JCB has won a massive order for more than a thousand of its iconic backhoe loaders in a deal which is designed to transform the rural economy of Brazil. Brazil's Ministry of Agrarian Development has signed a tender for the JCB backhoes worth more than ?40 million. The landmark order for the 3C machines comes as the company marks 60 years of backhoe loader production.

The 1,000 machines will be delivered throughout 2013 and put straight to work improving rural roads to ensure food produced for sale gets to market much quicker.

While the machines will be manufactured at JCB's new $100 million factory opened last September, the deal will also bring huge benefits to JCB's UK factories. Transmissions and axles will be supplied by JCB Transmissions in Wrexham and 12,000 hydraulic cylinders by JCB's World HQ at Rocester. The latest order comes after JCB Brazil successfully supplied more than 1,000 backhoes last year to the same customer as part of the first phase of the development of rural roads.