Ballet Fruit from Herk-de-Stad, a producer of apples and pears, has purchased three large mobile night frost control machines to enhance harvest security. "We have experienced frequent frosts during the flowering period in recent years. The lower-lying plots, in particular, suffer the most. That is why we invested in these large wind machines," explains Stijn Ballet.
100 hectares
The Flemish company cultivates approximately 60 hectares of Conference pears and around 40 hectares of Jonagold and Golden Delicious apples. "We observed good results with FrostFans' wind machines at neighboring growers, particularly in cherry orchards. However, we also see great potential for our top fruit," says Stijn.
The wind machines, model 650, will be delivered in the coming weeks and will be installed on a large 15-hectare plot, among others. "Our neighbor was a first FrostFans customer with two wind machines. From the measurements taken around his machines, we have seen that they positively impact temperature, thereby improving both yield and fruit quality," Stijn explains.
The decision to invest in these machines was therefore an easy one. "You never know exactly when you will need them, as it all depends on how cold it gets, but this must be evaluated over the long term. A single cold night can cause massive financial losses in a season when apple prices are high. We want to mitigate that risk, and with these machines, we hope to ensure a more secure harvest in the future.
We cannot irrigate, so wind machines are an interesting alternative," Stijn continues. The investment is well worth it to him. "I plan to continue growing fruit for the next 20 years, and I don't believe we will have many frost-free flowering seasons. If we use the machines for that long, we will have recovered our investment anyway."
Swift International has been active in the frost protection market for five years and has observed a substantial increase in both risk and sales throughout Europe. "It took some time to convince growers of the effectiveness of this technology, but interest has risen significantly in recent years," says Ernst Slabbekoorn. The mobile night frost control machine operates on an old principle, whereby warm air is drawn down from the inversion layer and mixed with the cold air at ground level.
The FrostFans night frost protection machines feature an automatic start/stop system, a direct drive for reduced power consumption, and a fan enclosure that significantly lowers noise levels. Swift International still has machines in stock for immediate delivery.
For more information
Ernst Slabbekoorn
Swift International
(Import, distribution, sales)
+31644138650 (WhatsApp)
sales@frostfans.eu
www.frostfans.eu