
Among the varieties of tree nuts, almonds are the second most consumed worldwide, second only to peanuts. Rising consumer demand for almonds and their health benefits has seen Australia’s almond industry boom. Select Harvests, Australia’s largest vertically integrated nut and health food company, recently developed a 1,400-acre almond plantation at Mendook Farm in New South Wales.
Almond trees require plenty of sun, a warm climate and a large amount of water in order to thrive and produce nuts. Water can come from precipitation or irrigation. Thus, access to water will be critical for the success of this new orchard. Working with North West Irrigation, who was the contractor on the job, Vinidex delivered over 150 kilometres of Hydro® PVC-M pressure pipe for the plantation’s water supply.
Full system compatibility
The sizes of the Vinidex Hydro® PVC-M pipes varied from 50mm to 575mm diameters. Because they are lightweight, they eased transportation and installation, and contributed to safer and healthy working conditions. Moreover, Vinidex Hydro® has full system compatibility to suit the range of customised valves and fittings used on the project.
Planting schedules
While managing the unique requirements of the project, such as the remote site location and tight time frames for delivery, North West Irrigation had to work with construction and planting schedules on the almond plantation. Vinidex was able to assist in the process by providing reliable and quality PVC pressure pipes that exceeded the customer’s expectations.