The 2019 South East Asia Sugarcane Summit hosted by Case IH was held from 7-10 July 2019 at the Greenery Resort in Khao Yai, Thailand
As the first major initiative of its type in South East Asia, the Summit brought together more than 130 sugarcane professionals to discuss innovation, sustainability and profitability in the sugarcane industry. The event was also the occasion to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Austoft, marking a significant milestone and a proud moment for the Case IH brand.
Emre Karazli, CNH Industrial business director, agriculture, South East Asia and Japan, said, “We have never had a Case IH event of this kind in Thailand, which encourages the participation of our sugarcane customers from right across South East Asia, and our speakers from Brazil and Australia have allowed the sugar growers and millers attending the event to compare and contrast alternative methods of production.”
Over the four-day event, international stakeholders addressed major subjects of high importance for the industry including how alternative farming practises can increase yield; best practices on water usage, optimisation of the sugarcane waste stream and improvement of the health of cane cutters; modern methods of planting sugarcane for South-East Asia; the advantages of Case IH sugarcane harvesters; telematics systems and precision guidance with practical demonstration for guests; and the history of Austoft over the past 75 years.
The participants had also the chance to attend a training session on the Case IH Austoft Simulator, the first fully-immersive simulator of its type in Asia, a tool created to support and train operators on sugarcane harvester operations before they get to the field.
Michele Monzio, Case IH Austoft product manager, Asia, Middle East and Africa, said, “With 75 years of expertise in the field, we have worked with growers and millers to develop our harvesting technology which has revolutionised sugarcane farming throughout the world.”
“Our Summit participants represented eight major markets in Asia, all of which have benefited from Austoft technology since at least 2009 when the Austoft 8000 Series was launched. To date over 750 Austoft sugarcane harvesters have been sold in South East Asia and China, and we are very proud to have such a good relationship with growers and millers.”
Emre Karazli added, “With all of our machinery experience, we know that harvesting mechanisation is just one part of the picture. As an industry, we must work together to become more productive, ensuring we can provide the world with more food, fuel and fibre while protecting our resources and improving the lives of the people working in the industry. We are very privileged and proud to have been able to host so many experts at our Summit.”
Feng He, vice-president at Nanning Poly Sunway Technologies Engineering Co., Ltd in the Guanxi Province, China, commented, “This Summit was a real opportunity to meet with other dealers, customers and professionals from all over the world. We not only learnt more about the Austoft 8000 Series and 4000 Series sugarcane harvesters and Case IH АFS precision farming solutions, but we also gained a deeper understanding on how their performance can increase the efficiency of sugarcane businesses in a variety of countries. I am confident that this experience will help in improving my business in the future.”
Honey Aye, business development manager at Yoma Heavy Equipment, Myanmar, added, “It is amazing what technology can do these days and what an insightful experience it was for us to meet with international experts from the sugarcane industry! Understanding differences and identifying similarities with other countries was extremely insightful for our delegates from Myanmar. It was especially interesting for me the Case IH sugarcane harvester simulator, as I had a glimpse on the real-life operators and how their skills can contribute optimising machines performance.”
