Lemken has agreed a deal to acquire Equalizer, a South African manufacturer of high-capacity direct drills.

These include tine-based low-disturbance models from 4.5m to 24m wide, disc coulter variants from 7.3m to 12.2m, and a range of precision planters with up to 36 rows.

See also: Ultimate Guide to buying a direct disc drill 2023

“There is no overlap in our portfolios,” says the German firm’s chief executive, Anthony van der Ley.

“Equalizer offers solutions for customers and markets that Lemken has not been able to serve so far […] and the planters and seeders – also in combination with air carts – close a current gap in our product range.”

Of particular appeal to Lemken is the prospect of fitting the staggered twin-row DeltaRow drilling system, which features on its Azurit maize drills, in place of Equalizer’s single-row setup.

The company was founded in 2000 by farmer Gideon Schreuder and employs 180 staff, most of which work at its base in Cape Town.

It claims to be the biggest seller of precision seeders in its home market and has also established export routes to Australia, Romania and Ukraine.

It will remain an independent subsidiary of Lemken.