Steketee is installing a new assembly line for small implements at its Dutch base at Stad aan’t Haringvliet. When finished it will allow the company to make more machines to keep pace with rising demand for its weed control solutions.
Part of the Lemken group since 2018, Steketee sales rose by 30% last year, and the order books are said to be well filled for this season. The increased demand is not just coming from established west European markets, but also from new countries in central and eastern Europe.
“The trend towards integrated crop care is unstoppable,” comments Steketee managing director Iljan Schouten. “There is strong demand for hoeing machines, ridgers and band spraying implements for reducing the use of pesticides.”
Another change at the Dutch facility sees the products being separated into two groups: the professional line for easily configurable hoes for traditional row crops and row widths and the individual line with more options, such as the IC-Light camera control. The company is also developing and developing new plant recognition methods using artificial intelligence.
