REGINA – Plastic or stainless steel? The question may be posed to farmers when they buy their pesticides in the near future.
At least that is what people at Black Forest Marketing in Greenville, South Carolina, believe.
Black Forest produces stainless steel tanks, or kegs, for closed loop systems, such as beer and industrial chemicals. The tanks are popular in some areas of American agriculture and their use is spreading west into the Dakotas and into Montana, according to Tom Leftwich.
“It’s often a cultural question of what farmers are used to using. The current technology is plastic for many. But even triple rinsing is being questioned for its effectiveness with plastic. With steel the cleanout doesn’t leave any residue,” he said.
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Stainless kegs rely on air pressure to dispense the chemical. In most sprayer systems set up for their use, the producer does not come into contact with the pesticide because mixing takes place without the pouring phase or even handling of an open or punctured jug,” Leftwich said.
The kegs are available from 56 to 832 litres.
“It will be something that farmers and retailers ask for and the companies that make or do the bulk distribution will need to act on to bring this into the western Canadian marketplace,” he said.
Typically the tanks are owned or leased by distributors. For more information, phone 864-282-2302 or visit www.blackforestmktg.com
