Mascor scores big with sugar industry tractor deal
The sugar industry is notorious for its harsh conditions in Africa. The heavy rains that have fallen on Kenyan soil over the past two years have made operations even more difficult for farmers trying to pull sugarcane from waterlogged fields. As a ripple effect, this leads to a delay in farmers collecting their cane after the harvest.
Sugarcane is among the top six commercial crops grown in Kenya. Taking into consideration the effect the sugarcane industry has on the country’s wellbeing and finances, it is important to invest in resources that will not only complement a farmer’s daily operation but can also endure tough conditions and offer longevity.
On 19 November 2020 Olepito Sugar factory, a subsidiary of West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd, hosted an unveiling of their new fleet of John Deere 6095B tractors.
John Deere and Mascor (in-country dealer) were at the forefront of driving the partnership with West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd. John Deere and its dealers are focused on the edge they provide through their equipment, financial offerings, training and support services to deliver more effective and efficient ways of servicing the agricultural sector. With the introduction of the John Deere 6B tractor into the Sub-Saharan region, they knew that this tractor’s superior build and all-rounder application abilities will benefit many different segments in the market. Mascor identified the 6B tractor as one that will be able to offer the sugar company the much-needed support they require.
In a pressing economic environment where price is a big deciding factor, it is a big challenge to compete in such a price-sensitive market. Being a John Deere dealer for more than 5 decades gave Mascor the upper hand by motivating and demonstrating the value of how the John Deere product and solutions can benefit West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd’s operations.
John Deere and its dealers believe in supplying a complete solution package to their clients. This requires the team to do some investigation into similar operations within the country, their customers’ need and concerns.
This is exactly what they did. Mascor started looking into successful fleets in other sectors where they as dealer are involved in a supporting role, such as the tea industry. In any segment of the market, fleet owners tend to have similar needs: quality, durable machinery that can make their daily operations easier and more manageable, continuous training, back-up service and tailored financial solutions.
For the operations of West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd, the 6095B fits like a glove. The 6095B frame offers a larger horsepower variant, which means it can handle tough terrain and working conditions.
It’s important for corporations to ensure that their employees are well equipped to work with the machinery. Downtime is often the result of inexperienced workers or operators. Big corporations such as John Deere and Mascor understand the impact downtime can have on various aspects of the business. As a result, in this case, Mascor has developed an offering of regular tailored training offerings for operators and service staff by certified Mascor employees on John Deere machinery.
In order to reduce any time loss, West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd has been assigned with parts consignment stock and parts on sight, as well as critical back-up parts located onsite at Mascor’s head office.
Not only do John Deere and their dealers offer exceptional equipment, but they also offer a customised financing solution. West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd was offered a tailor-made financial solution through John Deere Financial enabling them to structure their payments in a way that best suits their needs.
With these tailored solutions, John Deere and Mascor could present West Kenya Sugar Company Ltd. with 73 brand new 6095B Mechanical Front Wheel Drive (MFWD) John Deere tractors. The first 50 tractors were delivered to the Olepito sugar factory on 19 November 2020 during the prestigious unveiling event of their John Deere fleet. The event was attended by Mr. Tejveer S. Rai, Managing Director of Olepito Sugar; Mr. J.S Rai, Charmain of the Rai group; Mr Moses Mulomi, Deputy Gevernor of Busia Country and Mr Francois Marais, Director of Macor Kenya.
The balance of 23 tractors were delivered to the Kabras Sugar factory on 20 November 2020.
John Deere and Mascor Kenya are proud to enhance the businesses of Olepito and Kabras Sugar factories in Kenya by offering them a full-circle solution for their operations.
