SUGAR AND AGRICULTURE

Services and Equipment

MultiDrive at work in the forestry operations in Barberton

The Unitrans-Multidrive

One of our premier successes for commercial sugarcane haulage is the world-class Unitrans-Multidrive™. This on-highway vehicle, whose patented technology features remarkable 8x6 wheel traction and improved tracking manoeuvrability, is capable of hauling the cane directly from field to mill, thus eliminating the need for trans-shipment zones. Following its successful application in the KZN sugar industry, the Unitrans-Multidrive has enjoyed greater accomplishments in cross-border Africa where flatter terrain and proximity to mills allows an enhancement of the vehicle’s benefits. More recently, a new generation of Unitrans-Multidrives is making an impact in our forestry operations in Mpumalanga, where once again a costly intermediate short haul is being greatly reduced or eliminated.

One of the very large landtrains operating in Malawi

Unitrans Landtrains

Another direct haulage logistics success has been the landtrain; researched and adapted by our engineers specifically for high volume logistics on large sugar estates, such as those in Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. Matched with high volume loaders, our four to six trailer landtrains are capable of up to 54 ton sugarcane payloads. Furthermore, with effective load dynamics and specialised tyre technology, field compaction is kept acceptably low.

Bulk Downstream Logistics

Unitrans’ downstream haulage profile comprises sugar products from the mills such as raw and refined bulk sugar, pocket sugar and molasses. Our fleet connects the mills with export terminals, sugar refining factories and molasses processing facilities. We distribute packaged pocket sugar from the sugar refinery in Durban into the marketplace.

Agricultural Equipment

We are positioning ourselves on an increasing basis across a broader spectrum of the sugar industry supply chain, both up and downstream. In Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania in particular, we have integrated ourselves into agricultural functions where we are now operating tractors, loaders, excavators, bulldozers and other precision farming equipment. In some areas we are clearing and preparing land for cultivation utilising laser levelling, and are using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to efficiently ridge fields before planting. Peripheral services such as building and maintaining estate roads, canal excavation and labour transport, round off a complete and holistic logistics service.

More: see Total agricultural solutions