Galway-based agribusiness Easyfix has announced the acquisition of a new slurry management system which dramatically lowers ammonia emissions from stored slurry.

Announcing the acquisition this week, Easyfix said it had agreed a deal to buy the Aeromix slurry management system from UK company Ameram Slurry Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

The system will be rebranded Easyfix Slurry Technology and will form a new division within the company.

Trials conducted at Wageningen University in the Netherlands show the system reduced ammonia emissions from stored slurry by more than 50%

In simple terms, the Aeromix slurry management system is a technology that is fitted inside a slurry storage tank.

The system injects air into the slurry at intermittent phases, which keeps the slurry agitated at all times and helps greatly reduce ammonia emissions from stored slurry.

Trials conducted at Wageningen University in the Netherlands show the system reduced ammonia emissions from stored slurry by more than 50% compared to normal slurry storage.

Technology

By keeping slurry agitated at all times, the technology also has significant health and safety benefits as it eliminates the need for farmers or contractors to agitate slurry before spreading.

The system also increases the nutrient value of slurry by encouraging aerobic activity when it is in storage.

Importantly, the Aeromix slurry management system is already grant-aided in Ireland and the UK.

The family business started out making rubber mats for slatted sheds

Announcing the acquisition, Easyfix managing director Michael Earls said the deal was the strategic next step in the development of the company’s animal housing product portfolio.

“We believe we can take [the Aeromix system] to the next level by leveraging our existing scale, reach and dealer network to bring Easyfix Slurry Technology to even more farmers around the world,” said Earls.

Based just outside of Ballinasloe in Co Galway, Easyfix was founded in 1996 by Michael Earls.

The family business started out making rubber mats for slatted sheds and has grown organically over the past 25 years to the point where it now employs almost 50 people and has export sales in over 60 global markets.