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trailer world issue one 2015

30      Issue One 2015 Agriculture Naturally, the basic process has changed very little. Everything starts with preparing the ground, from which stones or clods of earth must be removed. Depending on local conditions, bedformers and separators play important roles in preparing the ground be- fore the potato seeds can even be put in. Seeding and harvesting had already been fully automated decades ago. Grimme of- fers a broad variety of products, which are all tailored to specific customer require- ments, whether for smaller European farms or for large agricultural properties such as in the US. "Whilst in Germany, tractor width is limited to a maximum of 3.3 me- tres, machines in the US can be up to 6 me- tres wide," Feld says. The performance data of today's harvesters is impressive. For ex- ample, one machine can unload 5.5 tonnes of potatoes within 45 seconds – and this as gently as needed. Regarding running gear technology, Grimme has traditionally relied on BPW solutions. In addition to high quality, the company from Lower Saxony considers the tried and proven development partnership with BPW to be a valuable asset: "Engineers from both sides work closely and success- fully together, and even special machinery solutions are being jointly realised," Feld says. Sensitive storage goods Grimme machinery is not only used to har- vest, but also to transport the potatoes to the storage facility. Hoppers, grading machines, warehouse and box fillers, as well as convey- or belts have been part of Grimme's offering for years. Here, the same is true as for har- vesting: Touching the tubers just a bit too much may endanger the entire yield. On the conveyor belts, the potatoes begin their next journey – from storage to logistics chain, to retail, or to food-processing companies. For the agriculture professionals from Lower Saxony, the potato has never lost its appeal: Ultimately, it is a centuries-old crop. Like rice, wheat, and corn, it is one of the most important staples – eaten all around the world. "In middle Europe, potato con- sumption has been stagnating for years," Feld says. "But the tuber is gaining in im- portance in Asia, particularly in India." One of the potato's advantages is its versatil- ity: Whilst the classic boiled potato is be- coming increasingly rare in German cook- ing, processed products are growing in sales volume. Whether as chips, spicy crisps, or as a supplier of carbohydrates for Asian glass noodles: The potato has many applica- tions. (os) You will find more information on www.grimme.com POTATO EXPERTISE Over 80 years of experience in manufacturing machinery for the potato industry, distribution to 120 countries worldwide, and over 2,000 employees: The Grimme Group is the leading partner of the global agricultural industry. Established in 1861 as the blacksmith in town, Grimme began to specialise in ag- ricultural machinery in the 1930s. Today, the company group consists of Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik, North-American potato machinery manufacturer Spudnik, beet machinery producer Kleine, and Danish vegetable machinery specialist ASA-LIFT. With over 150 types of machines, Grimme offers the modern agricultural industry a wide variety of products – from ground preparation and planting technology to harvesting machinery and storage solutions. The family-run business has its own distribution and service subsidiaries in the most important potato regions around the world: in the UK, France, Denmark, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, the US, China, Belgium, and Turkey.

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