If a farmer enjoys tranquil sleep without the worries of possible hail damage to fruit, water wastage and discarding damaged fruit, he most probably already has his orchard under PlusNet protection.

“More and more farmers are turning to the advantages of net crop protection,” says Piet Buitendag, general manager and one of the founders of PlusNet/Geotex, part of the Master Plastics Group.

The company started in 1995 to manufacture single thread filament for the netting industry and in 2000 embarked on manufacturing agricultural netting themselves. PlusNet makes netting in a wide range of densities and colours to provide for the best light spectrum for specific crops.

“PlusNet also has a civil engineering section that deal with the design and construction of net houses. They supply everything required for net housing – even the poles, anchors, cables and proficiency to assist the famer to increase crop yield,” says Piet.

“If you want to enlarge your packing shed, or perhaps want to build a chicken coop or pigsty that will still be there for your grandchildren to utilise problem-free, the Geotex side of the company is where you have to go.”

“Geotex is a synthetic fibre which can reinforce concrete eliminating the rusting risk and concomitant steel expansion. It is a lighter product with a longer lifespan. Corroding chemicals are often used to sterilise areas such as dog kennels, catteries, pig sties and packing sheds, which results in the oxidation of steel in many instances. With Geotex there is no such problem,”

Six kg Geotex fibre can replace 40 kg steel and it lasts! It was used in the construction of all the Gautrain tunnels and the product is also sold on the world market.

The PlusNet/Geotex plant in Randfontein provides employment for 450 people, including a team of engineers that understand the agricultural and construction worlds.

 Piet says they cooperate closely with their distributors and also directly with farmers. “The farmer becomes your friend because his business grows every year and he comes back again. The whole industry turns around relationships with clients and the transfer of technology.”

Send an email message to nets@plusnet.co.za or visit www.plusnetgeotex.co.za for more information or a quotation.