Friday, 14 September 2018 10:09

Lemken buys an eye to the future

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The German cultivation and seeding specialist Lemken has bought the Dutch company Skeketee – part of its plan to promote mechanical weeding, given the pressure growing on the use of weedkillers.

Lemken managing director Anthony van der Ley comments, “the acceptance of chemical crop care agents is decreasing among farmers and the broader society”. 

“There are also issues with resistance to currently available chemicals… besides the growing problem of ever-tightening regulation of product use.”

Skeketee, founded in 1936, is best known for its mechanical weed control gear, camera-assisted machine control, and its Rumpstad cultivation division that produces front-mounted, swing-over furrow presses and ploughs. 

The proprietary camera technology allows operators to precisely remove weeds from between rows and plants, providing a good alternative to chemical spraying.

Lemken employs about 50 staff at its Stad aan’t Haringvliet base. 

It will retain existing staff and expanding existing production facilities.

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