There are bottom line pressures as well. Outdated technologies and methodologies are costing South African farmers significant amounts of money.
Gavin Herold, general manager of Africa and the Middle East for Nilfisk, manufacturers of cleaning equipment, says the new generation of cleaning equipment offers significant assistance to local farmers in five key areas:
Fit-for-purpose: Tailored stationary systems for farm buildings and storage facilities as well as mobile units for machinery, outdoor spaces, and courtyards with stand-on, walk-behind and rider models. Small, battery-operated micro-scrubbers can be used in tight areas that could only be cleaned by hand in the past. They can also be easily transferred between facilities.
Specialised equipment: There are new systems designed for demanding tasks like grain store vacuuming (with bog bore hoses) or dealing with fungicides on citrus packhouse floors. Greenhouses and stables also create particular cleaning challenges which can be met quickly and economically with powerful new systems.
Eco-friendliness: The latest technology either radically reduces the use of detergents or replaces them completely with water or with bio-products. New orbital scrubber driers use a detergent dispensing system that allows the operator to use the minimal amount of detergent needed for cleaning an area while providing a burst of power in heavily soiled areas.
Productivity: By doing the job quicker, better and more reliable, investment in new technologies produces a quick ROI in terms of reduced labour costs, resources, and maintenance. Specific machines for different spaces, one-pass efficiency and faster drying times are just some of the ways productivity can be improved substantially.
Better working conditions: Enhanced ergonomics means less operator fatigue, and savings on labour costs and the increased safety minimises chemical fumes and slippery floors.
Lower bills: It is possible to achieve significant reductions in consumption of water, electricity, and disposables. Recent water shortages around the country, especially in the Western Cape, have highlighted the value of new orbital scrubbers which, paired with a squeegee design, leave floors dry in a single pass and reduce water consumption markedly. Some equipment also eliminates the need to use multiple chemicals, which ultimately can reduce supply chain costs.
Herold says technology is the farmer’s friend in terms of 21st-century cleaning: “We have set out to make machines which specifically meet the huge challenges of agricultural cleaning and align with the practicalities of farm workspaces. They offer reliability, efficiency, and sustainability and, as result, can deliver enormous value to the business.”
