Drought and water scarcity is part and parcel of South Africa and specifically farmers have to cope with the vicissitudes of the weather to survive. That is why Hennie Strydom of Rorke’s Drift opted for centre pivot irrigators on his farm. ProAgri was there to experience the delivery of a new centre pivot to the farm.

“We plant mealies and pasture for our cattle,” says Hennie. “I prefer movable centre pivot irrigators because I can then irrigate twice as many hectares for the same outlay. With the moveable six tower pivot machine I can irrigate two circles of 42 ha each. If it wasn’t possible to move the machine, I would have been able to irrigate only half of it with the same investment,” says Hennie.

Altogether Hennie now irrigates 84 ha. He is quite open about the reasons why he decided on Senter360 among all the centre pivot irrigation systems on the market. “I spoke to many people and asked their advice. The Pongola farmers recommended Senter because the wind does not blow them over – the distance between the wheels is wider and the pipe structure, with low wind resistance, sees to the rest.”

Of course there is also the important factor of after-sales service. Hennie only has the highest praise for the Senter360 team. “Marius Appel phones me to enquire about my situation. I need not phone him to tell him that I have a problem.”

The Senter360 team assisted Hennie through the whole process of planning up to the erection of the centre pivots and the servicing afterwards. “It is also not expensive to maintain the pivots. In the past four years I had to replace a few small items, but as long as you ensure that you use sufficient lubricant, it is plain sailing!” says Hennie.

The moveable model doubles the productivity and makes this model much more profitable. The pivot is designed in such a manner that it can be moved with the least trouble.

“Each of the twelve wheels has a lever which can be released to turn the wheels. Then the complete six-tower pivot can be hooked to a tractor and pulled like a trailer to the next circle. To move the centre pivot form one location to another requires less than an hour,” explains Hennie.

The standard 4,5-meter long heavy duty base ensures stability over uneven terrain and in windy conditions. The driving towers are made of angle iron and reinforced with diagonal and horizontal braces. The ball and socket joints ensure that tension is transferred evenly from one tower to the next. All Senter360 pivot irrigators are built to last as long as possible – valuable heirlooms for posterity. With its wide range of centre pivot models Senter360 has the correct solution for any farmer.

A centre pivot irrigator guarantees a farmer of a harvest. It is especially essential in South Africa with its erratic rainfall. “In our sandy soils we rather give a little less water but more regularly. We will give 10 mm at a time, otherwise the water runs off. We cannot afford to waste a single drop!”

The new centre pivot that was delivered during the visit by ProAgri can also be moved but is slightly smaller than the existing one on the farm. The new one can irrigate two circles of 34 ha each, giving Hennie the capacity to irrigate 152 ha with the two movable centre pivot machines.

For more information, contact Senter on 360 by 018-469-1331 or send an email to info@senter360.co.za. Theuns Dreyer’s cellphone number is 082-564-5955.