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Case IH harvesters boost sugarcane production for Gunung Madu Plantation in Indonesia

Release Date: 01 Nov 2017
PT Gunung Madu Plantation (GMP) in Indonesia with a Case IH Austoft® 8800 Cane Harvester
Delivery of two Case IH Austoft® 8800 Series sugarcane harvesters to increase sugar output

Leading Indonesian sugarcane producer PT Gunung Madu Plantation (GMP) has recognised the potential productivity of Case IH sugarcane harvesters, with the purchase of two Case IH Austoft 8800 Series machines. GMP has been a customer of Case IH dealer PT Altrak 1978 for many years, operating an extensive fleet of tractors from Case IH sister brand, New Holland Agriculture. The confidence in both the dealer and the brand to deliver appropriate and maintain effective machinery solutions, along with changing requirements at the plantation and the need to boost productivity, have led to the supply of the Case IH sugarcane harvesters.

Established in 1975 in Lampung, Indonesia, GMP has a sugarcane plantation and sugar mill in Gunung Batin village, 90km north of the South Sumatran capital Bandar Lampung. The company manages a total land area of 35,000ha, of which 25,000ha is dedicated to sugarcane production. In addition, the company works in partnership with local smallholders, to produce a further 3,000ha of sugarcane.

Average annual production from the plantation is 190,000 tonnes of sugar, with sugar quality regulated by the Indonesian Sugar Plantation Research Centre. With harvesting and milling taking place between April and October, the mill capacity was originally set at 4,000 tonnes of cane per day in 1978. However, with continual investment in new technologies and improved automation, the operation has been expanded and updated, meeting a capacity of 12,000 tonnes of cane per day in 1994 and a capacity of 18,000 tonnes of cane per day in 2017, becoming the biggest capacity sugar mill in Indonesia. With the introduction of the two Case IH 8800 sugarcane harvesters to the current fleet, the company is planning to further increase production, to meet higher levels of demand.

To meet our growth and capacity ambitions we recognised that we required more productive machinery and the Case IH Austoft 8800 sugarcane harvesters have the potential to meet our needs,” said Heri Purwoko, GMP’s Transport & Field Engineering Head Division.

Over the years we have become familiar with the quality and durability of the New Holland tractors, and we have been very impressed with the performance and the strength of the Case IH sugarcane harvesters. We employ more than 2,000 workers and up to 6,000 seasonal workers at the plantation. A combination of these highly skilled and dedicated people, working with increasingly productive machinery will help us to achieve our capacity goals.

As a major employer within the Lampung province, GMP has invested heavily in social welfare and environmental management. The company has built 1,700 houses for its employees, along with accommodation for seasonal staff. It also provides community facilities such as hospitals, schools, mosques and churches, sports venues, shops and a marketplace. GMP also provides customised credit schemes through local banks to assist employees with the purchase of their own homes.

The sugarcane business is crucial to the success of the Indonesian agricultural sector with industry estimates that national demand will reach 5.7million tonnes this year,” said I Gde Darmayoga, GMP’s Head of Plantation Department.

We have worked hard for many years to develop our plantation, despite difficult soil conditions in some areas. Demand for sugar is always increasing and we need to be able to guarantee our supply of high quality sugar. With the new Case IH sugarcane harvesters we plan a highly significant increase of the capacity of our plantation and our mills, which will benefit our entire community.

Harvesting sugarcane is a tough business and there are fewer people willing to work in the harvesting fields. This means that manufacturers like Case IH are critical to maintaining and increasing the productivity achieved by our customers,” said Dedy Panca, Senior Manager from Distributor PT Altrak 1978.

We are very proud that Gunung Madu Plantation has chosen the proven superior performance and durability of the Case IH Austoft 8800 sugarcane harvesters. By increasing mechanisation with productivity of the machinery, we can help to make life easier for the workers in the field, while boosting capacity for our customers.

Over almost 40 years, PT Altrak 1978 has established a leading position in the market, building a strong relationship with its Indonesian customers. Today it operates from 34 branches across Indonesia, including Lampung province, from where the experienced and continued trained after-sales team, supported by modern IT systems and a well-stocked parts warehouse, provide fast and efficient service support to their customers.

175 years of agricultural leadership and 50 years of sugarcane experience
The Case IH Austoft 8800 sugarcane harvester is the culmination of 50 years of knowledge and expertise in the field of mechanised sugarcane harvesting. They are equipped with tracks for maximum stability on rough terrain. The low ground pressure tracks significantly reduce soil compaction and crop damage, and also make it easier to carry out tillage operations once the sugarcane has been harvested.

The Austoft 8800 Series machine is powered by a 358hp (260kW) Case IH C9 diesel engine with Smart Cruise, which can save up to 26% in fuel consumption. The maximum operator control drives through a variable speed hydrostatic transmission. The Austoft cane harvester features the Anti-Vortex System, a cleaning system designed and developed by Case IH. This is the most modern and efficient cleaning system, it reduces extraneous matter and cane loss and dramatically improves the load density for transport, which lowers operating costs. Factory-fitted GPS and an on-board data logger allow customers to monitor and record various georeferenced parameters and create analytical reports and maps to improve productivity. The Austoft 8800 harvester also features the optional Case IH AFS Guide cruise control system that increases day and night operational performance and helps to increase sugarcane ratoon longevity.

Jakarta, November 2017
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