In the plains of Chile, a telehandler is helping farmers to move numerous vegetable crops that need to be shipped and sorted as quickly as possible.
Thanks to their adaptability to any terrain, simple maneuverability and prodigious power, telehandlers are often used in the horticulture and nursery sector.
Near Coquimbo, a port city in Chile, in an area of 200 hectares of cultivated land, we find one of our telescopic handlers: the Apollo. Originally developed for the construction industry, here this Dieci telehandler is used to collect celery, a key ingredient in Chilean cuisine.
Once the celery is harvested, Apollo turns its attention to crops of cabbages, followed by potatoes, carrots and all the other typical produce that make the Coquimbo Region a fresh food paradise.
Handling 42 boxes of vegetables with ease
Fast harvesting and shipment of these ingredients is essential, as they need to be eaten fresh. Our Apollo (sold in Chile by Dieci dealer Dieci Salinas y Fabres) has a special attachment at the top of the lifting boom that helps it to securely lift large 42-crate pallets, loading them instantly onto refrigerated trucks that take the fresh produce to markets throughout the country, as well as others in Peru and Argentina.
The nearly 6-metre-long boom extension and the sideshift plate enable the operator of our Apollo telehandler to quickly and carefully deposit loads onto the assorted wholesaler vehicles that arrive in Coquimbo to collect produce.
Why use a telehandler for vegetable growing
Thanks to their power and compatibility with multi-purpose equipment (including lifting hooks, clamps and shovels), Dieci vehicles are used not only to transport heavy loads (large vessels, fertiliser and plants), they are also useful for the labour-intensive task of vegetable harvesting, as well as for complex farm maintenance duties.
The compact dimensions of the Apollo, its 2600 kg load capacity and its excellent versatility, power output and manoeuvrability, even on uneven ground, make it the ideal vehicle for completing loading tasks quickly and safely.
Dieci in the world: under the world’s clearest sky
North of Santiago, in northern-central Chile, there is a region called “Región de Coquimbo”.
Coquimbo is a port city whose name means “place of calm water”, and where the ships of numerous conquistadors and pirates once found refuge.
Rainfall is fairly scarce in this region (which averages 300 days of sunshine each year), so it is no wonder that Coquimbo is famed for having the clearest sky in the world.
The climate is perfect for growing vegetables thanks to the region’s ideal location between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, as well as the presence of Rios Colorados (nutrient-rich streams draining from the Andes).
The contrast in the landscape is both striking and magnificent: hills with arid peaks surrounded by green valleys covered with orchards, and fine vineyards (that produce Pisco, a mild-tasting brandy favoured by famous actors).
Thanks to this climate, Chile is one of the largest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables for the European and North American winter markets.
