TRACKED MECHANICAL HARVESTERS INTRODUCED AT KILOMBERO IN TANZANIA

Unitrans is set to deploy two mechanical harvesters at the Kilombero Sugar Company estate in Tanzania.  The tracked units, which are of Australian design and are part of a Unitrans investment of some R18 million, will perform better in damp conditions than the typical wheeled harvesters. Tracked infield vehicles also cause significantly less soil compaction than similar wheeled vehicles.  The equipment investment at Kilombero, where Illovo Sugar has a 55% shareholding, includes tractor haul-out units which will haul the cut cane from the mechanical harvesters to field edge and specialised line haul units to get the cane to the mill efficiently.

Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture General Manager – Africa Guy Prinsloo says positive results are anticipated. “Under our Kilombero Transport Manager Jeremy Black’s supervision, training is underway for the cane season which starts in June. Volumes of cane cut are expected to be 120 000 tons per machine per season. The balance of the targeted 770 000 tons for the 2008-2009 season will be cut manually and transported by the existing Unitrans fleet which has played a key role in estate logistics since 2000.”

At times during the long cane harvesting season, which runs from late May to February, some of the workers leave the estate to tend their own lands. The mechanical harvesters, which are equipped with advanced cutting technology, are being introduced to offset labour shortages and to provide wet weather operations capability.  It is anticipated that additional units may be added to the fleet in future. 

Prinsloo says the close working relationship Unitrans enjoys with estate personnel has been a key factor in the success of the ongoing logistics and agricultural services. “We supply a considerable range of services to Illovo – Kilombero, from haulage to GPS-based ridging, laser excavator work and land preparation. The great trust which Kilombero management has put in Jeremy and all the Unitrans staff to achieve many goals in sometimes very wet and difficult conditions is appreciated. Unitrans has a long history at Kilombero going back to when we purchased and refurbished an existing fleet.  This year we look forward to strengthening our relationship on a revised ‘open book’ basis. As we anticipate this season and the new mechanised harvesting operations, we wish Illovo – Kilombero well for the future with their own various improvement strategies.”

Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture General Manager – Africa Guy Prinsloo who oversees the cluster’s operations in African countries beyond South Africa/Swaziland.

Utilising his mechanical harvesting experience, Unitrans Sugar and Agriculture Kilombero Transport Manager Jeremy Black is supervising the introduction of the new tracked units at Kilombero.