Case IH customers from African markets experienced first-hand the Austoft Series sugarcane harvesters and AFS Guidance systems, and learned about the most advanced and sustainable cane growing practices Australia is known for.
Case IH organized a workshop for its key sugar cane customers from Africa and the Middle East. The event took place in Australia, one of the world’s most efficient and innovative producers and exporters of sugar recognized around the world for cutting edge technology and sustainable cane growing.
The participants visited various growing areas in the country to view different conditions and approaches to farming. They were able to see how Case IH is helping innovation leaders as the partner of choice for progressive sugar growers.
The workshop began in Townsville, an important sugar-growing district, with an introduction of the Austoft sugarcane harvesters and an overview of the Australian sugar industry. The participants were taken on field visits to see seed cane harvesting, planting operations and land preparation, where they were able to see first hand the Case IH AFS Guidance system at work.
The tour continued with a visit to the Sugar Research Australia Plant Breeding facility to discuss plant breeding and variety selection. To supplement the information presented at the research facility, the brand also organized a trip to a local mixed sugar and vegetable farm in Cairns. This city developed a railhead and major port to service the agricultural market of the Atherton Tableland region – including sugarcane export.
After a day in the Atherton Tablelands, the Sugar Camp 2016 moved to Sydney, where Case IH Australian team welcomed the African and Middle East customers, who shared ideas and experiences from their own regional industries.
“The Sugar Camp 2016 was a great opportunity for our customers to share information about the performance, productivity and the know-how of Case IH and, most importantly, to discover the power and unique solutions that the brand has to offer,” says Daniel Bordabossana, Case IH Marketing Manager for Africa and the Middle East.
Conrad King, Managing Director of CLM Civil Contractors Limited, was enthusiastic about the event: “It was a fantastic event. I really enjoyed learning about the differences between the Australian sugarcane approach and the African one. In Africa all planting and harvesting operations are done by hand while in Australia they do not use any labor. Only mechanization. I believe that in the next 5 to 10 years, Africa will have to invest in mechanization process if we want to remain competitive.”
CLM Civil Contractors are loyal Case IH customers and run their contracting operations in Mozambique with a fleet of 9 Steiger, 4 Magnum and a number of smaller horsepower Case IH tractors. Recently they have been contracted to do the field preparation for planting in the 15,000 ha Xinavane Sugar Estate, owned by Tongaat Hulett Açúcar Limitada and in Sena Sugar, part of Tereos, also 15,000 ha.
“The benefits of Case IH tractors are clear,” explains Conrad King. “They are price competitive, extremely reliable and outperform tractors from other competitors. Besides this, we get really good after-sales service.”