Hazel nut technologies: new products from Facma
The manufacturer in Vitorchiano, near Viterbo, presented new models of specialized machinery for the hazel nut supply chain at Agriumbria 2016
Agriumbria 2016, held in early April in Bastia Umbra, is the most important trade fair in central Italy with a focus on multi-functional farming where debates and discussions were staged on current agricultural issues ranging from oil crops and livestock raising to wine production and fiber plants. Of special interest in this year’s setting was shell fruit, taken up in a conference organized by the Confagricultura farmers association on the production of hazel nuts in the Umbria Region. Thanks to strong confectionery industry demand and the recent growth of production in Turkey, the cultivation of hazel nuts has returned to the center of interest in recent years with studies and applications in Italy and around the world. After Turkey, Italy is the world’s second largest producer with about 71,000 hectares under cultivation, concentrated mainly in regions of Campania, Lazio, Piedmont and Sicily, and production reaching 100-130 thousand tons. During the Agriumbria conference, a representative from Ferrero, an Italian confectionery multinational, dealt with the intentions of farmers to boost their production of hazel nut production in new areas around the country and in light of an agreement forged with Ismea, the Agricultural and Food Market Service Institute. Among the agricultural machinery manufacturers taking part in the fair was Facma S.r.l., a leader in machinery for the mechanization of shell fruit crops with headquarters in Vitorchiano, near Viterbo. The company markets an entire range of machinery used for these supply chains, from soil preparation to harvesting and on to drying the nuts. Among the newest innovations introduced by the company in the field of hazel nuts (Corylus) and shell fruit cultivation is a mulcher, exhibited in the Facma stand, equipped with an inter-row disc and hydraulic sensor enabling inter-row weeding between the trees and around their trunks with an automatic hydraulic swing of the disc. The disc is fitted with a hydraulic clutch for coupling and uncoupling. The disc options available are for the F800IDR (83 cm diameter) F600IDR (63 cm diameter) and the F4003IDR (49 cm diameter) models, the most suitable for vineyards. Moreover, the manufacturer has recently brought out a new mechanical pick-up for application to the vacuum self-propelled Cimina harvesters which improves pick-up from the ground, suppresses airborne dust and ensures more efficient performance on grass for the RM210 and RM170 models with rotating inter-row brushes. Also new is the innovation updating for the Semek 1000 self-propelled mechanical harvester with the addition of a conveyer belt making it especially ideal for the collection of nuts. In fact, for this sector on national territory, the market is showing increasing interest in the development of dedicated mechanization. The Semek 1000 is available in a standard version with a rotating screen especially suited for cleaning hazel nuts as well as chestnuts and walnuts with great precision and a high performance collection system with an enlarged surface. The harvester is equipped with 3 driving wheels, 2 in front and 1 rear, a hydraulic transmission and a mixed transmission, hydraulic/mechanical, belt and chain, for running the mechanical components. The Semek is powered by a diesel engine with water cooling.
