Agricultural equipment

Sugar beet harvesting

Holmer and Agrifac are among the leading manufacturers of sugar beet harvesters. Holmer also manufactures sugar beet loading machinery and high-powered carrier tractors.

The business

HOLMER Maschinenbau GmbH is the global market leader in the field of self-propelled sugar beet harvesters and expanding in carrier vehicles. As a modern, medium-sized engineering company based in Eggmühl/Schierling, Holmer develops, produces, markets and supports HOLMER technologically leading agricultural machines.

Terra Dos sugar beet harvesters are marketed to agricultural contractors, farmer co-ops, large-scale farmers and agri businesses. Products are sold mainly directly and sometimes through dealers.

Terra Felis beet cleaner-loaders are used by cooperatives and contractors working for sugar refineries. Sales are made directly to contractors and cooperatives on the recommendation of the refineries.

The Terra Variant acts as high-capacity spreaders of liquid and solid manure or methanization digestates. The flexible carrier vehicles can be also used to transport sugar beets to the field’s edge or directly onto the truck.

The Group also owns the Agrifac brand, which is developing a simpler and lighter beet harvesting machine adapted to smaller farms. Agrifac relies on its agricultural spraying sales network.

Strategy

In EXEL Industries’ sugar beet harvesting activity, our strategy is based on our considerable innovation capacity and ability to identify high value-added markets. Innovation is central to Holmer’s product policy.

The growth in sales of sugar beet harvesters is intensifying in Eastern European countries, China, Turkey and the United States.

For the Terra Variant line of high-capacity carriers, our efforts are focused on Europe, with priority given to Germany, France, the UK and the Eastern European countries.

Key figures

€159m

revenue in 2022–2023

 

14%

of total Group sales

 

2

production sites

 

389

permanent employees

Learn more about our product families

Product ranges
Sugar beet harvesters are very technologically advanced machines, as they need to penetrate the ground to lift the beets without damaging them and while bringing up as little soil as possible, whatever the weather conditions, land quality and field topology.
Holmer Terra Felis cleaner-loaders allow beets to be cleaned and loaded before being transported to the sugar refinery. When the tanker harvester has emptied its harvest at the end of the field, a sugar beet cleaner-loader collects the beets, improves harvesting and transfers them to a transport container, which then takes them to the sugar refinery.
The Holmer Terra Variant is mostly used to spread various products in the fields, such as slurry and methanization digestate. The high-capacity carriers are also used for field-based logistics. Thanks to their flexibility, the vehicles can be used economically all year round.
Market
Self-propelled harvesters combine beet stripping (shredding and ejection of leaves), topping (cutting off the top just below the leaves) and lifting.
Holmer Terra Felis cleaner-loaders allow beets to be cleaned and loaded before being transported to the sugar refinery. When the tanker harvester has emptied its harvest at the end of the field, a sugar beet cleaner-loader collects the beets, improves harvesting and transfers them to a transport container, which then takes them to the sugar refinery.
The Holmer Terra Variant is used for the precise spreading of various organic fertilisers on the fields, such as liquid manure and fermentation residues from methanation. The high- and medium-capacity carriers are also used to transport sugar beets from the sugar beet harvester to the field’s edge or directly onto the truck.

With the Terra Dos 5, HOLMER presents its latest-generation of beet harvesters.

The Terra Dos 5 builds on the proven success of the predecessor model and sets new standards. The focus is on the driver and the economic efficiency of the machine. Driver assistance systems and intuitive operation guarantee the best harvesting quality under challenging conditions.

 
 

Our brands

  • Agrifac develops and produces a light, user-friendly beet harvester for smaller agricultural structures in the Netherlands.

  • Holmer is a globally recognized brand that manufactures and markets tanker harvesters, cleaner-loaders and high- and medium-capacity systems tractors. The group has one manufacturing plant in Germany and six sales subsidiaries in France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the USA and Turkey, as well as a representative office in Beijing, China.

Solutions

Agricultural spraying

Industrial spraying

Technical hoses

Garden watering and spraying