My Italian Link - Issue #09 My Italian Link Issue #09 | Page 46
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BUSINESS
EXCELLENCE
IN ITALIAN AGRIMACHINERY
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ITALIAN AGRICULTURAL PROWESS
Agricultural machinery producer New Holland (a brand owned
by CNH) imports numerous tractors and farming machines
into South Africa each month. The company has benefited
from the exceptional reputation that Italy already has in the
agricultural sector. Italy has several well-known agricultural
machinery brands. Wherever you go in the world, you’re likely
to see an Italian brand in agricultural areas, claims business
director Federico Bellotto.
At this year’s Nampo show in May the company launched its new
CR6.80 combine, SP333 sprayer and construction machines.
The company boasts a wide product range including tractors,
combines, calers, sprayers, grape harvesters and implements.
Their product range is an area in which they hold an advantage
over their competitors. The main focus of the company is to of-
fer quality equipment and integrity, combined with structured
marketing activities like finance campaigns.
GETTING CLOSER TO SOUTH AFRICAN FARMERS
New Holland has succeeded in increasing its South African
market share significantly in the last year, ever since it invested
in the country in 2017. Bellotto explains that the company’s in-
vestment has allowed New Holland to increase its performance
and visibility, while getting closer to South African farmers.
“With the largest range of equipment available, New Holland ca-
ters for the expanding fruit, nut and citrus farmers by means of
five speciality ranges. Furthermore, we are very proud of our TD5
front-end loader range specifically aimed at the dairy industry.”
The equipment is kept at the company’s stock pad in Durban,
before being sold to end customers or transported to one of the
company’s 22 distributors.
New Holland’s office in Centurion employs over 30 people res-
ponsible for parts, marketing, sales, service and network deve-
lopment. Moreover, the Centurion offices act as a base from
which to serve much of the SADC region, including Mozambique,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. “South Africa is the
biggest agricultural country in the African continent and it is the
most sustainable of all African countries. When we check the
agricultural numbers and total industrial volume for agricultural
machines the numbers are increasing year by year. These are the
main reasons New Holland invested in the South African market
and committed to South African farmers,” Bellotto muses.
ADVANCING MARKET SHARE
“Historically, the New Holland brand has had a steady market
share in South Africa, but since we started in South Africa, market
share has increased significantly,” explains Bellotto. Because of
currency volatility, increasing costs, lack of subsidies and low
commodity pricing the South African farmer is diversifying in
many ways in order to minimise risk.
“Owing to the company’s investment in the country, New Holland
has increased their product mix in South Africa and will continue
to work towards increasing its presence in the country. New
Holland is definitely here to stay, and will continuously offer a
quality and complete product range to our dealers and end cus-
tomers,” Bellotto concludes.
For more information, visit www.newholland.com/za
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