New Patriot 250 Extreme sprayer and Puma 185 ROPS tractor launched into Kenyan market with live demonstrations
Case IH, the global agricultural equipment leader, and its distributor for Kenya and Uganda, Toyota Tsusho East Africa, played a major role at Farm-Tech Expo Kenya on 12-13 September 2018 by launching two new products, giving live equipment demonstrations, and supporting the event as a Gold Sponsor. Case IH chose the two-day event, held in the grounds of the Dairy Research Institute in Naivasha, to give the first Kenyan showing of its new Patriot 250 Extreme self-propelled sprayer and new Puma 185 ROPS tractor. During the show, the team hosted several high-profile representatives of Kenyan agriculture, including Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri, the country’s cabinet secretary, ministry of agriculture.
This year’s Farm-Tech Expo featured more than 90 exhibitors’ stands, machinery and equipment demonstrations, a livestock zone, live crop trials, and workshops focusing on regional plans for agricultural development. The annual event is strategically important to agricultural businesses at an international level because Kenya is a regional hub for East Africa, and assumed greater importance this year at a domestic level because food security is one of the pillars of President Kenyatta’s new ‘Big Four’ agenda.
Making African farm-work easier and more productive
The Patriot 250 Extreme sprayer is the new entry-level option in the four-model Patriot range, giving farmers an easier step-up from tractor-pulled sprayers to self-propelled sprayers. All Patriots have the most advanced spray technology on the market, to help farmers maximise yield potential by keeping fields clean and plants healthy. The Patriot’s design makes spraying fast, accurate and easy to apply.
The Patriot’s distinctive cab-forward and rear-engine layout contributes to best-in-class performance by placing the static weight of the cab and engine over the front and rear axles, with the dynamic weight of the chemical tank located in the centre of the machine. This means there is more equal weight distribution between the axles when the tank is full and the booms are out, benefiting stability and comfort and reducing rutting and soil compaction. The long reach of the booms, with a total span of 27 metres, allows for fewer passes and a greater sprayed area, resulting in higher crop yield, reduced component wear, and lower fuel consumption.
The Puma 185 ROPS tractor, which produces 197 hp and 760 Nm of torque, was introduced in response to demand for more powerful multipurpose tractors with an open deck, a canopy, and a rollover protective structure (ROPS). Capable of performing light and heavy tasks in a wide range of applications, the new Puma is expected to go into service across Africa and the Middle East in haulage, cultivation, seeding, crop protection, and heavy draft operations.
The Puma 185 ROPS is powered by a 6.75-litre six-cylinder FPT Industrial engine, with turbocharging and intercooling, and drives through a 15x12 synchronised mechanical transmission designed for minimal power losses. Through the PTO (power take off) system, the Puma can efficiently operate large implements. It has a real lift capacity of 6,475 kg.
Ian Allen, General Manager of Toyota Tsusho East Africa – Agri Mechanisation Dept commented: “Farm-Tech Expo is a great platform for Case IH to showcase the equipment that can help Kenyan farmers increase productivity and gain a great return on investment. The Patriot 250 Extreme is a new way into self-propelled sprayers which is easy to use and easy to maintain, with the low running costs that many Kenyan farmers are looking for. The Puma 185 ROPS tractor is ideal for farmers who need multipurpose tractors in the medium horsepower range with a perfect balance between power and weight.”
Case IH gave live demonstrations of both the Puma 185 ROPS and the Patriot 250 Extreme at Farm-Tech Expo. Visitors could also see in action a Puma 185 tractor with the AFS AccuGuide™ Autoguidence system. This enables year-to-year repeatable accuracy to reduce skips and overlaps, minimising waste of fuel, seed, fertilizers and chemicals.
Another tractor, a Farmall 90 JXM, was demonstrated with a reversible plough, and Case IH’s static displays featured four more tractors: a Farmall 80 JXM; 55 hp and 75 hp JXT utility tractors, which are available in both two and four-wheel-drive and are perfect for small farms; and the mid-range Maxxum 125, a model with just the right level of technology to meet modern-day demands.
