THE HEART OF AGRICULTURE

NviroTek Laboratories – Agricultural Laboratories

This independent, world-class, internationally accredited analytical laboratory was established in 2008. They opened an analytical laboratory in Brits after Dailena Pienaar was approached by a company that specialises in technical advice for farmers that are interested in a more scientific approach to farming. Nowadays more farmers realise that this approach is more cost-effective in the long run.

The entire agricultural sector benefits from using this kind of scientific information. The organisation has the support of an experienced and well-qualified team. After benchmarking against six large agricultural laboratories in North America, the design and equipment for the lab were finalised.

NviroTek provides quality analytical services to numerous roll players in the broader agricultural sector of South Africa.

In simpler terms, Dailena used the following analogy to explain: “if you take supplements for your body, you need a blood test to know what vitamins and minerals your body needs. If you consume more than your body needs, your body will reject it and it will be a waste of money, right? Analytical labs do the same but just in the context of soil, water and pesticides. These tests help you understand the needs of your farming environment. It is the best approach to deliver quality products with the right inputs and saving money on a farm.”

They come from humble beginnings in a storeroom set up on a farm outside Brits where they started with soil and growth media analyses. Then they gradually took on pesticide residues, feeds, nematodes, plant materials, water, fertilizer and lime analyses. They also specialise in organic material, hygiene monitoring, microbiology and environmental analyses.

When it was time to find a bigger premises in 2015, they could go anywhere in South Africa but chose Hartbeespoort as a location that would have the least disrupting effect on the lives of their staff.

Although NviroTek does analyses in a variety of disciplines, the time of the year that they are the busiest, is during the wintertime from May to September.  Diversification into other disciplines such as Residue and Microbiology analyses, helps to flatten the income curve throughout the year.

Looking into other areas was crucial to accommodate this seasonal down spiral in business. They are now the sole owners of Wynland Laboratories in Wellington. Wynland Laboratories is all about food security and food analyses. They make sure that the food that you consume is fit for consumption and export. Both Labs also offer a nationwide service through couriers.

In September 2018 they were granted ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation by SANAS.

When Dailena Pienaar walks into a room, you are well aware of the fact that she is a dynamic but down to earth intellectual. There is no air of self-importance or self-glorification, only gratitude. For her it is all about her team and the skills they bring to the table. She believes that without them she has nothing but years of experience.

She takes pride in the fact that they love taking on interns right out of grade 12 that are interested in maths and science.

If a matriculate showed promise after an internship, they offer bursaries in the direction they choose to focus on. A lab is not for everyone though. You need to be focused, disciplined and be able to pay close attention to detail. A passion for science is a must.

They make use of creative minds for consumer packets, marketers, administration staff surrounding lab data, IT specialists, financial management, health and safety coordinators, soil scientists, plant specialists, agronomists and then for further study you might opt for a BSC in Microbiology. There are many directions of study and expertise in the field of Agricultural Analysis.

Food and food security will always be an essential service to humans and animals. If you are interested in agriculture you cannot go wrong in focusing your future on it. This direction of study is not limited to farming.

Dailena’s advice to matriculents is to take a year off after school to do an internship in a direction they are interested in or to go work abroad. “Gather life experience and take time to learn to know yourself before you waste money on education you might never even use. Wrong choices at the beginning of your career can demotivate you and prolong your path to success.”

For more info on NviroTek’s services please visit www.nviroteklabs.co.za