A NEWLY launched rainfall enhancement device which claims to boost rainfall by 10 per cent was on show at the 2017 Southern Dirt Techspo in Katanning last week.
The Raingen rainmaker was launched in Gunnedah, New South Wales, last month after 10 years in development by chief executive officer Jay Harrison.
Measuring about just under 10 metres high and 10 metres wide, Mr Harrison carted the technology across the Nullabor to show growers the device he believes will help those in grain growing regions of WA receive greater rainfall.
Mr Harrison said the device used technology dating back to the 1960s to increase the net precipitation in an area on a 60 degree angle and downwind up to 90 kilometres.
He said double blind trials carried out over the past six years in South Australia and Oman had proven the device increased rain by at least 10pc.
“It’s an iodisation device, it won’t make rain out of blue skies, but you can prove that if it’s raining it makes it rain more,” Mr Harrison said.
The Raingen chief executive said he had been met with much scepticism by farmers across the country, but hoped trial results would help convince growers that the device worked.
“It’s a difficult thing for an Australian farmer to accept, even with all of the science,” Mr Harrison said.
“He’d rather I sold one to his neighbour and then he’ll talk to him in a year’s time, but I love the scepticism.
“All we can do is put it out there.”
