Optimum efficiency, performance and precision are qualities that South African farmers appreciate in Komet Irrigation’s pivot sprinklers.
Farmer Hannes Schutte in Groblersdal, Mpumalanga, for instance, says that a 12% increase in yield in potato production is thanks to smaller, precision-managed pivots using Komet low-pressure sprinklers.
Schutte has seen a 60% reduction in energy use with solar-powered irrigation systems.
The Komet nozzles are perfect for pressure issues. Schutte can run fewer pumps if needed and uses significantly less energy and water – while improving crop performances.
Recently, SABI magazine had the opportunity to learn more about this innovative and high-quality focussed irrigation company from Komet Irrigation’s CEO Andree Groos.
Komet Irrigation, a family business, was established in Italy in 1952 by the visionary Roland Dreschel. The founder’s three sons subsequently built up the enterprise – with a reputation as “a definitive manufacturer’ in irrigation producing millions of components and products every year for irrigators.
In January 2025 the Dreschel brothers stepped back from their executive roles, entrusting the leadership of the group to Groos and his co-managing director Sacha Hoffmann. The new generation of leadership look to scale Komet while honouring the steadfast values trusted and highly regarded by farmers in five continents over decades. “The three brothers grew the business very carefully, with robust, sustainable products and ensuring utmost precision in all facets of the business,” says Groos.
South Africa visit
Groos recently visited South Africa, spending time with farmers in the Northern Cape and Limpopo. He visited farms in the beautiful agricultural areas of Groblersdal and Douglas amongst other areas, all long renowned for their abundance, innovation and early adoptions of precision agriculture. Naturally too these are heartlands of optimum irrigation.
Having visited South Africa before – and finding our wildlife and nature stunningly beautiful – this was the first time Groos visited our shores for business. It was interesting, and heartening, to hear his impressions of South African agriculture. Groos joined Komet last year, from an extensive background in international business leadership and engineering.
Groos says he found local farmers positive and in good spirits – a different perspective compared to how Mzansi is sometimes portrayed abroad. Productivity and innovation in South African agriculture with many farmers being A-class caretakers of the environment and leading flourishing sustainable agricultural enterprises. It is for good reason that the National Development Plan earmarks agriculture as a sector, showing growth, which is able to create new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in an economy with massive unemployment.
Groos reflects he found the experience refreshing:“The farmers are investing, they see opportunities. The farmers are looking at different crops, changing crops and investing in new crops. The farms have a large variety of crops very often; they concentrate on what they have but also want to increase their portfolios and all have plans to innovate further.”
“The farmers really care about energy saving, water saving and precision agriculture compared to some other parts of the world where farmers are not really that interested,” he observes.
“Komet puts a premium on precision and robust products, we care deeply about the sustainable practises of water and energy saving, so it was great that local farmers appreciate and are interested in what we are doing. We invest a lot of time into these aspects, from our R&D to our production and manufacture of products.”
Indeed, astute and thorough, local farmers often, during the visits to farms by the Komet team, gave detailed feedback on product performance, demonstrating their care and attention to detail within their enterprises and the land, water and energy.
The Komet CEO on his visit was happy to hear feedback on their products. It is a characteristic he enjoys which was shown by the farmers. They are interested in the farmers experiences and the needs they have on farm for their products.
“I would rather have our customers pushing us as well to go beyond and improve than say, I don’t care anyway, so I like this attitude South African farmers have.”
South Africa and Brazil
The company works with farmers around the world, and there are similarities in approach and mindset between South Africa and Brazil – indeed, this has been mentioned quite often in informal agricultural discussions recently.
The Brazilian success story in agriculture is noted by South African farmers, who are extremely internationally attuned and looking to improve and share successes. The positive energy and focus on education are two areas Andree says we share with our Brazilian compatriots. “My perception is that there is a strong emphasis on education in both countries, with people keen to broaden their knowledge,” says Andree.
Interestingly, in terms of farming, Brazil are proponents of mega projects. This is a different trend to the South African experience.
Notably, from 2020 to 2024, agricultural trade between South Africa and Brazil grew from R5,4 billion to R9,7 billion. And in September during the G20 meetings, in Somerset West, Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, and the Brazilian Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Luiz De Alcantara Rua signed a landmark Memorandum of Intent (MoI), marking a new era of cooperation in the agricultural sector.
“In Brazil, farmers are tending to cultivate very large farming projects, with mega irrigated lands, with pivots of 10, 12 and 14 spans,” Groos elaborates.
In South Africa, says Groos, due to our water and energy constraints, farmers astutely commission smaller pivots, which allow for more flexibility. Along with our “gees” (energy), of course we are known for our “’n boer maak ‘n plan” (a farmer makes a plan)! The wisdom and resilience of the farmer is legend. Indeed, the ways in which farms are harnessing renewable energy has unfolded with supersonic speed during South Africa’s years of electricity woes. (please see our feature on hydro and solar in this edition of SABI magazine too for more on this)
“Smaller pivots effectively allow farmers to concentrate energy and water on their most valuable crops,’ says Groos.
“Smaller pivots mean they can run in shorter cycles, which make them suitable for solar energy systems. I was very impressed by the logic of the farmers in scheduling and planning their pivot irrigation.”
‘The wave’ boosts, even with low pressure
Local farmers appreciating quality and durability, no doubt are drawn to Komet Irrigation’s manufacturing and service ethos with technical advice and support always close on hand. Noteworthy is that their sprinklers work with existing systems, a collaborative approach that is constructive and one we can aspire more to in South Africa.
The product lines available in South Africa are the pivot solution range: Komet Irrigation’s pivot sprinklers, regulators and end-of-system solutions.
Komet has this year launched an end-of-system solution, which is well suited for the low pressure conditions in South Africa, called “Komet Precision Wave”, designed for “unmatched water distribution beyond the end of the pivot system”.
The KPW is especially designed for the end of the pivot, and Groos says they see it as a very good solution for South African conditions. “The KPW or wave as we call it works well with very low pressure, and you do not need a booster pump at the end of the pivot. “
The KPW offers up 15m more water at the end of the pivot, meaning a lot more coverage for farmers, even with extremely low pressure.
Manufacturing in Lienz
We learn that Komet Irrigation’s headquarters and manufacturing factory is located in the Austrian town of Lienz, close by to the comforting, secure and pristine beauty of the Austrian Alps. The manufacture of the range of pivot products and big guns – used by farmers across the world – takes place in Lienz in a highly automated environment.
Interestingly, the first robotic elements were introduced at Komet Irrigation’s factory back in 1998. Komet’s state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, feature high quality materials for longevity of products and excellence in design and engineering.
Technical excellence runs through Komet. “The material used to make the pivot components is composite materials. The raw material is a special mix sourced in Europe, which ensures UV protection and durability in variant water quality scenarios on the farm,” says Groos.
The manufacture of pivot products is highly automated, while the big guns involve more manual workmanship in a different part of the factory. Komet’s R&D function is robust, with R&D being done in Austria, with a second branch of R&D for the group being built in Brazil.
While all manufacturing is done in Austria, the warehouses, says Andree, are located in the USA and Brazil, with a new one being built in Dubai. “Dubai was chosen as its locality offers the ease of serving our markets, including South Africa,” he notes.
The company has dealer networks with teams of technical salespeople serving farmers and irrigation specialists around the world, providing service and back-up directly to farmers, as is attested to in case studies.
Notably, Komet aligns with ESG criteria, complying to environmental regulations and operates sustainably. With the Austrian Alps as a picture-perfect backdrop to the company’s factory and HO, the snow in this region ensures abundant water. Indeed, Andree tells us they use hydro energy for power at the plant. “We are fortunate to have lots of water for our processes and testing, such as the testing of the big guns,” he says.
Pivot range
Reflecting the ethos of excellence in irrigation, the company also offers courses free-of-charge online from the Komet Academy. Andree says the philosophy of knowledge sharing is a characteristic rooted deep within the company’s DNA.
“The Dreschel brothers when building the company were keen to do things the right way, and from the outset invested in education about irrigation, not just training on the company’s products.”
The Komet Academy offers six streams of topics, including, for example, soil health and dealing with wheel tracks in-field. A series of specialised courses via webinars are offered once or twice a year, and these attract people from all over the world, with irrigation knowledge seekers from the US, Brazil, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa logging in. Courses are also conducted at OEM and dealer events. An app is being developed where knowledge will be available on mobile phones too.
Looking at the broader picture of irrigation worldwide and the knowledge thereof, Groos says Komet Irrigation are intent on ensuring irrigation is widely recognised as part of the solution to critical issues of food security and climate change.
Parts of Europe experienced drought this summer, with smart irrigation in domestic, landscape and agricultural settings becoming essential. It is sobering that the European Union has estimated that droughts cost the region a staggering €9 billion annually. While rainwater harvesting and careful irrigation is a norm in a South African garden, it is strange to hear friends in London arranging “new normal” watering of their apple trees as part of house sitting whilst away in France – also battling drought – over summer 2025.
Food security
Moreover, irrigation is a powerful contributor to the world food supply, emphasises Groos.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted food supplies, this is affecting African countries reliant on cheap crops from these regions. Groos says subsequently in recent years investment in food security, specifically irrigated lands has grown in countries in the MENA region, Egypt, Algeria and Iraq.
He observes that in some parts of South Africa, agriculture would not be possible without irrigation, as our food security is driven by irrigation. While in Brazil, the irrigating of soya beans has increased harvests from two to three times a year, by shortening growing periods.
Says Groos: “We view water as a precious resource. Optimum irrigation helps conserve water and energy, while being essential for feeding the world by improving quality, stabilizing yields, improving yields and adding harvest seasons. Irrigation is part of the solution.”
www.kometirrigation.com
