CNH INTERNATIONAL COMPLETES REHABILITATION OF TRACTORS IN IRAQ
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ISTANBUL, Turkey - (March 27, 2008) - CNH International has completed rehabilitation to working order of 414 of the company's old tractors in southern Iraq. The project is aimed at improving the working conditions and living standards of farmers in Iraq, fostering the reconstruction process in the country.
In the last 15 years, Iraqi farmers have experienced substantial financial constraints preventing any investment, either in new machinery or in the existing machinery's maintenance. Thus, the spare parts needed for repairs were financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs while, to avoid charging any other costs to farmers, CNH International, through its local distributor MICTA has paid for labor, transport, services and other materials' costs.
These 414 units are added to the 2,772 tractors rehabilitated during 2006 in central and northern Iraq and financed by the U.S. Aid program. Therefore, between 2006 and 2007, a total of about 3,200 tractors have been repaired.
The re-enabled units were part of a list prepared by the New Holland distributor MICTA with the support of CNH specialists and the Iraqi Agriculture Ministry, who contacted all over the country more than 5,000 farmers whose machines were completely out of order.
The units considered suitable for the rehabilitation program were checked to prepare the list of spare parts required for the repair. Many spare parts belonged to models no longer in production and therefore no longer available; consequently, the appropriate spare parts needed were made available through a team effort involving CNH internal resources such as Engineering, Purchasing, Parts Operations, Logistics, After-Sales as well as the suppliers and the importer.
The project also has involved a course in tractor maintenance and repair at the CNH Training Centre in Saliurfa, Turkey. Over 180 technicians from the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture have been trained in order to render the appropriate assistance required for the tractors to keep them running properly.
The repaired units will contribute to expand the cultivated area up to 25,000 hectares, along with an additional output of 40,000 tons of wheat, worth an estimated U.S. $ 4.7 million.
New Holland has historically been and continues to be a leader in agriculture in Iraq. Operations in Iraq are managed within the CNH International Middle-East and Africa region from the new CNH International offices in Istanbul, Turkey which include Sales, Finance, Marketing, Spare Parts, Customer Care and Training departments.
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CNH
CNH is a world leader in the agricultural and construction equipment businesses. Supported by more than 11,000 dealers in 160 countries, CNH brings together the knowledge and heritage of its Case and New Holland brand families with the strength and resources of its worldwide commercial, industrial, product support and finance organizations. CNH Global N.V., whose stock is listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:CNH), is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. (FIA.MI), More information about CNH and its Case and New Holland products can be found online at www.cnh.com.
CNH International
CNH International is a division of CNH and is based in Lugano, Switzerland. The company is responsible for the sales of agricultural equipment, commercial and after sales/ customer services in over 120 countries throughout Africa, Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East, Asia, Far East, New Zealand and Australia.
New Holland, a brand of CNH
New Holland reputation is built on the success of our customers, cash crop producers, livestock farmers, contractors, vineyards, or groundscare professionals. They can count on the widest offering of innovative products and services: a full line of equipment, from tractors to harvesting, material handling equipment, complemented by tailored financial services from a specialist in agriculture. A highly professional global dealer network and New Holland?s commitment to excellence guarantees the ultimate customer experience for every customer. For more information on New Holland visit www.newholland.com.