Interview with Ginegar Agronomist Zari Gal, on trends in the plastic nets covering industry.

“The plastic net covers industry has grown in the past few years, and in large part this is due to the phenomenon of global warming.” Zari Gal, Agronomist at Ginegar Plastic Products Ltd., one of the most advanced suppliers in the world of plastic covers, explains this transition: net houses for fruit trees are a significant expense for farmers. The main reason for them is protection against hail, which can destroy entire seasons of crops. Due to global warming, we’re seeing hail in many places where before it was a rare phenomenon.”

Although protection against hail is still the main reason growers decide to cover their orchards, today’s generation of plastic covers, led by Ginegar, provide significant benefits beyond protection. “The advanced ChromatiNet (colored nets) in the market today are able to change the spectrum of light so that we can influence the growth of fruit,” explains Gal. The benefits are dramatic, and include larger fruits, improved colors, and changing the time of harvest.

“We all know that fruits are more expensive in the beginning and end of the season, so farmers try to target these end points, to increase their profitability,” explains Gal. The advanced ChromatiNet product is able to delay growth and harvesting, thus extending the crop’s season and increasing profitability for growers.

Ginegar’s products target a wide variety of agricultural applications, with special emphasis on greenhouse covers, mulches, VIF films and also a range of non-agricultural applications.

We asked Gal what makes Ginegar’s product different from competitors. “Our nets are made of HDPE, and the leno nets are higher in density then common nets. The advantage this brings is greater strength and higher resistance to UV radiation, which harms the nets. Our covers are more durable and longer lasting.”

The quality of the covers is a result of many years of experience and skill in design and technology of optimal products. Ginegar supplies customers in over 60 countries on 5 continents.

Another important area of activity for Ginegar is nets protecting crops from insects in vegetables. The OptiNet product blocks penetration of insects in two ways: Insects are repelled by the screen’s optical additives, and physical protection – the fine 50 mesh screen provides a second line of protection.

OptiNet is a patented technology that integrates two methods for protection of greenhouses from thrips and other insects. The dual protection significantly reduces the number of pests entering the structure, while maintaining adequate ventilation This results in both cost savings and benefits to the environment, since less chemical pesticides are needed.

“Our R&D in conjunction with the academy, direct much of its efforts and resources to ever improve Ginegar’s products traits as well as to constantly increase the array of available solution for application and needs, helping generate bigger and growing benefits to the growers. “We are constantly investing in finding ways to tailoring products to needs, for which – I am proud to say – Giengar’s team includes professional agronomists who stay in close, professional contact with growers to bring understanding from the field and to deliver professional solutions back to the growers.

“We, at Ginegar, strongly believe that the business we are in, is in constant growing and is bound to continue so in the foreseeable future. “The growing world population, the increasing scarcity of available water and farm land, together with the ever- increasing demand for affordable food, are expected to continue driving the need for our products. These assumptions are the main drivers of our investment in R&D, machinery and products-range. “Agriculture these days” explains Moshe, “is bound to

becoming ever more intensive. Those who participate in it, strive to yield more, of better quality from smaller growing units. In this Ginegar has unique abilities, knowledge and products to contribute” Ginegar is proudly counting 45 years of experience in the field yet it still is young and vibrant. Its products are sold to and used in more than 60 countries. “We have wide geographical deployment and dominant presence in many important markets. Ginegar corporate’s base is in Kibbutz Ginegar, in the north of Israel. It possesses 3 manufacturing sites in Israel (Kibbutz Ginegar for Films, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak- for knitted products, Kibbutz Neot Mordehai – for woven products). It also has production site in Brazil (SP) for knitted and woven products. “As part of Ginegar’s quest to remain world leader not only in product quality but also in service quality, we founded 3 subsidiaries (in USA, Brazil and India) enabling us to get closer to our customers, understanding better the global trends and local needs and build commensurate availability of products and services.

“We think that service and reliability are no less important component of the quality in the eyes of the customer, than the product itself. We are constantly striving accordingly. “We stay in constant contact with greenhouses constructors, who by being in constant, direct contact with the users of our products, are among the first to identify needs to replace worn-out products (after 3-4 years of use), as well as changes in market trends or needs. Moshe continues and talk about Ginegar’s spirit of innovation. “We were the first in the world to introduce 3 layers’ films and pioneered the development and application of the 5 layers’ technology in agriculture films. The multilayers technology enables optimization of the distribution and allocation of raw-material, achieving improved mechanical and photo-selective products’ characteristics for the users’ benefit. About four year ago, Ginegar acquired the agriculture activity of Polysack of Nir Itzhak, which developed and manufactured nets for the agriculture. “To our understanding” affirms Moshe “the Agri-Nets is a complementary product perfectly suiting our idea of Covering the World with Care”