Machinery & Equipment

Zoomlion's participation is part of a broader Hunan business delegation.

Hunan-based heavy equipment manufacturer, Zoomlion, exhibited six machines at the 61st Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) in Mozambique

The Chinese agricultural machinery manufacturer aims to widen reach in the southern African country by technically equipping Mozambican farmers through local partnerships.

Jacinto Almeida, the company's Mozambican representative who was present at the exhibition venue said that they mainly represent agricultural machinery. "The idea, in the end, is to bring technology to Mozambique at a competitive price, a price that small producers, communities and large producers can afford," he said. 

Almeida said the company's ambition extends beyond equipment sales to supporting broader agricultural mechanisation in Mozambique.

"We are here representing Zoomlion, but with the final intention of bringing the business to Mozambique and bringing technology to agriculture in Mozambique," he said, while speaking of the company's ambitions to collaborate with local farmers, offering broad ranged agricultural solutions.

Zoomlion's participation is part of a broader Hunan business delegation organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Hunan Sub-council, bringing about 13 companies to FACIM for the first time.

Amy Zheng, representing CCPIT Hunan, said the participating companies cover sectors including agriculture, medicine and construction, with many showing strong interest in the Mozambican market.

The participation, she added, provides an opportunity to deepen economic and trade ties between China and Mozambique.

The plant in Congo assembles models of 75 and 130 horsepower.

YTO’s agricultural equipment assembly plant in the Republic of the Congo has released the first batch of locally assembled YTO tractors, ready for delivery to local customers

President Denis Sassou Nguesso endorsed the tractors following machinery inspection and test driving. This political visibility gave YTO an edge over usual launches, boosting its singinficance in the local agricultural mechanisation market, which is heavily interlinked with national food production and rural development programmes. 

The plant in Congo assembles models of 75 and 130 horsepower.

YTO has an already established presence in Ivory Coast since 1992. In a bold move to solidify hold over the broader African agricultural market, the Chinese company has for the first time locally assembled the models in its Congo plant. 

Unlike conventionally finished machine exports, the strong foundation of local parts inventories improves after-sales services. It reduces transportation costs while hastening supply and logistics for the manufacturers, giving them fast access to government and agricultural projects. 

This move addresses the need for easy access to parts availability and service response in the agricultural machinery sector, which often operates in isolation from established dealer networks. YTO capitalises this untapped space, offering critical support to long-term equipment utilisation.

It is also good exposure in technician training for the local workforce, which is part of YTO’s wider strategy of advancing localisation in overseas markets, diversifying shipment sources beyond China. 

The range is purpose-built for mixed farming operations. (Image source: New Holland)

Farmers are required to attend multiple tasks of varied nature throughout the day, which can get challenging without technical support

Keeping this in mind, New Holland has designed the T7 Standard Wheelbase tractor range, which can be used across operations from loader work and livestock activities to hay production, transport or paddock applications. 

Purpose-built for mixed farming operations, these compact-dimensioned tractors are versatile enough to suit everyday farm tasks even when maintaining the performance, comfort and technology that are usually offered by large-scale vehicles.

"Mixed farming businesses need tractors that can handle a range of jobs across the day," said Seamus McCarthy, New Holland's product manager.

"The new T7 Standard Wheelbase delivers more lifting capacity, greater carrying capacity and a tighter turning circle, giving operators more flexibility without sacrificing manoeuvrability." 

The T7 Standard Wheelbase is a refurbished range with a new front axle and front-end architecture, reducing the turning circle by 20 per cent compared with the previous generation. This is a marked improvement of manoeuvrability in yards, sheds, feedlots and headlands, allowing flexibility in confined spaces and around the farm.

New Holland has deployed for the range its latest transmission technology, including the new three-range Auto Command CVT, delivering up to 10 per cent greater operating efficiency. The Dynamic Command transmission, on the other hand, is designed to optimise power transfer and productivity across a range of applications.

Operating capacity has increased significantly, with maximum permissible gross vehicle mass rising 17 per cent to 13,500kg and rear linkage lift capacity increasing 20 per cent to 7,450kg at 610mm behind the ball ends. The upgraded platform also delivers a payload capacity of 5.5 tonnes, providing greater flexibility when handling larger implements and heavier loads.

"We've increased both the lifting and carrying capability of the machine, while maintaining the compact dimensions and manoeuvrability that have made the Standard Wheelbase platform so popular," McCarthy said.

"That gives operators more flexibility across a broader range of jobs without sacrificing ease of operation."

In terms of comfort, cab noise has reduced from 71dBA to 68dBA and a new 270-degree front windscreen wiper now provides a 64 per cent increase in coverage compared with the previous generation.

The new Horizon cab features New Holland's latest SideWinder armrest, integrated connectivity and access to the FieldOps platform, enabling operators to manage machine and agronomic data from a single system. ISOBUS compatibility and precision farming technology further support productivity and decision-making across the farm.

The T7 Standard Wheelbase are available in T7.190, T7.210 and T7.225 models.

The C1450T is built to increase capacity. (Image source: John Deere)

Farmers can now target larger acres between refills with John Deere’s latest air cart version with boosted capacity option, the C1450T

This comes as an expansion of the global agricultural equipment manufacturer’s C-Series air cart offerings. The new air cart is a combination of all the features in the previous versions and much more, including corrosion-resistant AccuRate meters, EZCal calibration system and precision ag technology. The solution makes sure to improve farmer productivity. In addition, the cart is seamlessly integrated into the John Deere Operations Center, so that farmers can achieve maximum operational efficiency.

“Seeding windows continue to get tighter, and farmers are looking for ways to cover more ground without adding complexity,” said Benjamin Zelle, who is the marketing manager for seeders and planters in John Deere.

“The C1450T is built to help them scale their operation with increased capacity, so they can stay productive and make the most of every available hour in the field.”

John Deere's EZCal system of the C-Series carts come with a push-button calibration system that is faster and more efficient than older, manual bag calibration systems, eliminating the need to crawl under the cart to calibrate while also decreasing the back-and-forth steps to complete this task.

“The C1450T combines increased capacity with the precision technologies farmers depend on every day,” Zelle said.

“Features like the ActiveCal system give operators real-time visibility into product levels and application performance, helping them make in-field adjustments and maintain accuracy without slowing down.”