Angolan coffee growers now have access to a world-leading coffee harvesting machine thanks to the availability of the Case IH Coffee Express 200 Multi harvester.
Thirty-five farmers from coffee growing regions in Angola, as well as five farmers from Ethiopia, recently attended the launch of Case IH’s internationally accomplished self-propelled coffee harvester at Vissolela Farm in Quibala, situated in Cuanza Sul province in the subtropical highlands of central Angola.
Coffee Express harvesters have been manufactured by Case IH for many years, and are well-proven in other markets around the world, such as in Central and South America. Two coffee harvester specialists from CNH Industrial Brazil, Andre Pavan and Paulo Paschoa, attended the event and provided support during the presentation and demonstration of the machine.
Gentle handling
During the demonstration farmers were particularly impressed by the gentle handling and low defoliation of the plants throughout the high performance harvesting operation. Minimal losses and the outstanding quality of the cherries picked also earned the growers’ admiration.
The brand’s coffee harvesting equipment employs a professional bean harvesting technology. Its unique system also provides greater versatility, giving the producer the option to do selective or full harvesting. Equipped with a fuel-efficient engine and easy maintenance, Case IH harvesters benefit from reduced operating costs, increasing the producer’s productivity and profitability.
The machines incorporate a pair of vertical rollers, revolving at up to 0.5 turns/minute, which are fitted with nylon fingers to gently remove the coffee cherries, minimising the risk of plant damage. The rollers are fitted with 1,248 fingers which are 576mm long and 480 fingers which are 520mm long, a blend that provides the best levels of harvesting performance and minimum crop and plant damage. As well as rotating, they vibrate to gently loosen the cherries, with an innovative hydraulic brake system allowing the level of vibration to be altered on the move. The distance between the two rollers can be adjusted by 80mm according to plant size and plant age.
Retractable ‘fishplates’ at the base of the rollers allow the base of each bush to pass gently but firmly through the machine, and gather the cherries for transfer, before horizontal augers equipped with adjustable-speed leaf fans transfer them, via vertical chain-and-flight conveyors, either directly to the unloading conveyor or via an optional 2,000-litre storage hopper, which means a tractor and trailer does not always have to be present and stopping is unnecessary.
Powerful engine
The self-propelled Coffee Express 200 is powered by the new 3-cylinder FPT S8000 TIER 3 engine producing 75hp (56 kW), supplied by a 75-litre diesel tank.
Coffee Express 200 operators benefit from an air-conditioned cab that also features an adjustable-position steering column and a fully adjustable comfort seat. Key machine operations are easily conducted via a multi-function joystick on the operator’s right.
According to Enio Miranda, General Manager of the host farm in Quibala, world class mechanization has become a necessity in the highly competitive worldwide coffee production industry. The Case IH Coffee Express 200 Multi harvester ensures swift, efficient harvesting and contributes to more accurate and reliable results.
As guests of Case IH, the Ethiopian delegation of five farmers also visited the nearby Novagrolider Farm, where the owner, Jose Macedo, hosted the group and showed them his entire production process from the nursery phase to preparing the final product for export.
Yonas Kebede Megersa, farmer and coffee consultant in Ethiopia said: “The Case IH network for service and parts sets the CE 200 Multi apart from its competitors. As Case IH is the only supplier with a capillary network of service points and spare parts depot in the proximity makes me feel I can go through an entire season of harvesting no matters what may eventually happen to the machine. This gives me peace of mind, knowing I can always deliver on promises to my customers too”.
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