FIMA 2018

The 40th edition of FIMA Farm Fair (in Zaragoza - Spain) closed its doors on 24th February. Its statistics are really good: 1,572 exhibitors, 160,080 s.q.m and more than 240,000 visitors. Despite having visitors of up to 72 nationalities, the fair is still national scope. We had the opportunity to speak with different exhibitors who told us this edition was a success because there were a lot of professional visitors and they were really interested in exposed machinery, even exhibitors could sell a few machinery, fact that had been really difficult in previous editions. The farm fair began with great expectation because King Felipe VI inaugurated the farm fair and he visited its 11 pavilions and even he took an interest in the machinery exhibited in more than 15 stands.

Definitely, FIMA farm fair is a fantastic  storefront for all manufacturers, but it is even more significant for all farmers who would like to find a specific machinery because they have a large variety of machinery to compare easily and quickly different specifications and brands. Of course, sometimes large machinery is exposed (exhibitors like showing big machinery) and they are not ideal for a large group of farmers (unfortunately the poor and dry Spanish agriculture predominates). On the other hand, many exhibitors showed medium and small machinery that are very interesting for the majority of Spanish small farmers.  For example, we would like to buy an olive sprayer and  mulcher, so we were able to see and compare a great variety of brands and models exposed.

Regarding novelty, we would like to mention technical novelties awarded, we were proud of seeing new tractor models launched in Agritechnica (Germany) only a few months ago. Besides, we could reaffirm technology of autosteering system, drones, field yield maps are already consolidated. A part from that, we checked implements (especially seed drill, spreaders, sprayers,...) every time are bigger and even more accurate to save costs and so many interesting things that you can see in our videos that we show you below and in our wide photo gallery.

Versión en español.

Videos:

• Arbos
• Bellota Agrisolutions
• Deutz-Fahr Agrotron-Warrior
• Deutz-Fahr C9300 Series Combines
• Gascón International. Otho disc harrow
• Gascón International. Disc harrow for vineyard
• Lamborghini
• Maschio Gaspardo
• New Holland T6 Dynamic Command™
• New Holland T7 S Series
• New Holland narrow tractors
• New Holland CR Series combine
• Same narrow tractors
• Valtra

 Pictures:

• Crop protection
• Drilling
• Harvesting
• Soil cultivation
• Tractors
• Others

Olive trees. Mechanical harvesting method

A few weeks ago, we spoke about our poor olive harvesting of last year. Also, we showed you a video where you can see our tool to harvest olives and we commented about our new olives tree fields where we are going to use a full mechanical harvesting method. Therefore, we are taking the advantage of some pictures that sent our friends Miguel Ángel (from Chinchon village) and Alberto (from Yebra village) to publish more information about this type of tool and mechanical harvesting method.

As you can see in these pictures, they are working with a front harvesting equipment (maybe, rear harvesting equipment are more uncomfortable for a long working day). As Miguel Ángel told us, he can work about 150 olive trees (old olive trees with few stems) during a working day of 8 hours (he charges 60€/h). Also, as you can see in our video, vibrations have to do on all stem of the olive tree. The configuration of these vibrations is of 10-15 seconds in twice or three times. Sometimes, he has problems to work from the tractor's seat so he has a remote control to work on ground. They are old olive trees that generate about 12kg/tree of olive with a fatty performance about 25%. The most common variety are Cornicabra and Picual (their harvesting tasks are usually easier than other varieties). For example, the Arbequina variety is much harder and needs more vibrations to fall.

The harvesting tool has a diameter of 7 meter so he can use rods to fall some olives at the same time. Harvesting tool of 8 meters of diameter are not so practical for this task.

This tool is made of aluminium (it is another important feature) so it is lighter. The front axle of tractor has to hold a big weight (weight of tool and about 400kg of olives). Aluminium is very resistant, although it is more complicated to repair if it has a hits (iron is easier to be repaired).

Finally, the plier is really configurable and it allows them to work with stems of 40cm or 50cm diameter (normally 40cm diameter). The tightening pressure is also configurable because when you work with young trees, the tightening pressure muss be soft to protect the stems. In addition, the pillows used by the plier are also adapted to the type of tree which he is going to work with.

As you know, it is an ideal tool for olive harvesting tasks in different conditions of fields or trees.

Versión en español.