Butali Sugar buys 40 tractors as appetite for sugarcane grows

Butali Sugar Mills Ltd (BSML) has acquired 40 tractors at Ksh20 million to boost its operations in a move that steps up competition against it rival West Kenya Sugar. Speaking after receiving the fleet from the Case New Holland International (CNHI) officials today, the company’s Managing Director (MD), Sanjay Patel, said 25 of them will go into a cane development program while the remaining 15 will do haulage services.

Patel added that they intend to put 7,000 acres of land under cane development so as to meet the factory’s raw material needs. He explained that the organization was currently planting a fast-maturing variety of sugarcane that takes between 18 to 20 months which will in the long run ensure steady supply of cane to the miller.

The CNHI Business Manager for East Africa and the Middle East Yasin Sekker said in the past three years BSML has become the leading consumer of their tractors in the region. He said the machinery was particularly suitable for land preparation and transportation.

Reducing wastage

According to Mr. Patel, the additional 40 units have raised the firm’s transport fleet to 400 operational tractors, significantly raising its capacity to serve more than 30,000 contracted outgrowers in the Western Kenya sugar belt. The new fleet of two-wheel drive New Holland tractors featuring purpose built wagons will be primarily used for the firm’s growing cane haulage to reduce wastage.

“At Butali Sugar, we are actively investing in such efficient and versatile transport options as part of our commitment to pass the benefits of an efficient production process to our customers and farmers,” Mr Patel said.

Sold and serviced by CMC Motors Group in Kenya, New Holland tractors are manufactured by New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial, a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence.

[crp]