CLEARING FARMLAND FOR SUGAR CANE PLANTATIONS IN INDONESIA

Sumba Manis, an Indonesian company belonging to the vast Djarum Group and a leading sugar producer, has recently expanded its plantations with a move to the island of Sumba, where it has planted a full 4,000 hectares of sugar cane. Despite this significant investment, many of its agricultural operations are still carried out using traditional methods.

However, the owner, one of Indonesia’s wealthiest men, has chosen to modernize its operating procedures with the purchase of two FAE RSM/HP-225 stone crushers, which were delivered by the FAE Service Department in August 2024.

The machinery will be put to work on an important new project. The goal is to have a surface area of 24,000 hectares under cultivation on the island of Sumba by 2035.

The soil on the island of Sumba is largely rocky, requiring careful preparation before it can be planted. Existing rocks must be crushed to produce a fine substrate (particles of less than 5 cm) down to a depth of at least 30 cm.

The CEO of HPI Agro, the holding company that manages Sumba Manis, made the decision to try out FAE after witnessing a practical demonstration in Italy . Following the demo, he immediately decided to purchase the two RSMs, having deemed them the most suitable solution for the needs of the Indonesian soil and for the power of the available tractors.

So it was that the FAE Service Department team arrived in Waingapu on August 24, 2024 after a long journey from Venice, with stopovers in Doha and Bali. Once there, Service colleagues installed the new equipment on the Massey Ferguson 8730 S tractors and provided the necessary training: one session tailored specifically for a team of 15 operators, regarding the use of the machines; and another for mechanics, focusing on maintenance.

Installation began on August 26 and was completed the following morning, as was the operator training, with their first field tests conducted in the afternoon. The next day, thorough efficiency testing was carried out on the machines.

Despite their initial caution, the Indonesian workers were able to use the machines successfully after some introductory training and practical tests.

The two RSM/HP-225s proved to be the ideal tools for the tasks at hand, satisfying the customer’s requirements. With a little hands-on experience, the operators will be able to harness their full potential.

The trip was not just a productive one, but a fascinating experience too. Our collaboration with this customer, both on site and through phone consultations, continues to be a success.

So successful, in fact, that Sumba Manis has purchased new FAE models to tackle the island’s most challenging terrain.