan and Egypt.
The prudent strategy of the
company has been to rely on
qualified human resources, use
advanced methods and means,
and develop products to be
innovative.
The intermediate plan for
Astrachem is to focus on
establishing one of the
strongest distribution channels
in Saudi and across the region
to serve market-specific needs.
This will be undertaken
through the well-trained
agronomists and technical
professionals of Astrachem in
each market and in each
specific segment.
As Astrachem is part of
AIG, an investment group, we
will strive for more
acquisitions and joint ventures
with multinationals in various
fields. We plan to expand into
the mining of raw materials,
leveraging the region's
resources and potential.
We have invested and will
continue to invest in our R&D
departments in Saudi and
Turkey in various fields to
deliver top quality and new
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
innovative agriculture
solutions to our customers.
Can you provide us details
about your product range?
Astra Industrial Complex
Co. is an integrated supplier of
fertilizers, agrochemicals and
production inputs which
include the following
products:
 Agrochemical Products:
pesticides, herbicides,
acaricides and fungicides
 Public health Products
 Veterinary Products -
produced and imported.
 Fertilizers: NPK Water
Soluble, compound NPK,
Single Fertilizers, Liquid
fertilizers, Suspensions,
biostimulanets ,Florabelle
fertilizers and Trace
Elements from
Multinationals.
 Indoor and outdoor
vegetables seeds
 Potato seeds
 Potting Soil & peatmoss
 Plant Growth Regulators
 Other agricultural inputs
Due to the impressive
success of Astrachem's
products in the domestic
market, the company has
expanded by establishing
companies and new
subsidiaries in many countries
in the Middle East and North
Africa region. Thus, the export
market has become key,
exceeding 48% of the total
sales during 2011.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
Can you explain more about
your operations in Turkey?
To strengthen our
capabilities in foreign markets,
Astrachem acquired 51%
shares of an existing Turkish
company that specializes in
producing agricultural
pesticides, insecticides and
active ingredients in 2010 and
renamed it Astranova. In
2011, the company raised its
stakes to 67% and now has
moved to a state-of-the-art
new facility with the latest
equipment and methods of
production.
AstraNova Turkey is the
first company in Turkey and
the Middle East to produce
active ingredients for
pesticides. ASTRANOVA will
supply producers in the local
market and other regional
markets with various active
ingredients. This is one of the
first steps to distinguish
Astrachem from regular
blenders to t he league of a
raw material supplier and a
blender. This will give our
customers the advantage of
serving them closer and
quickly, as we are less
dependent on the suppliers of
key ingredients. Astrachem's
established network will
increase Astranova's sales in
markets adjacent to Turkey
and other regions, where it
provides a logistical
advantage. We are in
discussion with a few
multinationals for a possible
joint venture in Turkey too.
How do you ensure that the
product quality matches
international standards?
To ensure the quality of our
products, we have worked to
implement internationally
approved quality standards
such as those outlined by the
Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), World
Health Organization (WHO),
the International Commission
for the cooperative Analysis of
Pesticides (CIPAC) and the
International Centre for
Fertilizers Development
(IFDC).
As part of our commitment
to in protecting the
environment, we apply the
standards of the U.S. Agency
for Environmental Protection
(US EPA) and has also
obtained production licenses
for major international
companies that a long history
of development and
production of pesticides, such
as FMC and Chemtura.
Astrachem tirelessly seeks
to develop its products and
keep up with the changing
demands of the agricultural
sector and the environmental
health sector. The company
has approximately 172
chemical compositions
registered in its name, and it is
expected to record 12 other
combinations in 2012.
GULF AGRICULTURE 27
SAHARA PREVIEW
25 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONGER
S
ahara, the international
agricultural exhibition for
Africa and the Middle
East will be held from 23-26
September, 2012 at Cairo
International Conference
Center, Egypt.
The show will offer
exhibitors maximum benefits
from their participation,
providing the perfect
environment to network with
new potential partners, launch
new goods, win new business,
increase revenue, discover the
latest products, trends, ideas and
innovations in agriculture sector.
As in the past, the show will
offer international and local
manufacturers and suppliers, an
28 GULF AGRICULTURE
THE ROOTS OF SUCCESS ARE
EMBEDDED IN THE TWENTY
YEARS OF TRADITION BEHIND
THE EXHIBITION, WHICH IS A
SPECIAL FORUM FOR
AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS
WITH COMMITMENT
AND CLEAR VISIONS.
excellent vehicle to expand
their business potential. The
roots of success are embedded
in the twenty years of tradition
behind the exhibition, which is
a special forum for agricultural
professionals with commitment
and clear visions.
The exhibits will cover the
following sectors including
Deep water well-drilling,
Pumps, Modern irrigation
systems, Seeds, Fertilizers,
Plant protection, Tissue culture
techniques, Greenhouses,
Agricultural machinery, Animal
production, Fisheries,
Environment protection, Agro-
industry, Landscaping and
gardens, Packaging, Energy and
Nurseries.
This year the show once again
features a record participation by
leading Egyptian and international
companies, which would
converge at the expo to reveal the
latest products and technologies
from the world market.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

The show will attract a large
number of trade visitors,
administrators of the executive
power bodies, government
officials, managers and experts
from the Egyptian Ministry of
Agriculture and Land
Reclamation directors, farm
managers and experts from both
national and foreign companies.
Egypt's entire labor force, 30
per cent works in the
agricultural sector contributing
some 13.7 per cent of the
country's entire GDP in 2010.
Agriculture contributes 30 per
cent to Egypt's commodity
exports, which makes it a major
revenue-generator.
New policies have been
adopted, which seek to
encourage agricultural
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
investments. The government
provides the infrastructure and
services required, such as
irrigation, roads and other
utilities, together with credit-
lines and tax exemptions
tailored to meet the conditions
and potentials of each and every
region. In addition to the winter,
summer and Nile inundation
growing seasons, Egypt has all-
year-round and multiple-year
plantations such as sugar cane,
fruit and wood-producing trees.
The country's cultivated area
is estimated to have reached 8.47
million feddans (8.159 million
acres) in 2006; i.e. 3.5 per cent
of Egypt's area. Meanwhile,
vertical cultivation has brought
the crop area up to 14.6 million
feddans (14.065 million acres).
SAHARA PREVIEW
Meanwhile, a long-term plan is
being implemented at present to
increase the area of land
reclaimed by 2017 to 3.4 million
feddans (3.274 million acres)
with 150 thousand feddans
(144,508.670 thousand acres)
added to Egypt's cultivable area
every year.
Egypt is an intensive user of
modern technologies to
improve agricultural
productivity in view of the
natural resource base scarcity
and population pressure. With
this in mind, the very creation
of the Ministry of Agriculture
in the beginning of the 20th
century was preceded by the
establishment of technical
divisions and the development
of research capabilities.
GULF AGRICULTURE 29
IRRIGATION SHOW PREVIEW
FOCUSING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
AND INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS
T
he 2012 Irrigation Show
and Education
Conference is taking
place Nov. 2 - 6 in Orlando,
Fla. This is the one place
where the industry meets to
explore new products and
technologies, meet with
business contacts and take
advantage of education and
innovative ideas that can
positively influence your
business. In recognition of its
international visitors, the
Irrigation Association is
holding an international
welcome reception on Nov. 3
for an evening of networking,
conversation and celebration of
efficient irrigation worldwide.
New IrrigationTechnologies
and Products
The Irrigation Show offers
many opportunities to learn
about the vast array of
agricultural irrigation
technologies and products that
can help you reduce costs while
maximizing water-use
efficiency. Attendees will have
the opportunity to explore the
best the industry has to offer
30 GULF AGRICULTURE
from the top manufacturers,
visit with product experts and
see the latest irrigation
innovations at the New Product
Contest. Over 300 exhibitors
are expected this year along
with 5,000 attendees.
Agricultural Irrigation
Sessions and Events
In addition to 200,000 square
feet of irrigation equipment,
systems, services and
accessories, the event offers a
series of educational sessions
and briefings that focus on
agricultural irrigation solutions.
Also for 2012, there are more
networking opportunities
designed to help you build
stronger business relationships.
Here is a sampling of this
year's highlights for
agricultural irrigation
professionals:
 Education classes featuring
real-world applications and
case studies available in
landscape and agricultural
tracks.
 Agricultural irrigation
seminars addressing the
underlying concepts and
implementation how-to's of
water management.
 Nearly 40 agriculture-focused
technical sessions providing a
forum for sharing research
findings and best practices.
 Certification exams for those
interested in becoming
certified irrigation designers
or certified agricultural
irrigation specialists.
 Center Stage briefings
featuring updates on IA
initiatives, including
agricultural irrigation
standards and codes.
 Networking events and
Orlando attractions, including
opening and closing night
parties, an international
welcome reception and
common interest group
meetings for drip/micro
irrigation, nursery and
greenhouse and pressurized
irrigation.
For full program details and
more information on
registration, hotel discounts and
visa information, please visit
www.irrigationshow.org.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
HORTI FAIR PREVIEW
HORTI FAIR 2012 TURNS FULL POWER
OF THE SPOTLIGHTS ON INNOVATIONS
T
he most striking
innovations at the Horti
Fair is not only have a
chance of winning the
Innovation Award this year.
They also compete for the Press
Award, which is being
presented for the second time.
The prize ceremony will be
held in the Amsterdam RAI on
the morning of Tuesday 30
October and exhibitors who
want to compete must ensure
that the new products they are
introducing at the fair are
registered before Monday 17
September.
The Horti Fair is the biggest
international trade show for
Technology, Innovation and
Inspiration in Horticulture,
says its director Frans-Peter
Dechering. It is the trade fair
with the most innovations in the
fields of plant breeding,
greenhouse technology and
32 GULF AGRICULTURE
cultivation technique. The
Horti Fair is taking place in the
Amsterdam RAI from 30
October to 2 November
inclusive. The new products
that have won the Innovation
Award and the Press Award will
be announced on the morning
of Tuesday 30 October.
The Press Award was
introduced last year and is
conferred by a jury of
representatives of the press
from major horticultural titles in
the Netherlands and elsewhere:
Erik Titulaer from KAS, Ad van
Gaalen from
Glastuinbouwtechniek, Fabian
Brockotter from Groenten en
Fruit, Henk van Esch from
Onder Glas and Peter Voskuil
from the Bloemenkrant, in
addition to the international jury
members Heinrich Dressler
from the German GB Das
Magazin fr Zierpflanzenbau,
Linda Kaluzny-Pinon from the
French Culture Legumire and
Steven Vale from British
journal the Commercial
Greenhouse Grower.
All exhibitors who register
the new products they are
launching at the trade fair
before Monday 17 September
compete free of charge for the
prestigious Innovation Award
and Press Award. A jury of
experts decides which
innovations are the most
striking and are being
nominated for the Innovation
Award. The reasons may be
technical or environmental
progress, or increased
profitability, but may also
include aspects like ergonomics,
sustainability, economic
importance and range
expansion. The nominees will
be announced at the beginning
of October.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
SEEDS
ASIA SEED CO LTD
ALWAYS
A STEP
AHEAD
A
sia Seed has been
committed to
developing high quality
F1 vegetable seed with its
strong breeding program
together with a number of
experienced breeders for
various types such as cabbage,
broccoli, pepper, watermelon,
cucumber and tomato to cover
all kinds of vegetable crops for
the international market.
The company has now
gained good international level
recognition after several years
of commitment in the seed
industry and still strive the best
to move forward and expand
the business activities
worldwide in order to enrich
farming society.
34 GULF AGRICULTURE
Asia Seed, the pioneer in the
seed industry has been making
its best efforts in entering into
the virgin market of Middle
east, Africa and eastern Europe
as well as existing market.
The company is starting to
settle down and the brand is
also gradually building up the
recognition.
As a result of continued
attendance in the international
conferences, exhibition fairs
and the testing various seed
samples with local business
partners, the company is
starting to settle down and the
brand is also gradually building
up the recognition.
The company has continued
to invest highly on the research
work and developing the
competitive varieties with
highly experienced breeders
with the ultimate goal of
supplying best quality seed and
meeting the various demands on
the market.
With the success of
introducing brassica crops such
as cabbage, broccoli, the
company has started to launch
other species like tomato,
watermelon and carrot that the
company has been working on
breeding with target market for
Middle east and northern
Africa.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
IRRIGATION
SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN IRRIGATION DISTRICT TAKES
THE LEAD IN 21ST CENTURY FLOW MONITORING
T
hese are not easy times
to run an irrigation
district in California,
USA. Honing its efficiency,
protecting its workers, working
to comply with new water
measurement regulations and
facing a year of drought, the
South San Joaquin Irrigation
District (SSJID) is staking its
future on accurate flow
monitoring and automation.
If you look at the district's
first 100 years, from 1909 to
2009, we have ditch tenders out
24/7 opening gates or turning
valves and looking at their
watch to track water use, says
Jeff Shields, general manager of
the district, in his office in
Manteca, California. Now, in
36 GULF AGRICULTURE
2012, farmers will take out their
iPhone and order their water.
They'll open a secure website
and get readings from soil
moisture probes five feet deep,
and get data from a weather
station next to their turnout.
The role of ditch tender, or
division manager, in the 21st
century goes far beyond
monitoring the system,
scheduling deliveries with
farmers and checking gates -
now it also includes computer
skills, notes Shields. His team of
division managers is upgrading
and maintaining the evolving
system, working at the front lines
of the battle to keep water
flowing to the district's farms.
Agriculture is going to have
to demonstrate the efficient use
of our water, Shields points
out. Agriculture is often
criticized as inefficient. But it's
hard to prove otherwise when
you can't account for the
delivery of water. In a year like
this [with a predicted shortfall
of 15% in the district's water
allocation], it will be especially
important.
Shields adds that automatic
data gathering and turnout
management gives him greater
peace of mind than sending
ditch tenders into the field in
the middle of the night, where
they sometimes face dangerous
characters in isolated areas.
With pipelines and meters, we
can secure our system, he says.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

So it's not just about metering
technology, but metering
technology ties it all together.
Wider Benefits
Greater efficiency in the
irrigation system has far-
reaching benefits, Shields adds.
First and foremost, it's to meet
years when we have drought,
he notes. But we also expect
to have more surpluses more
often. When we have surplus,
we can try to export water for
other farm uses.
Conserving water throughout
the system also complements
SSJID's On-Farm Water
Conservation Program, a $1.2-
million-per-year cost-share
program that helps customers
laser-level fields, install
tailwater recovery systems to
minimize water waste, or
switch to high-efficiency drip
or microsprinkler systems.
Most farmers with drip
irrigation currently pump their
own groundwater to feed their
systems. Overdrafts of
groundwater are a concern
throughout the San Joaquin
Valley. Groundwater is often
more saline than canal water
drawn from Sierra snowmelt -
salts from groundwater can
steadily decrease soil quality.
High-horsepower groundwater
pumps also burn fuel and create
exhaust fumes, adding to the
Central Valley's chronic air
pollution problem.
By building new, pressurized
irrigation systems, SSJID can
supply canal water to the drip
and microsprinkler systems on
many farms, replacing dozens
of individual on-farm pumps
with just a few central pumps,
and delivering clean, low-
salinity water to farmers who
can use it more efficiently than
ever. In fact, notes Shields,
drip irrigation reduces water
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
THE SONTEK-IQ IS CAPABLE OF
ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS IN AS
LITTLE AS 3 INCHES OF WATER A
HUGE BENEFIT COMPARED TO OLDER
TECHNOLOGY, NOTES AVILA. SMALL
AND EFFICIENT, THE SONTEK-IQ IS
IDEAL FOR REMOTE LOCATIONS,
WHERE BIGGER EQUIPMENT WOULD
BE UNWIELDY AND MANUAL
OBSERVATIONS WOULD BE
IMPRACTICAL.
use in almonds and grapes by
about one-third while
increasing yields by 30 percent.
Though adoption of drip
technology was nearly
unanimous among farmers in
SSJID's first pressurized
system service area, not every
field along the pressurized
pipeline is on drip or
microsprinkler. Some growers
will continue to flood some of
their land, either because it's a
less expensive way to manage
row crops like corn, or because
one or two floods per year help
control root-eating rodents in
orchards and vineyards. Flood
irrigators along the pressurized
system will benefit from the
upgrade, too, enjoying
IRRIGATION
improved scheduling for water
deliveries.
Good Sensors Are Vital
In an average year, the South
San Joaquin Irrigation District
imports 300,000 acre-feet (370
million cubic meters) of water by
gravity from the New Melones
Dam on the Stanislaus River to
three storage reservoirs. The
water supplies farmers on 49,000
acres of land - most planted to
almonds, grapes or annual row
crops like corn - in San Joaquin
County. The district's main
canal feeds 28 laterals, which
account for hundreds of miles of
ditches, pipes and gates
throughout the county.
In turn, laterals are linked
by a network of interceptor
pipelines and retention ponds
that allow managers greater
flexibility in transporting and
delivering water through the
system. Over the past decade,
infrastructure improvements
have also included monitoring
and automation innovations
throughout the district.
The district's commitment to
monitoring and automation has
put SSJID on track for
compliance with the California
Water Resources Act, a statute
enacted in 2012 that requires
GULF AGRICULTURE 37
IRRIGATION
WITH A SIMPLE MOUNTING FLANGE
AND TWO BOLTS, THE IQ IS EASY TO
DEPLOY WITHOUT EARTHWORKS.
THE INSTRUMENT'S ALL-IN-ONE
DESIGN REQUIRES NO CONVERTERS
TO COLLECT DATA, SO IT EFFICIENTLY
CONNECTS TO A DATALOGGER,
SONTEK FLOW DISPLAY, OR
TELEMETRY UNIT.
irrigation districts to start billing
farmers on their cumulative
water use. The result is
mandated flow monitoring. The
law requires volumetric
measurement for every property
- about 1,200 measurement
points across the South San
Joaquin district, and as many as
30,000 throughout northern
California. Just as important,
operating such a refined system
will demand constant monitoring
of water throughout the network
of canals and pipelines that
service each grower.
We're not just transporting
water from point A to point B,
notes Frank Avila, SSJID's
telemetry systems/SCADA
system supervisor. Deliveries
are being applied. By the time
you get halfway down a lateral,
you might only have one-third of
38 GULF AGRICULTURE
the water you started with, and
velocities are always changing -
they're not consistent.
Avila emphasizes the
importance of reliable metering
equipment at every level of the
system.
Automation can't be done
unless we get good data from
the field, he says. Although
we have good communications,
good HMI [human-machine
interface] programs and good
PLCs [programmable logic
controllers], we still depend on
the sensors in the water to give
us good data that we can make
good decisions from.
SonTek-IQ: Compact
and Easy
Over the years, Avila has
deployed three SonTek
Argonaut SW acoustic Doppler
velocimeters and six Argonaut-
SL side-looking velocimeters in
the district's main canals and
big laterals. The introduction
of the new SonTek-IQ flow
monitor - with its compact
profile and five-beam pulsed
Doppler design - allows him to
take the next step in tracking
flow in smaller laterals,
drainage ditches and pipelines.
The SonTek-IQ is capable of
accurate measurements in as
little as 3 inches of water - a
huge benefit compared to older
technology, notes Avila. Small
and efficient, the SonTek-IQ is
ideal for remote locations,
where bigger equipment would
be unwieldy and manual
observations would be
impractical, he adds. With a
simple mounting flange and
two bolts, the IQ is easy to
deploy without earthworks. The
instrument's all-in-one design
requires no converters to collect
data, so it efficiently connects
to a datalogger, SonTek Flow
Display, or telemetry unit.
Avila connects SSJID's IQs to
radio transmitters broadcasting
to his control center.
This meter, right out of the
box, is going to give you a good
measurement, he says.
SonTek has put something
together that's actually a pleasure
to work with. It's a really simple
tool to put together, and you get
your results right away. With a
couple of wires, you can get your
data to your radio and back to
the data center - the view panel
gives you 4 to 20 mA out so you
can do what you need to do.
That simplicity of set-up,
reliability and low power
demand - the SonTek-IQ draws
only 0.5 watts - will also make
the compact IQ a big tool for
monitoring SSJID's growing
inventory of pipelines, Avila
predicts.
I'll run a cable all the way
to a vent pipe or whatever I
have access to, he explains. I
usually crawl in there and look
for a bottom that looks clean,
where sand and materials are
washed away, so I know I'll get
a nice linear flow over the
sensor. Then the sensor does
the rest.
Avila points out that the
SonTek-IQ delivers
unprecedented accuracy in flow
measurement right from the start.
It's been a quest of mine to
have a sensor you could take
out of the box, put in a location
where you want to use it, test it
one or two times and be within
two percent of the flow, Avila
adds. In industry or science,
two percent may seem like a lot
of variation, but in my world,
it's a great thing.
Shape of the Future
Monitoring flow in open
channels and pipelines - with
the ability to accurately report
on flows in depths ranging from
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

several feet to just a few inches
- is a vital element in managing
a scarce and highly scrutinized
resource, notes Shields.
Instead of the old practice of
flood irrigation every 10 days -
which subjected crops to root-
choking floods followed by days
of drought stress in the summer -
farmers are learning to direct
water at the root zone at the ideal
time and rate, he explains.
Growers can also inject
fertilizers and some crop
protection chemicals into the
irrigation water with drip or
microsprinkler systems, making
applications more precise and
reducing the number of tractor
trips through the field or orchard.
The bottom line is yield
increases of up to 30 percent,
more precise farming and
significant improvements in
water efficiency - each a vital
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
achievement in today's
environment.
Second Century of Service
Meeting farmers' needs for
increased precision, frequency
and reliability in water deliveries
requires the district to manage its
water much more closely than
ever. SonTek-IQs deployed
throughout the maze of canals,
ditches and pipes that course
through south San Joaquin
County will be providing vital
data to help SSJID achieve the
accuracy and efficiency that will
help carry the district through its
second century of service.
The first phase of SSJID's
pressurized irrigation system -
19 miles of pressurized pipeline
servicing 3,600 acres of
orchards and vineyards - is
online, and future phases are
planned for other areas of the
IRRIGATION
district. The district's
monitoring and automation
system is expanding steadily
until it reaches the turnout at
every farm, improving
reliability and efficiency for
each field the district serves.
It's all part of the district's
long history of preparing for a
vibrant future in one of the
world's most productive
farming regions.
The key for us is we've been
here for 100 years, Shields
notes. We're going to be here
for another hundred. We're
going to have to irrigate with the
best available technology. We
don't look at this as a one- or
two-year payback or return on
investment. One hundred years
ago, people invested in building
this system. We owe it to them
to make these investments in the
future.
GULF AGRICULTURE 39
GREENHOUSES
NEED GREENHOUSE, BE SURE TO TAKE A LOOK
C
hina has the range of
climates and soils
favorable for the
production of a diversity of
high quality tropical,
subtropical and temperate
vegetables, flowers, and fruit
suitable for domestic and
export consumption. It is also
the world's largest producer and
consumer of horticultural
products. With the
modernization of agriculture
and fast development of
horticultural industry, the
greenhouse technology is also a
field that develops very fast,
and to some extent, the
technology is same as the other
leading countries in
horticulture. Among them,
Kingpeng Corp. is for sure the
most successful one.
Started from 1959,
Kingpeng has involved in
40 GULF AGRICULTURE
greenhouse business more than
50 years. As a leading
greenhouse manufacturer from
China, Kingpeng could provide
service of greenhouse design,
manufacture, installation and
plant production in all
functions of greenhouses. Now,
Kingpeng has become a world-
known brand by its tailor-made
design, high quality product,
reasonable price, excellent
performance and satisfied
services.
Kingpeng could provide
different kinds of greenhouses,
plastic film greenhouse, glass
greenhouse, Polycarbonate
sheet greenhouse, tunnel
greenhouse, shade house, and
net house etc. These
greenhouses could be used for
various functions, flower
production, vegetable
production, seedling, nursery,
breeding, demonstration
garden, retailing center, and
storage etc.
From 2001, Kingpeng started
to be involved in the
international market and made a
great show-up and incredible
achievements since then. Up to
now, Kingpeng has exported
greenhouses and equipments to
more than 30 countries, and lots
of it in the hot climate region,
like Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Angola, Congo,
Algeria, Zimbabwe etc. Besides
this, we also exported to United
State, Cananda, Russia,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan,
Philippine, Indonesia, Thailand,
Bangladesh, Japan, Iran,
Ethiopia, Vietnam, Turkey etc.
Because of the high quality of
our greenhouse, lots of
customers become our agents in
the local market, and also make
a good business for their own.
Extra service will create
added value to Kingpeng's
clients, feasibility report, project
consultancy, production
suggestions, water-saving
technologies and all the other
turnkey solutions could also be
served. Famous agronomists
could always help our customers
to maximize the production and
guarantee the high yields. The
comprehensive services and
solutions make Kingpeng
become an important player in
this sector in the world.
With the fast development of
Kingpeng, it became the only
stock listed company in china
greenhouse sector in 2008. For
sure, they will play a more
important role in the global
horticultural fields.
For further information or
local dealers close to you,
please visit:
www.chinakingpeng.com
or contact by e-mail:
info@chinakingpeng.com
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
MARTEX PLANTING BAGS AND CONTAINERS
THE COMPANY FROM POLAND OFFERING PRODUCTS FOR NURSERY SECTOR, AND FOR ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT, FOREST PLANT RAISING OR RECULTIVATION

Parking and transportation of planting bags, other types of containers, mulch mats and rings

Mulch mats for weed protection Packing and transportation Arrangement and transportation Arrangement and transportation

Small mulch mats Packing and transportation Metal trunk shaping rings ARBO-STRONG

Elastic mulch mat ARBO-SAUNA 100% jute container in 270-360 g/m2 density

MARTEX - TEXTILE PRODUCTS FOR RAISING OF ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT,

AND FOREST SEEDLINGS, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECULTIVATION
Products commonly applied at nurseries, both in temperate and hot climate
Used for raising trees in the forest, idle land, semi-desert area, steppe .
Excellent for tree planting by the road and highway, useful for the purpose of
general cleaning works, composting, and in any similar applications.

AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR FOR UAE: ARID LAND DEVELOPMENT CO. LLC, P.O.BOX: 5294 ABU DHABI
Tel: 00971 2 6319244 Fax: 00971 2 6318366 Email: aridland@emirates.net.ae
NETHERLANDS UPDATE

DEDICATED TO PROVIDING HIGH

QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
T
omagro International

B.V. is a Dutch FOR MANY YEARS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING
agricultural company WITH THE LEADING PLANT MATERIAL PRODUCERS
based in the Rotterdam World IN HOLLAND , TO SUPPLY OUR CLIENTS WITH THE
Trade Centre, dedicated to VERY BEST QUALITY IN ALSTROEMERIA, ROSE,
providing high quality products
GERBERA, AND MANY OTHER PLANTS, AS WELL
with first class service to our
AS FRUIT TREE ROOTSTOCKS.
demanding international
clientele. Established in the
early nineties, our company
today conducts
business on a global
scale.
We market an
extensive range
of Turn-Key
Greenhouse
Projects,
including
Dutch Plant
Material,
Integrated Pest
Management and Crop

42 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

 NETHERLANDS UPDATE

Protection Products chosen solutions to developing our customers' needs, and

from leading producers in the markets. This is attained by tailoring a suitable range of
field in addition to our own performing joint showcase products to suit them best.
branded and manufactured projects in conjunction with Add to this our established
products and expert local partners from both the reputation for added value,
Consulting Services. public and private sectors. personal service, efficiency
For many years we have We owe our success and our and high quality products and
been working with the leading reputation for reliability to you get Tomagro - a name you
plant material producers in many years of experience and can rely on to bring the
Holland , to supply our clients sales, extensive travel within benefits of world class
with the very best quality in our markets, getting to know agribusiness to you.
Alstroemeria, Rose, Gerbera,
and many other plants, as well
as Fruit Tree Rootstocks.
We provide our clients
extensive pre-sales and after-
sales services, including
technical consultancy, in-situ
soil and water analysis,
analyzed by our laboratories in
The Netherlands. Our activities
in our varied market regions
include seminars and
workshops, as well as trials and
the introduction of new
products, and most importantly,
working with the local farmers
in the field. This is to ensure
that the potential of our
products are fully realized and
achieved.
Close cooperation with our
partner companies allows us to
offer you the most up-to-date
information, thus providing
considerable added value. To
ensure straightforward and
efficient export procedures, we
have close ties with shipping
and transport companies as
well as local government
organizations.
Through our many years of
working in the field we have
developed relationships based
on trust with some of the
largest growers and producers
of cut flowers and fruit in our
areas of business, who are
among our clients today.
We see it as a significant
part of Tomagro's vision to
introduce modern agricultural

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012 GULF AGRICULTURE 43


OFFERING FULL RANGE
OF PLANT NUTRIENTS
A
DFERT-SQM Middle
East is a unique module
for homogeneous
venture a blend of global and
local experience which
enhances our expertise in
different business sectors.
ADFERT can offer a full
range of plant nutrients
including granular, water
soluble NPK fertilizer, foliar
NPKs, micro-nutrients,
suspension fertilizers, liquid
fertilizers and specialty
products. ADFERT has
implemented a strict quality
control and quality
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
FERTILIZERS
improvement program to ensure
the excellent quality finished
products to our clients. We have
built a state-of-the-art full
laboratory in order to test all
our Incoming and outgoing
products with strict parameters.
This has enabled ADFERT to
assure the very best quality for delivery and guarantee product
our clients. availability during the season
ADFERT high quality client based on plant's needs in
service and logistics ensure fast various regions.
For more information:
ABU DHABI FERTILIZER INDUSTRIES CO. WLL
P.O. Box No 71871 Abu Dhabi U.A.E
Tel: +971 2 5511700, Fax: +971 2 5511702
GULF AGRICULTURE 45
FERTILIZERS

FOLIAR POTASSIUM NITRATE APPLICATIONS INCREASE

THE YIELD OF OLIVES AND THEIR OIL CONTENT

T
he olive tree is one of the content in the fruits.
fruit trees with the highest Moreover, when potassium is
extraction of potassium applied in balance with the other
per tonne of produced fruit; an nutrients, it allows to diminish
element which plays a the problems of alternate bearing
fundamental role in the because it enables the production
formation and transport of sugars of photo assimilates for both fruit
that subsequently transform into growth and shoot growth. As a
oil. Therefore, adequate levels of matter of fact, insufficient
potassium allow to obtain high potassium levels will cause all
yields and to increase the oil the photo assimilates to go to the
fruits, which entails weakened
shoots and subsequently lower
yields during the next season.
Several studies performed in
the Middle East have shown that
foliar sprays with potassium
nitrate increase the yield of
olives and their oil content.
Potassium has a positive impact
on several key functions of the
development of the plant and its
fruits, such as the stomatal
Untreated Olive tree regulation which controls the
transpiration process (water use
efficiency) and the
photosynthetic process
(formation of sugars), the
efficient use of nitrogen, and
multiple stress resistance:
drought, temperature and
diseases.
Especially foliar applications
of potassium are efficient and
very helpful because this element
Olive tree treated with Potassium Nitrate is easily absorbed through the
leaves, particularly in arid areas
Table 1 where scarce rainfall during
Spray programme with potassium nitrate on summer drastically reduces the
olive
Potassi um nitrate Table 2
Month
% Kg per 1000 litres Kg per 5000 l/ha Sum mary of the agrono mic and financial bene fits
April 4 40 200
May 4 40 200 Fruit sets
Olive size
June 5 50 250
July 5 50 250 Number of olives per tree
Olive oil (based on the oil content of 1 MT of olives per
August 6 60 300 treatment)
September 6 60 300 Net Profit (gross income minus costs of potassium nitrate)
Total 300 1.500 Cost-Benefit ratio
SEVERAL STUDIES PERFORMED IN THE
MIDDLE EAST HAVE SHOWN THAT
FOLIAR SPRAYS WITH POTASSIUM
NITRATE INCREASE THE YIELD OF
OLIVES AND THEIR OIL CONTENT.
uptake of nutrients by the tree.
In 2011, three demo trials
were conducted on olives trees
by SQM at three different sites in
the Eastern Desert in Jordan.
Planting density was 500 trees
per hectare and a foliar spray
treatment was compared to a
non-foliar one.
The performed trials
consisted of 6 monthly sprays
with potassium nitrate, applied
from April until September, with
doses varying from 4% till 6%
in 5.000 litres of water per
hectare (Table 1).
Results (Table 2) have shown
that well-balanced foliar
applications with potassium
nitrate, increase fruit set and the
firmness of the fruits, along with
the quantity of olives per tree.
On the other hand, by improving
the photosynthetic capacity of
the leaves, the availability of
assimilated nutrients for fruit
growth is also improved,
resulting in a bigger olive size
compared to crops which did not
benefit from a foliar potassium
nitrate application.
from +12% to
+16%
6%
from+10% to
+12%
2%
+700 US$/ha
1:1,3

46 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

IPM DUBAI 2012

Take a closer look

to Horti business in November

Simply Unique
Simply IPM

www.ipm-dubai.com
 FERTILIZERS
Dr. Yasser Dergham
Humintech Company, Germany
Application*:
Crop
In all crops
Vegetables in green houses
(tomatoes, peppers,
eggplants, cucumbers,
zucchini)
Horticultural trees (kiwi,
citrus groves, banana, wine
grapes stone fruit)
Open field vegetables
Cereal (wheat, potatoes, all
kind of beans, barley,
peanut etc.)
Ornamental plants and
forest nursery landscaping,
turf grass (in general)
Foliar application
Only in green houses with
high humidity
Prevent the seed, early
inoculation, Stimulate the
Seed treatment
seed germination and root
growth
* This recommendation could be varied according to the soil characteristics and farm conditions
48 GULF AGRICULTURE
BIOHEALTH THE SUCCESSFUL
ANTAGONIST TO SOIL BORN FUNGI
H
umintech is one of the
worldwide largest
organic fertilizer and
humic substance producers,
based in Dsseldorf, Germany.
Humintech takes the best
German oxidized Lignite
resources' (Leonardite) with
high humic /fulvic acids
quantity and uses the high
technical production methods to
get the high humic acid quality.
Furthermore Humintech is
active in research, development
and industrial production of
humic matter and humic acids
for agriculture, animal feed,
pharmaceutical and construction
industries, veterinary medicine
and environmental applications
such as water purification and
soil remediations.
Humintech produces a large
quantity of granulate humic
acid as Perlhumus, water
Objective
inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
Inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
Inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
Inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
Inoculation of sterile soil,
prophylactic mixing before
the infection, soil conditioner
Prophylactic Prevent from
leaves fungi and bacteria
1-2 kg/100 Kg seeds
soluble humic acid as
Powhumus and liquid humic
acid as Liqhumus and 6% Fe-
humate as Humiron. Humitech
started the production of humic
acid with various
microorganisms as antagonist of
several soils born disease.
BioHealth is one successful
antagonist to soil born fungi.
BioHealth TH/BS WSG
Trichoderma harzianum
DESCRIPTION
BioHealth TH/BS WSG is
a blend of selected Trichoderma
Recommended application
3-4 kg/ha divided to several doses (1-2kg/ha)
4-5 kg/ha divided to several doses (1-2kg/ha) during the season
or submerge the seedling before the transplantation
4-5 kg/ha divided to several doses (1-2kg/ha) during the
season, or submerge the seedling before the transplantation
4-6 kg/ha divided to several doses (1-2kg/ha) during the season
or submerge the seedling before the transplantation
3-4 kg/ha divided to several doses (1-2kg/ha)before and during
the season
3-4 kg/ha or 1 kg/m during the preparation of substrates
300-500 g/1000 L water every two weeks during the season
harzianum and Bacillus subtilis
strains, humic acids and
seaweed extract. Trichoderma
harzianum and Bacillus subtilis
are antagonist to soil borne
pathogens like e.g. Phythium,
Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia or
Fusarium, whose hyphens and
organs can be disposed by
Trichoderma's comprehensive
enzyme tools. Thus
Trichoderma suppresses the
spreading of these pathogens.
Bacillus subtilis have evolved
numerous mechanisms for both
attack of other fungi or bacteria
and for enhancing plant and
root growth. During a culture
Bacillus subtilis nourishes on
the root exudates in the
rhizosphere and thus builds a
biological protective barrier
against soil borne pathogens.
In latent affected plant
material BioHealth TH/ BS
WSG remains ineffective, due
to the reason that the antagonist
cannot follow the parasite into
the inside of the plant.
Therefore BioHealth TH/BS
WSG has to be regarded as a
soil conditioner or rather a plant
intensifier and under no
circumstances as a fungicide
against soil pathological fungi.
BioHealth TH/BS WSG (Humic acid,
Trichoderma, Bacillus and sea weed mixture)
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
 FERTILIZERS

HUMINTECH PRODUCES A LARGE QUANTITY OF GRANULATE HUMIC ACID AS

PERLHUMUS, WATER SOLUBLE HUMIC ACID AS POWHUMUS AND LIQUID HUMIC
ACID AS LIQHUMUS AND 6% FE-HUMATE AS HUMIRON. HUMITECH STARTED THE
PRODUCTION OF HUMIC ACID WITH VARIOUS MICROORGANISMS AS
ANTAGONIST OF SEVERAL SOILS BORN DISEASE.

pH-value in the soil and thus vitamins and growth hormones

enhances the uptake of like cytokinine, which promotes
fertilizers the root growth
 Binds salt in the soil and thus BioHealth TH/BS WSG
decreases salinization is already used in several
 Enhances the soil quality and countries worldwide and we
BioHealth TH/BS WSG is increases the soil aeration in have very good results with its
100% soluble compact soils and compacts application on plants roots to
light sandy soils prevent the roots from harmful
ORIGIN Resource for natural soil born Fungi and Bacteria.
BioHealth TH/BS WSG is
obtained through alkaline
extraction from German
Leonardite (highly oxidized
lignite), high quality isolated and
selected Trichoderma harzanium
fungus, high quality isolated and
selected Bacillus subtilis strains
and extracted from Ascophyllum
nodosum seaweed.

BENEFITS
 Destroys the hyphens of most
soil born pathogens like e.g.
Pythium, Phytophthora,
Rhizoctonia or Fusarium
 Increases the resistance of
plant roots against water,
disease, temperature and salt
stress
 Promotes the growth of root
and regenerates the damaged
root
 Stimulates the growth of
useful microorganisms in the
root area
 Enhances the germination and
increases their growth
 Aerates compact soils and
binds loose sandy soils
 Increases the water holding
capacity of the soil. Improves
the soil aeration and the gas
exchange of the soil
 Increases the soil buffering
capacity and neutralizes the

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012 GULF AGRICULTURE 49

 POULTRY

OPTIMISING FEED MILL OUTPUT

Fuad Saleh,
Evonik Industries, Health &
Nutrition, Regional office
Amman, Jordan
Email: fuad.saleh@evonik.com
T
wo critical questions
need to be addressed in
designing the production
line. The first is What is the
optimum mixer size for the
feed mill? and the second
How many batches per hour
should be produced? It is
important in every case to find
a balance between batch size
and batch cycle time. For
example, if the aim is to
produce thirty tonnes of feed
per hour, the production line
and equipment could be
designed to produce 30 batches
of 1 ton each per hour, 15
batches of 2 tons each per
hour, or 10 batches of 3 tons
each per hour.
Optimum Mixer Size
Typical mixer sizes in
feed mills range from less
than 1 ton to 6-8 tons per
batch. The majority of feed
ingredients, about 95%, are
usually added to the mixer as
dry bulk. Process steps before
and after the weighing and
mixing line are virtually
continuous, and therefore the
mixer must be able to keep
pace with the pellet mills. The
capacity of the mixing line is
calculated as batch size
multiplied by the number of
batches per hour, i.e.
Output (t/h) = batch size (t)
x no. of batches / hour
Each given output can be
met by varying batch size and
batch frequency.
Mix time
Depending on mixer
design and on quality
expectations mix time may
vary from around 60 seconds
to 4-5 minutes, or even longer.
While in a double ribbon mixer
it takes more than 200s to
achieve a good Coefficient of
Variation (CV), a paddle mixer
may achieve a comparable
level of homogeneity in less
than 60s. Considering time
requirements for mixer filling
and discharging, total cycle
times of 2-6 minutes might
result, which corresponds to 10
-30 batches per hour.
Sequence of the batch mixing
process
The time sequence of the
batch mixing process is
illustrated in figure 1 and can
roughly be structured in four
blocks:
1. Dosing time
2. Mixer fill- and discharge
time
3. Mix time
4. Discharge time of bin after
mixer.
The batch cycle time is the
shortest time span in the
diagram after which the mixer
may be re-filled. Figure 1
represents a best case scenario.
The batch cycle time in this
example is 3min 15s, time for
AN EFFICIENT FEED PRODUCTION LINE
IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO
HANDLE THE TYPES AND AMOUNTS OF
FEED THAT NEED TO BE PRODUCED.
OPTIMISING THE BALANCE BETWEEN
BATCH SIZE AND BATCH FREQUENCY
PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE.
filling and discharging the
mixer is 15s each. The total
mix time is 2min 45s. Half of
the mix time is reserved for
mixing dry ingredients before
liquids are sprayed into the
mixer, spraying time is 1min
with 30s final mix time to
incorporate the liquids into the
dry mash. Assuming all
batches take the same time just
over 18 batches would be
produced per hour.
Attention to equipment and
processes
Increasing batch sizes
obviously has an influence on
the size of the equipment
involved. For example the
mixer size will increase
proportionally with the batch
size, just as the output per hour
will increase assuming
constant number of batches per
hour. There is also an
influence of batch size on
dosing time, weighing
accuracy as well as mix and
spraying time. Special attention
should be given to spraying
time when liquid products are
used. With increasing batch
sizes spraying time may

50 GULF AGRICULTURE SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012


Figure 1: Batch sequence diagram.
increase relative to mix time
with negative effects on mix
quality. This effect is felt
stronger with a modern mixer
design and shorter mix times.
One last aspect is related to
wear and tear of the
equipment; with an increasing
number of batches per hour,
wear and tear will be increased
on all those parts that are
activated when changing
batches, such as: slide gates,
pneumatic pistons and drives,
and electric drives.
Balance between batch size
and cycle time
Returning to the initial
question to evaluate the three
options to achieve a mixing
line output of 30t/h:
 With 30 batches per hour
and 90s total mix time the
percentage of fill and
discharge time of 30s would
amount to 25% of the total
batch cycle and mix time
would be 75%. This timing
would imply that liquids are
sprayed within less than 30s
with a dry mix time of 60s.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
POULTRY
 With 15 batches per hour
and the same 30s to fill and
discharge the mixer, mix
time is increased to 3min
30s, an increase of 233%
even though the number of
batches is reduced by just
50%. Consequently the
output of dosing equipment
might be reduced as well
with positive effects on
dosing accuracy and on mix
homogeneity.
 With 10 batches per hour
mix time would increase to
5min 30s which is 366% of
the 90s in case of 30 batches
per hour. Again there is a
relative gain of productive
dosing, spraying and mix
time with positive effects on
process quality.
All the options are
technically possible and the
final choice will need to
consider and evaluate factors
such as dosing accuracy and
homogeneity of the feed,
suitability of spraying systems
and ultimately, the capital
costs needed for the
equipment.
GULF AGRICULTURE 51
ANIMAL FEEDS
N
utriplus Commodities
FZCO is one of the
leading international
commodities trading
companies in the Middle East.
Based in Dubai, Nutriplus is
involved in trading, brokering
and representing for
international exporters and
reputed producers of feed
commodities in the USA and
Europe.
Our major customers are
the end users in livestock
farms, poultry farms - feed
mills in the UAE, Oman,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar
and many other neighbouring
countries in the Middle East,
says Managing Director
Mohammed Haneef.
Respecting our commitment
and dedication, our buyers and
sellers always make a
consistent buy and sale of feed
raw material from us. This is
due to our past performance
which we have achieved
through our long term supply
chain. The company never
breaks its performance and
quality parameters, he adds.
The major feed raw
materials and ingredients dealt
are Yellow corn - Soyabean
52 GULF AGRICULTURE
SPECIALIST
IN FEED AND
FODDER
BUSINESS
BRINGING THE RIGHT CROP WITH
RIGHT QUALITY FROM THE
TRADITIONAL FARMERS IN SPAIN OR
ITALY IS OUR SPECIAL BUSINESS IN
FODDER GRASS SUPPLY.
meal, Feed barley in bulk
vessel through MNC
commodity originator. From
USA we import a range of feed
commodities including Soy By
Pass protein - Amino Plus,
DDGS - Distillery Dried
Grains, Corn Glutten Meal,
Cotton seed, Fishmeal etc
regularly for the Middle East
Livestock farms and feed mills.
Our raw materials supplied
occupy the major portion of
Total Mix ration for high yield
milking cows since several
years.
Bringing the right crop
with right quality from the
traditional farmers in Spain or
Italy is our special business in
Fodder grass supply. We
started moving large volume of
Alfalfa hay from Spain, South
Africa, USA on a regular
programmed method with
prompt logistics and assurance
of crop quality.
Our suppliers occupy major
share of export in their
destination so we are safe in
terms of performance and
logistics with quality
assurance. Logistic is the game
plan for successful
commodities business so
suppliers strong with logistics
and supported with farmers or
its co operatives are successful
with a strong business trust and
commitment.
Nutriplus Commodities is
growing year by year and
adding new innovations in its
business practice. The company
is to start distribution of feed
supplements and additives and
expand its animal health
division in near future.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
NUTRIPLUS COMMODITIES FZCO - DUBAI
INTERNATIONAL COMMODITIES MERCHANTS FOR
FEED INGREDIENTS & RAW MATERIALS

 Yellow Corn & Soybean Meal

 DDGS (Distillery Dried Grains)
 Corn Gluten Meal
 Soy by Pass Protein (Amino Plus)
 Whole Fuzzy Cotton Seed
 Alfalfa Hay & Pellets
 Sugar beet Pulp pellets
 Fish Meal
 Protected Fat
 Omega 3 Supplement
 High Energy Supplement for poultry
 Omega Premix
 DCP/MCP/Sodium Bicarbonate
 Choline Chloride
 Lysine
 Vitamins & Minerals
 Pallet Binder

For Trade Enquiry please contact

Mr. Mohammed Haneef (Managing Director)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Mob: +97150 6569416 | Tel: + 9714 2200902 | Fax:+9714 2200903
Email: nutri@emirates.net.ae
 KUWAIT UPDATE

LEADERS IN AGRICULTURE RETAIL

AND LANDSCAPING
E
stablished in 1985, AlShaheen Nurseries The Project Division is run by well qualified
has been ever since developing itself as team of engineers and supervisors to design
one of the leaders in the field of landscape and maintain gardens. There is a team
agriculture retail and landscaping. AlShaheen for designing & implementing irrigation
Nurseries provides a complete set of agriculture systems.
and gardening services. The team is run by well The whole sale division was established in
qualified engineers and experienced 2000 to provide the Ministries and the
supervisors, with a long and successful track agricultural companies with plants, garden tools
record in agriculture projects execution. The and irrigation systems. Since then, the division
company is located in Shuwaikh, 4th Ring has been supplying some of the leading Shaheen M. AlRubaie
Road, Nurseries Area. Its our pleasure to government and private projects. General Manager
introduce our wide range of services we offer
the following:
 Landscaping and planting division for indoor
and outdoor gardens. Wholesale division (For
Agricultural Companies only).
 Maintenance team for agricultural projects and
house gardens.
 Designing and implementing irrigation
systems.
 Wide range of indoor and outdoor plants.
 Wide rang of flower and vegetable seeds.
 Different sizes and colors of plastic net
shades. All kinds of natural and chemical
fertilizers.
 Peat Moss, potting soil, hydroton.
 Agent and distributor of indoor and outdoor
pots of different shapes and sizes
AlShaheen Nurseries showroom is considered
as a garden center for selling indoor and outdoor
plants Grass Peat Moss Potting Soil
Plastic Net Shades Pots Rocks Seeds
Natural and Chemical Fertilizers Agrilite
Irrigation Sys. Water pumps Insect killer
Hydroton Palm bags. The Company aims to
provide many items to serve different customers
tastes, in addition to provide the best quality and
less prices under one roof.
AlShaheen Nurseries owns a farm in Wafra
area specialized in growing plants, flowers, and
paspalum grass, runs by well qualified engineers
to provide the market and the Agricultural
companies with the best varieties and quality.
The farm is considered one of leading farms in
Wafra in growing plants, flowers, and pasplam
grass.

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012 GULF AGRICULTURE 55

UAE UPDATE
AL DAHRA AGRICULTURE
A SUCCESS STORY IN THE
Unprecedented Growth
Young and Ambitious are two
qualities that perfectly represent
the essence of Al Dahra
agricultural company. Since its
inception in 1995, it has
witnessed unmatched growth in
terms of geographic footprint,
product and service offering
development and customer base
expansion. In less than two
decades, the company has
transformed from a local Abu
Dhabi based company to a
multinational organization with
presence across four continents. It
has also shifted from a local
mandate focused on private
farming operations to an
international mindset committed
to growing the commercial
agricultural business. Al Dahra's
success is not to be measured
solely by the growth in revenues
and profitability and growth in
workforce and products range.
The true measure of success is
the company's commitment to
exceptional service and delivery,
quality of agricultural produce
and logistics services and long-
term customer satisfaction and
loyalty that it has achieved over
the course of the past few years.
Whilst the United Arab Emirates
remains at the core of its strategy,
the company is well positioned to
56 GULF AGRICULTURE
H.E. Khadim Al Darei
Vice Chairman and Managing Director
H.E Hamad Al Shamsi
Deputy Managing Director
becoming one of the key
international players in the
agriculture sector and a leader in
the food supply chain business.
Specialized Operations
Al Dahra's main line of
business consists of farming,
production and supply of human
and animal food. The company
has made considerable
investments after being awarded
a number of government
contracts to establish a solid
platform for the supply of forage
and essential commodities to the
UAE. Consequently, Al Dahra
has acquired a number of
internationally renowned
producers of forage such as ACX
Northwest Pacific in the United
States of America in addition to
Desagro, Soyn, Alfapla and
Fagavi in Spain gaining best in
class expertise in the field of
cultivation and production of
Alfalfa and other high nutrient
grass suitable for cattle.
In addition, Al Dahra has
established production plants for
super Basmati rice in Pakistan
and India under the brand name
of Brukfield and currently has
more than 120 international
distributors in various countries
around the world. Brukfield
produces the highest quality rice
using the most recent and
technologically advanced
machinery and follows stringent
quality control measures.
Al Dahra has set up large
cultivation and production
operations in Egypt for corn,
potatoes, citrus fruits and alfalfa
and has established a wide local
and regional customer base.
Other significant investments as
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
AGRIBUSINESS
part of the company's portfolio
include plantation of dates in
Namibia and olives in Morocco
and managing greenhouse
operations in the United Arab
Emirates where it also runs a
dairy farm. The company is also
Houssam Mahmoud
Chief Executive Officer
currently looking at adding
sugar, wheat and flour
production to its product range.
Besides the considerable
investments in farming and
production, Al Dahra has also
made investments in logistics to
ensure quality across its entire
supply chain, including state-of-
the-art warehousing facilities,
local distribution fleet and
building long-term relationships
with sea freight vessel operators.
Food Security and Future Plans
Al Dahra's leadership vision
and organizational strategy
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
revolves around ensuring food
security and sustainability to the
United Arab Emirates and the
host countries where the
company has made investments.
Providing a steady and reliable
supply of basic commodities and
food to face progressively rising
food shortages, price hikes,
export bans and climate change
challenges has become in recent
years on top of governments'
agendas and priority lists. As a
private company, Al Dahra takes
very seriously the responsibility
of forging partnerships with the
public and private sectors to
secure lands overseas, invest in
commercial agriculture, ensure
long-term farming operations
and production of quality
produce. Foreign investments in
agriculture not only boost
domestic food supply but also
offer numerous benefits to local
populations such as
infrastructure development, job
creation and transfer of
technology and expertise. In
turn, by making such
investments, Al Dahra is able to
generate sufficient supply to
meet its government contracts
needs and commercial activity
in various markets. Al Dahra is -
also concerned with building
local and regional reserves with
An arial view of the cultivation pivots in Egypt.
proper stock rotation
mechanisms to mitigate any
uprising food crises. In that
context, Al Dahra is currently
finalizing the plans to build a
regional commodities' hub in the
new Abu Dhabi port (Khalifa
Port) coupled with a massive
off-shore investment in the free
zone (KIZAD) for re-export of
raw and finished food products.
Al Dahra's ambition has no
limit; with its determined and
committed leadership, its
focused vision and its
experienced and loyal employee
base, the company has an
aggressive and active pipeline of
future expansion plans and is
currently in the process of
finalizing its market entry into
South Africa, Argentina,
Australia, Greece and Romania
amongst other target growth
territories.
GULF AGRICULTURE 57

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE
FOR SOIL DISINFECTION
R
educed harvest yields caused by the
tired soil effect, is well known by
all farmers. The action of pathogen
fungi, insects and nematodes, together with
the accumulation of toxins produced by
previous cultivation, are some of the factors
that lead to the gradual reduction in yields
and quality of subsequent harvests.
RAISAN-51 is a general soil fumigant,
based on Metam sodium, with fungicide,
insecticide, nematicide and herbicide activity.
In a period of change in soil disinfection,
treatment with RAISAN-51 emerges as a
respectful and trustworthy fumigant, without
any type of ecotoxicological problems,
enabling the regeneration of soil fertility and
maintaining or increasing the yield and
quality of harvests.
RAISAN-51 is a synthesis organic product
based on Metam and formulated as a soluble
concentrate. When diluted with water it
breaks down into an active and volatile
compound called methyl isothiocyanate
(MITC) which spreads in the soil in the form
of gas.
RAISAN-51 is authorised for the
fumigation of soils for seedbeds, nurseries and
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
SPAIN UPDATE
all types of plants (vegetables, strawberries,
ornamental plants, grapes, fruit trees, etc.).
Environmental friendly
The metabolites of the RAISAN-51
breakdown have the same structure and act in
the same way as some natural products
obtained from some Brassicas with the added
advantage that it is a much more controllable
process with predictable positive results.
The effectiveness of these Brassica is
because they synthesize glucosinolates which
transform in the soil, into volatile
isothiocyanates (ITC) with a very similar
structure and action to the metabolites of the
RAISAN-51 breakdown (MITC).
Final approval in the European Union
Recently, in April 2012, the active
ingredient Metam was approved in
accordance with the Regulation CE
1107/2009 of the European Parliament
concerning the placing of plant protection
products.
This ensures the continuity of Metam as
one of the few Soil Fumigants allowed by the
demanding European standards.
GULF AGRICULTURE 59

SPANISH AGRICULTURE: AN OVERVIEW
S
pain is one of the largest
countries of Western
Europe, and it ranks
second in terms of its elevation,
after Switzerland. A large part
of the country is semiarid, with
temperatures that range from
extremely cold in the winter to
scorching in the summer.
Spain has long been Western
Europe's leading producer, and
the world's foremost exporter,
of oranges and mandarins.
Grapefruit, lemons, and limes
are also grown in quantity.
Spain's other significant
orchard crops are apples,
bananas, pears, peaches,
apricots, plums, cherries, figs,
and nuts.
The principal vegetable crops
are potatoes, tomatoes, onions,
cabbages, peppers, and string
beans. Spain was the leading
producer of onions in Western
Europe, and it was second only
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
to Italy in the production of
tomatoes. Spain was the world's
leading producer and exporter
of olives and olive oil, although
in some years Italy showed
higher production levels
because Spanish harvests are
notably vulnerable to insects,
frost, and storm damage.
Spanish livestock industries
had experienced significant
growth and modernization since
the 1950s, but their output
remained well behind the levels
of efficiency and productivity
of European Community (EC)
countries.
The principal cattle areas are
in the north, the northwest, and,
to a lesser degree, in
Extremadura, Andalusia, the
Rio Duero Basin, and the
Murcia-Valencia lowlands.
These regions provided the
suitable pastures that are
available only in areas with
SPAIN UPDATE
humid climates or with
irrigated land.
The dairy industry had
grown rapidly. Milk production
from cows, sheep, and goats,
which had stood at 5.4 million
tons in 1974, reached 6.4
million tons in 1986 - well over
double the production level of
the early 1960s. The bulk of
milk products came from
Galicia, Asturias, and Santander.
Sheep rearing predominated
in central Spain and the Ebro
Basin. Goats are kept in much
the same area, but they are more
prevalent in the higher, less
grassy elevations because they
can survive on poorer pasture.
Merino sheep, the best known
breed, are probably imported
from North Africa, and they are
well adapted to semiarid
conditions. Merino sheep, noted
for their fine wool, are widely
used as stock for new breeds.
GULF AGRICULTURE 61

HIGH QUALITY,
WELL CARE
A
gri Sciences started
its activities in January
2010 in Izmir city,
Turkey as one of many
companies and concerns
of global GMS HOLDINGS
centred in Amman,
Jordan.
Established on 26.01.2010,
Agri Sciences continues its
activities on 5,000 m2 of closed
and 12,000 m2 of total space at
Pancar Place, Torbali Town
with the production of EC, SC,
SL, WP, SP, WG, SG and DF
formulations.
Plant Protection and Plant
Nutrition products are
formulated and manufactured
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
with latest technology
equipments.
Agri Sciences carries out its
activities with the same vision
and approach primarily in
Turkey market as well as in
Middle East, North Africa and
Middle Asia countries.
Following all global
developments and novelties
with its experts in all fields and
embracing the motto of High
Quality, Well Care in
supplying crop protection and
plant nutrition demands of
Turkey and the whole world.
Agri Sciences is also
TURKEY UPDATE
committed to promoting a safer
and healthier environment.
Our aim is to become a
world leader in agro chemistry
with an international client
potential. Our way to achieve
this is ensuring satisfaction of
our clients and business
partners with team effort and
providing high quality,
innovative and safe products
and services. says a company
release. With all our employees,
and under our motto of High
Quality, Well Care, our vision
is to become the Name of
Trust in Agriculture.
GULF AGRICULTURE 63
 VIETNAM UPDATE

RURAL DEVELOPMENT &

AGRICULTURE IN VIETNAM
T
he Socialist Republic of fisheries) - overall agricultural
Vietnam is a one of the growth has averaged 4 percent
fastest growing a year. This is partly due to
economies in South East Asia policy reforms including
although still a relatively poor ongoing impacts of allocating annual turnover is increasing
country with a sizeable land use rights to individuals, with 4.3 percent and crops like
population and limited land and the result of market-based coffee and rise are increasing
resources. Currently, much of incentives such as higher prices with 20 to 30 percent. The seed
the labor force (about 70 for crops. sector has contributed to the
percent) is engaged in The growth in Vietnam's success by providing new
agricultural activities though agriculture is amazing: The efficient varieties.
agriculture now accounts for
only 25 percent of Gross
Domestic Product. Residents of
urban areas are more likely to
benefit from Vietnam's
economic growth and have
increasingly more disposable
income and demand for
imported goods and foods.
Agriculture accounts for 22
percent of GDP, 30 percent of
exports and 60 percent of
employment. The majority of
the rural population makes its
living by growing and selling
crops (rice accounts for 45
percent of agricultural
production), raising and selling
livestock and fish, and from
forest products.
Because the poorest
populations are dependent on
the land and water for their
livelihood, it is critical that
these natural resources are
maintained, that the people are
able to grow a variety of crops,
so that they are not dependent
on a single crop in case of crop
failure or lack of market
demand, and able to access
markets to sell their products.
Since 2000, there has been
strong progress in the
agricultural sector (which
includes crops, livestock,
forestry, aquaculture and

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012 GULF AGRICULTURE 65

FRANCE UPDATE
LEADING HYDRANGEA SPECIALIST
F
or more than 50 years,
the Sicamus Group has
been expanding its
business in a regular and a
controlled way. Being the
Europe's leading hydrangea
specialist and the France's
leading distributor of plants,
composites, supplies and
decorative accessories, the
Sicamus Group has based its
dynamic force by keeping an
active and a continuous eye on
the market.
According to commercial
director Jean-Yves Coulbault,
the group produces 2 million
hydrangeas over 4 production
sites, including 70% for export.
Its cold room storage facilities
covering more than 15,000 m3.
More than 2 hectares of
flowering plants are being
distributed by Cash-Anjou.
According to him Hydrangea,
66 GULF AGRICULTURE
Geraniums and Fuchsias are in
high demand. Besides plants
we also distribute composites,
supplies and decorative
accessories for garden and
landscaping. Our Cash Anjou
Store is truly a uniting forces
for European producers and
sellers. Through our Cash
Anjou we offer:
 flowering and garden plants
from Sicamus production
sites,
 indoor and outdoor plants
from associated or integrated
producers
 plants produced under
contract or in partnership
with specialist producers,
(France, Belgium, Holland,
Denmark, Germany, Italy,
Spain and Portugal.)
Our each cash includes:
 an indoor plants section
(green and flowering plants)
 an outdoor plants section
(flowering, garden and
bedding plants)
 an indoor and outdoor
compositions section, with
built-in workshop
 a florist supplies and
decorative accessories
section,
 theme showrooms
 an indoor car park.
The Sicamus Group is
committed to a reasonable
approach to the environment
and relies on the quality and
responsibility of men and
women to produce the best
possible plants and offer the
most appropriate. The Sicamus
Group has clear European
ambitions. Day after day and
step by step, its teams produce,
negotiate and circulate
throughout the whole of
Europe.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012

LANNES GROUP: THE LARGEST GROWERS
OF DIPLADENIA IN EUROPE
W
ith over 12 million
young plants
produced per year, the
Lannes Group is one of the
largest growers of Dipladenia in
Europe. Also known as
Mandevilla which is the
botanical name, Dipladenia is a
climbing plant originated from
South America. The Lannes
family started to grow this plant
back in the 70's in their facility
located in Malause, a small town
in the south western part of
France. In order to fulfill the
increasing demand on the
European market, Huguette and
Robert Lannes acquired a new
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012
FRANCE UPDATE
growing facility in Motril, south
of Spain where the unique
subtropical climate offers the
best conditions to grow
Dipladenia.
Even though Huguette and
Robert Lannes are still very
active in the group, they have
handed over the management
of these two facilities to their
sons, Jean-Philippe (Spain) and
Patrice (France). Today, the
growing surface represents
about 7 hectares of greenhouse
in Spain and 3 hectares of
greenhouse in France with a
permanent staff of about 100
employees in total.
GULF AGRICULTURE 67
AUSTRALIAN UPDATE
WANGARA HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES OFFERS
HIGHEST QUALITY WOVEN PLANTER BAGS
U
ntil 15 years ago,
all trees were
grown in hard
plastic pots or film grade poly
bags and at that time there was
no such product as a very
strong planter bag with
handles.
This was always a big
problem for production
nurseries as lifting plastic pots
or planter bags increased the
risk of back injuries to
workers which in turn
increased the cost of insurance
premiums and workers
compensation claims.
In 1992 Steve Turner,
owner of Wangara
Horticultural Supplies had
several meetings with
Australia's largest nursery to
try and find a solution to this
ever increasing problem. It
was then that the first trials of
woven planter bags with
handles were done and after
An inferior
cheap copy of
a woven planter
bag
A top quality Easy-Fill planter bag on forklift
68 GULF AGRICULTURE
one spring and summer
season, the trial stock was
inspected and to our
amazement we found that the
trees had a far healthier root
system than others grown in
hard plastic pots. We now had
a far superior product as we
had planter bags with handles
to assist in lifting and an
added bonus was the superior
root formation that all but
eliminated root spiraling.
Today woven planter bags
with handles are used
throughout the nursery
industry in most countries
because of the ease of handling
and superior root growth.
From 1993 until 2004 the
woven planter bag with
handles was widely accepted
because of its ease of handling
and many other features but
several nurseries could not
work out how to fill them
manually and still retain a
perfect cylindrical shape. In
2004 Wangara Horticultural
Supplies decided to change the
configuration of the planter
bag from a commodity type of
bag to a round bottom bag.
Now the Easy-Fill Planter
Bag has all of the quality
features of the past with a
round bottom panel sewn in to
the bag which now solves the
problem of filling correctly
and allows for perfect
presentation. Easy-Fill round
bottom planter bags are made
from the finest quality raw
materials in any size, shape,
colour or configuration to suit
the most astute nursery and
have the highest quality and
very expensive u/v additives to
give a guaranteed long life in
the worlds harshest climates.
Wangara Horticultural
Supplies are the exclusive
manufacturer of Easy-Fill
round bottom woven planter
bags with handles and warn
potential users not to be fooled
by cheaper copies of planter
bags being offered in the
market place as a planter bag
is not cheap when you have to
buy it twice.
Wangara Horticultural
Supplies are a privately owned
Western Australian family
business who pride themselves
on quality products and
continued repeat business and
were the first in the world to
conceive the round bottom
woven planter bags with
handles and we thank
everyone for their support in
making it a very successful
product.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012