Brăila is a green, fertile island right in the middle of the Danube delta biosphere reservein the eastern part of Romania. 18,000 hectares of wheat, 11,000 hectares of rapeseedand 8000 hectares of barley were harvested last autumn. However, that is by no means all. AGRICOST Holding on Brăila runs the largest farming business in Romania. Everything that happens here is in the realm of the agricultural superlative. The island is a unique projectin Europe. Regardless of whether coming by car, tractor or at the wheel of a harvesting machine, the only way to get onto the island is by taking the ferry from Brăila's urban area. There is no bridge.

The decision to take these green tractors with theirred wheel rims to the island was actually taken duringthe previous autumn. At that time, one 936 Vario and three other tractors from different manufacturersin the performance class of 350 to 400 hp were operating on this island, located close to the BlackSea. "The tractors were tested intensively over several hundred hours", reported Cristian Danescu, DirectorGeneral of Romania's Fendt sales partner MEWI. Once the giant Allgäu tractor had proven its capabilities, Buzdugan found his decision was a quick and easy one to make. "The performance of the Fendttractor speaks for itself! Furthermore, the philosophies of our companies fit together perfectly. Particularly when it comes to achieving a perfect balance between efficiency and climate protection, the tractors from the Allgäu with their fuel-saving SCR technology and their high level of cost-effectiveness are the perfect working implements", enthused the agricultural manager. Above all, the CEO was impressed by the pace at which they could work. For one hectare, the Romanians now need just quarter of an hour, using their new high-performance tractors from the Allgäu.

The guys in charge of AGRICOST have set themselves some challenging objectives. Buzdugan and his company wish to expand further to be competitive on the European market. "We can only obtain high harvesting yields using the most powerful agricultural vehicles, particularly when you take the gigantic surface areas involved in our work on Brăila", addedDanescu. For this, MEWI provides the team on Brăila with more than advice and active support in relation toservice matters, but also delivers organised drivertraining courses, covering theory and practice. Aconstant presence at these training courses for Romanian drivers is Hubert Martin from the Allgäu'tractor forge' (!), a Fendt Vario expert with an impeccabletrack record. "I speak no Romanian, but everythingran very smoothly indeed. I had a great interpreterwith me", replied the 52-year old drivinginstructor. Hubert Martin turned no fewer than 90 Romanian tractor drivers into real experts in their handling, operation and grasp of technology relating to theFendt tractors. The training delivered directly on andaround the vehicle is really the most important element,stated Martin. "The drivers have to sit on thetractor, they need to have the terminal in front ofthem and, in a manner of speaking, they need tobreathe Fendt air – to inhale the spirit of the brand.That is a great deal more valuable than long drawn out theoretical training courses", said the self-confident native of the Allgäu region. As a consequence, by early summer, 35 Fendt 939 Vario tractors with acombined horsepower rating of 13,650 hp were plying the 56,000 hectares on Brăila.