news


Jain purchases two US micro-irrigation firms


Jain Irrigation Systems of India has acquired a majority stake in two US-based micro-irriga- tion companies. The two companies – Agri-


Valley Irrigation (AVI) and Irrigation Design and Con- struction (IDC) – are to merge into a newly formed distribu- tion company. Between them, they have 13 locations in California, and employ more than 225 people – and had combined sales of around US$113m last year. No government or regula-


tory approvals are required, and the transaction is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. Jain is already a major player in the US micro irrigation market through its wholly owned subsidiary Jain Irrigation Inc (JII), headquar- tered in Fresno, California. Anil Jain, CEO of Jain


Irrigation Systems, said: “We are delighted to invest and participate in such an industry changing and strategic partnership. With the newly formed company, we’ll be able to deliver leading agriculture technology irrigation solutions from our recent investments.” The deal follows Jain’s


recent takeover of Observant, an Australian company that specialises in hardware and cloud based applications for precision farm water manage- ment. l Jain says that it recently secured “India’s largest micro-irrigation project” by winning a R5.6bn (US$90m) bidding process. The order, for the Poorigali


Integrated micro-irrigation project in Karnataka, will cover more than 25,000 acres of farmland – and aims to boost


water use efficiency (WUE) as high as 85%. The project involves lifting


water from the river Cauvery and conveying it to the end user-farmer via a closed conveyance piping system, saving water loss due to evaporation and percolation. Earlier, the company won


an order for nearly R2bn (US$31m), to supply a micro-irrigation network to the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP) in Rajasthan. The project covers more than 100,000 acres and will help around 15,000 farmers across 20 villages. The project, which aims to


transform desert waste land into agriculturally productive land, aims to improve water use efficiency (WUE) from 30% to more than 60%. ❙ www.jains.com


Proposed new PEX standard


ASTM is currently develop- ing a proposed standard for PEX compression sleeves. The standard, called WK58343, would help to support fittings and sleeves for PEX piping systems that are used at high pressures and temperatures. The new cold-expansion fittings and PEX compres- sion sleeves are suitable for commercial and residential potable water and heating applications – including sealed central heating and cooling. The proposed standard


could be used by manufac- turers of polymer and lead-free brass fittings for PEX tubing according to F876. Regulatory bodies could use the standard when specifying new fittings. ❙ www.astm.org


Medical Tubing event attracts leading players


Leading manufacturers of medical devices will converge on Cologne next month for Europe’s first conference focused on medical tubing. Organised by AMI and supported by Pipe and Profile Extrusion magazine, the Medical Tubing 2017 event is


being held on 6-7 June at the Maritim Hotel, Cologne. Expert speakers will discuss the latest trends and develop- ments in design, materials, production and applications in this dynamic market. International manufacturers of


medical tubing and devices that have already signed up to attend include Ameco, Asahi Intecc, B. Braun, Balton, Ella-CS, Ivascular, Nolato Meditor, Optinova, Philips Medisize,


Expert speakers will discuss trends and developments in the market


8 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | May 2017 Primo, Raumedic, Saint-Gobain


Performance Plastics, Shanghai MicroPort, Smiths Medical, Tekni-Plex, TIK, and Vistamed.


In addition to a packed programme of


high-level presentations, the event will also boast an exhibition area featuring more than 20 leading suppliers of polymers, additives, compounds and processing machinery for the medical tubing industry. These exhibitors will be highlighting their latest developments in the large networking area used for registration, refreshment breaks and the evening drinks reception. For more information about participat- ing in Medical Tubing 2017 as a delegate, exhibitor or sponsor, contact the confer- ence organiser Kaja-Marie Beiswanger (kmb@amiplastics.com) on +44 117 314 8111. Alternatively, download the confer- ence brochure at: http://bit.ly/Tubing17


www.pipeandprofile.com


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