HARDI announces expansion and innovation plans for Australia
Sprayer plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Australia, hence creating more jobsBased in Cavan, South Australia, HARDI has been manufacturing sprayers for the local market since 1997.
Following a meeting with its parent company, EXEL Industries in France in July this year, HARDI Australia has announced a four-step expansion plan for the local market.
At the AgQuip 2023 field days, the company had its new Saritor 7000 Mallee self-propelled sprayer on display featuring a range of upgrades including a new operator experience, improved hydraulics, upgraded fluid system and more.
Farmmachinerysales.com.au also caught up with HARDI Australia CEO, Bill Franklin, to understand the company’s ambitious future plans.
Centre of Excellence
One of the biggest and most ambitious steps in HARDI Australia’s expansion plan includes establishing a Centre of Excellence at its existing headquarters in South Australia, to enable the development, design and manufacturing of self-propelled sprayers from the ground up.
“EXEL acknowledges that Australia is its single biggest agricultural equipment market and wants to ensure through local development that the range of sprayers it's able to offer are appropriate for the market,” Franklin explained.
“EXEL agrees with HARDI and sees that local development and local design is very important to keep HARDI growing in this market.
“It's a good news story for Australia as it's additional employment for South Australia. It's a good news story for Australian farmers because we're designing and will be able to support a product that is specifically developed for Australia.”
New and improved Rubicon
As part of the plan to establish a Center of Excellence here in Australia, HARDI plans to launch a couple of new, self-designed and developed self-propelled sprayer models as well as a new and improved Rubicon self-propelled sprayer over the next five years.
To date, the Rubicon remains HARDI’s flagship sprayer and one of the largest self-propelled sprayer models on the market with its 9000-litre tank.
“Even though the Saritor Mallee 7000 is new, we'll have a successor to Saritor in that period as well,” Franklin said.
Distribution of Apache sprayers
HARDI Australia will also become the Australian distributor for EXEL owned brand Apache, manufactured by ET Works in the USA. This move will provide HARDI with a competitively priced, mechanical drive sprayer with approximately 4500-litre capacity.
“It is popular because it's a very simple machine with a mechanical drive rather than hydrostatic drive,” Franklin said.
“The machine has been in Australia for many years and has established a great reputation for its simplicity here in Australia.”
Bringing GeoSelect to the world
GeoSelect is an innovative spot spraying technology developed right here in Australia by HARDI's team that utilises spatial data obtained through drones, manned aircraft or satellite to identify the exact location of weeds in a farmer’s paddock.
The data is fed into the system and with the help of GNSS Antennas mounted along the sprayer boom, particular nozzles along the boom are activated to spot spray the weed on the ground.
“EXEL has also given us investment to accelerate the global development of the GeoSelect selective spraying system,” Franklin said.
“So that technology now, which was developed wholly in Adelaide, is going to be rolled out globally on an accelerated basis.
“Australian farmers should be very proud that this cutting edge, ahead-of-the curve technology has been developed locally. We look forward to rolling this wonderful product out globally over the next two to three years.
“Looking ahead, it looks to be a busy and challenging but rewarding time for the team at HARDI Australia.”
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