2000 series Early Riser planter shown in South Africa

Case IH distributor Northmec and Cairo Group hosted the Annual Farmers Day in Koppies (Free State Province) on August 15. The event attracted more than 500 farmers from across South Africa to Cairo Farm for a day of product presentations, demonstrations and test-drives. Johan Van der Merwe, Managing Director of Northmec and Jaap Van der Westhuizen, Dealer Principal at the Cairo Group opened the proceedings, welcoming the guests and outlining the activities of the day.

Keen interest in the new 2000 Series Early Riser in action. To be precisely: the type 2150 24 row planter. Photo: Case IH

Easily customised

The main attraction of the Annual Farmers Day was the new Case IH 2000 Series Early Riser planter, which delivers precise placement with extreme accuracy across all terrains, crop types and speeds for faster, more uniform emergence. It is designed for modern seed types, treatments, populations and conditions. The new planter can be easily customised for a range of soil types, terrain, fertiliser and chemical application needs, and various crop residue management practices.

Participants in the event were able to see an Early Riser 2150 24-row planter in action in a live demonstration and have a close look at a 12-row model, on display in a covered area. They also heard a first-hand account of the benefits of the Early Riser 2150 planter from Case IH customer Brink Bosman, who took delivery of a 24-row model in 2017 for his farm in Zimbabwe. B. Bosman Farms needed a simple, robust and reliable planter that would ensure accurate seed placement and a perfect seed stand. Their requirements included self-diagnostics, different options for particular planting conditions and good backup from their dealer.

Small planting window

Mr Bosman had high expectations of the new Early Riser 2150 planter based on this product family’s reputation for early, uniform emergence and high yields: “We farm 1,110 ha, of which 150 ha is dryland maize and soybeans, and 950 ha of winter wheat. We have a small window of just 10 days between summer harvest and winter wheat planting, so having the right planter is critical. The Early Riser 2150 exceeded our expectations. We completed the planting operation smoothly and without a hitch, and the results are testament to the high standards of the planter. Just to give a couple of examples, we had 100% maize emergence and germination and perfect stand in our maize crops, which has led to high yields.”