When AGCO Africa launched the Fendt IDEAL range last year, well-known Sasolburg farmer Tharina Terblanche knew this was the combine harvester she had always been looking for. The range sets a new benchmark as it was developed from the ground up. Special attention was paid to efficiency, grain and straw quality, reliability, and user-friendliness, in addition to revolutionary sensor technology for optimal machine setting.
When new combine harvesters had to be purchased, Tharina’s heart immediately pointed to the new range and her experience with the IDEAL reveal event in Wesselsbron she attended with Frans Cronjé, Regional Sales manager for Fendt South Africa.
“We decided on an IDEAL 7 and 8. Our lands are not flat and big, so the smaller areas are harvested with the IDEAL 7 and a 35-Draper Header. On larger and wider land, we harvest with the IDEAL 8 and a 40-Draper Header,” explains Tharina. “The grain comes in faster and cleaner, which helps when it goes to the silo as we do not need to sieve as much.”
Tharina was born and raised along with her four brothers on the same family farm she owns today. She started out in 1987 with 1 200 ha and has grown the farm substantially. Today her arable land extends over 7 500 ha. She has a strong livestock component, mainly cattle and poultry, with a facility for 50 000 chickens.
She has 40 to 80 staff members, some of whom have been working for her for three generations. Tharina is a businesswoman with an economics and marketing degree. She is involved in property development and owned a leather tannery that she has since sold to her brother.
The farm alternates between planting soya beans and maize. The two IDEAL combine harvesters were specially purchased for these crops as Fendt’s dual helix rotors substantially reduces any wastage. “This automatically allows you to get more volume into the bag, leaving less on the ground to germinate in the coming season,” adds Tharina.
“I started farming in the late 1980s. It was a challenge for sure, as I was young and worked the land by myself as a woman. One thing is for sure, I hated it when my tractors broke down. My brother, an authorized AGCO dealer, recommended Fendt as the best.” However, Fendt was unavailable in South Africa at that time.
During her overseas search for equipment for her tannery business, Tharina had the experience of watching Fendt tractors effortlessly harvest crops in Italy. The German technology was world class but still unavailable locally. Shortly thereafter she put plans in place to import a Fendt. Little did she know that AGCO had already been given a green light to bring Fendt in South Africa. Unexpectedly, her brother gave her a call one day and said ‘I have something special for you,’ says Tharina. Upon her arrival at the dealership, she was greeted by the sight of a Fendt 1050 tractor which she bought on the spot. ‘I couldn’t resist its beauty which brought back memories of seeing it working the land in Italy’ concludes Tharina.
Tharina has been a loyal supporter of Fendt for many years. Her motivation is simple: Fendt’s reputation for providing hardworking equipment has proven itself time and time again. The four models in the combine harvester range are the Fendt IDEAL 7, 8, 9 and 10. The Fendt IDEAL 7 is a single-helix rotor, while 8, 9 and 10 are dual-helix rotors with different 3D wave pan designs. The internal working of the dual-helix rotor system provides the grain quality of a hybrid machine with the capacity and throughput of a rotary machine. The Fendt IDEAL 7 has an AGCO Power engine while the 8, 9 and 10 feature different MAN engines, explains Johan Coetzer, Parys Sales Representative.
The IDEAL combine harvester is user friendly, and the cab is extremely comfortable. Features such as driving detection helps fewer plants being trampled before joining the correct row. The Fendt Connect telemetry technology is also of great assistance. “For me, it is comforting to sit in my office and be able to see exactly where they are harvesting, how much at that moment, and even what the fuel consumption is,” notes Tharina.
The major benefit of Fendt Connect is that the technology is live, enabling the customer to monitor diesel consumption, harvesting speed and tons harvested per hectare per hour. Breakdowns, error codes, service reminders and more – everything can be seen from the comfort of your cellphone. “There is no need to be in an office or near a computer,” says Devin Debwith, ValtraC Technical Manager.
The previous harvest season saw several challenges due to Covid-19 restrictions on shipping and the subsequent delay in the Suez Canal. “With the arrival of my two models IDEAL 7 and IDEAL 8 we all sang,” confesses Tharina.
Both models offers a great peace of mind. I have confidence in these two machines and they make us look forward to the upcoming harvest seasons at all times. ” concludes Tharina.
In support of the farming community, Fendt has a nationwide dealer network covering the whole of South Africa, offering service, sales, and support. For further information, and to get in touch with your closest dealer, visit www.fendt.com/za.
