April 26, 2013 Why is Jumil Taking a Precise Direction?

Volume 16 | Issue 3

Look to precision tools. This Brazilian market leader introduces pioneering technology, changing the direction of modern agriculture. Reuben

Jumil produced Brazil’s first planters and fertilizer spreaders and is one of the top four manufacturers of agricultural solutions in the country.

The wide range of products include pneumatic, high-precision, no-till planters and fertilizer spreaders, vegetable planters, livestock feeding equipment, soil preparation and collection harvesting machines – based on european systems and adapted to the domestic market.

Recognized internationally for its contributions to the evolution of agricultural technology, Jumil has been investing in precision machinery assisted by Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for faster and more effective farming.

“Agribusiness is turning to high technology. For the last five years we have been focusing on meeting the rising demands of precision farming and the added value of GPS technology, which market research has proven to be the future of high-precision solutions,” confirms Gustavo Oliveira, Strategic Marketing Manager for Jumil.

Sowing by Satellite
Since its foundation 77 years ago, Jumil has positioned itself as a pioneer, taking pride in bringing modern equipment to the Brazilian agricultural industry. Growing and staying strong in a globalized market required steady investment in technology, training and retraining. Computerization and fiber optic communication have ensured more precise work in various steps of the production line, while in other areas properly trained technicians perform important functions in the design and assembly of parts.

“We were the pioneers in pneumatic planters in Brazil,” Oliveira says. Jumil first introduced the pneumatic seed distribution system in 1992 – a milestone in the agricultural sector and in planting precision.

The system, called Exacta Air, operates telescopic planters that adjust to soil irregularities for the most effective sowing and germination of the seeds. The Exacta JM3090 machine put Brazilian producers in touch with first-world standards.

In 1996, Jumil was the first agricultural equipment company in Brazil to receive the ISO 9001 certification.

Adapting international systems to Brazilian agriculture, Jumil values regional soil and climate requirements as well as the specific needs of the users themselves. “We have always emphasized the advantages of precision farming to our market and considered the day-to-day needs of the agricultural employee,” Oliveira asserts.

Fitting planters and fertilizer application devices with GPS systems, which can identify and sort soil types according to location and treat them accordingly is a logical step. The result is a new machine that is called the Terra Exacta JM8090.

Oliveira explains: “It is technology that is born with precision farming DNA, works via satellite, applying fertilizers or seeds with exact accuracy only where the carefully mapped plan allows.”

The Terra Exacta was launched in 2012 and is an important modification to Jumil’s leading line of farming machinery. Not only for its computerized GPS, but also other numerous technological labor and time saving developments, operated via touch screen on-board computer in the tractor cabin.

Satisfying the Consumer
Jumil’s technology shows constant innovation and the JM 3090 and JM8090 have earned the company international recognition in the sector.

The focus (90 percent of revenue comes from planters) and absolute market leadership of these products does not limit Jumil; the company also produces mowers, feeding wagons, collectors, trimmers, harvesters and crushers.

Oliveira points out that the move toward precision is taking over the field: “Agriculture today is demanding more food and is evolving more and more. Farmers are looking to produce more in the same space, so they need equipment that will help them to do exactly that.”

Jumil is is lauching a new vegetable planter, Perfecta. This model will ensure very precise distribution. The company is investing in further modifications to existing models to increase efficiency; adding more planting lines to planters and applying GPS technology to more models.

“Our aim is to cover wider areas efficiently in a short time,” Oliveira states – and not only in terms of supply and demand, but in farming too, Jumil is succeeding.

Growing Together
Jumil currently employs 840 staff and has two manufacturing facilities located in Batatais, São Paulo State. Products are engineered, designed and developed with 3D technology. Manufacture complies with all the requirements of the international market, counting on CNC machining and laser cutting for sheet steel.

Investment is not only in new technology to increase client and consumer satisfaction, Jumil is building bigger premises to cater for growing demand: “By 2014 we will have one factory only,” Oliveira confirms.

The new unified facility will increase productivity and allow space for continued development of new and existing machines.

“We are living in an intelligent, strategic market. We need to carry out continuous studies and be familiar with all industry developments in order to match our production capacity with demand,” Oliveira says.

The process of introducing new products and updating existing models is an exchange of information between users, engineers and Jumil’s sales team. New machines and modifications are validated on all levels before official launches.

The company reported 44 percent annual growth in revenue for 2012 – the market leader in planters and according to recent studies, among the top specialists in agricultural solutions in Brazil.

“The reason for our growth is the quality and durability of our products, and our customer service. Our after-sales service and technical assistance bring us closer to understanding our clients’ needs and help us to maintain constant improvements,” Oliveira explains.

Growth comes in spite of being at the mercy of the weather. A bad harvest, or fall in the sales of commodities such as corn, soy bean, cotton and beans can deliver a damaging blow to Jumil’s sales.

The solution is a broad range of equipment, clients and a strong network of dealers and suppliers. Success is widespread for Jumil. The company exports to 36 countries, and has sales representatives throughout Latin America and in South Africa.

With the increase in value of the Brazilian real and the fear of rising inflation, Brazil is not a favorable environment for exports. Despite this, Jumil exports around 20 percent of production; a figure Oliveira considers low considering the international demand.

“We are struggling to grow to meet enormous national demand – first we are focusing on domestic sales,” Oliveira says.

Running ahead of the industry, Jumil has the solution for the future of agriculture. One step in front of the market and with state-of-the-art technology that meets every demand, the company is certainly heading in the right direction.

As demand for more abundant harvests rises, Jumil knows precisely what is needed.

Subscribe to Industry Today