Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 406 i Farms and Farm Machinery

Vanderfield’s brand name will be retired after RDO Equipment announced its branches and staff would come together under one name. The move means Vanderfield, along with construction equipment dealer Vermeer Australia, will now be known as RDO Equipment. For Vanderfield, a Queensland-based John Deere agriculture dealer, it is the end of a brand name that had existed since 1963. Vanderfield CEO Bruce Vandersee, who held the role for 28 years and will remain a director and shareholder of RDO Equipment, says the Offutt family, who own and founded RDO, has been an ideal business partner. “Since they invested in Vanderfield nearly 10 years ago, the Offutt family have shared our values and have been great partners to me and my family,” he says. “They understand agriculture, take a long-term view,…

Almost 50,000 dairy cows were genetically tested during 2020–21; a result of faster turnaround times for genomic data, favourable industry conditions and a Dairy Australia/DataGene genomic testing campaign, according to DataGene CEO Matthew Shaffer. Shaffer reported this advancement in herd improvement at DataGene’s virtual annual general meeting held on November 18. DataGene is an initiative of Dairy Australia and the herd improvement industry that uses genetic testing, software for herd testing, and herd recording and data systems. Another highlight of the year, says Shaffer, was the co-development with herd test centres of a new service, HerdPlatform, that allows dairy farmers to interact with their data online and gain new insights into their business. DataGene’s HerdData App for smartphones allows farmers to access information about their animals without need of a…

Livestock data will be shared throughout the supply chain after enterprise management platform AgriWebb linked up with blockchain-based track-and-trace platform KPMG Origins. It will allow customers of the Sydney-based AgriWebb to standardise their farm data through KPMG Origins’ platforms and provide secure access to external partners such as retailers, banks and industry bodies. Farmers have control over which data is uploaded to the platform, including processing practices, breeding property or certifications and it is hoped farmers will “receive additional value from supply chain partners” in return for sharing livestock records, data and certifications. AgriWebb co-founder John Fargher says traceability of red meat is becoming increasingly important, with international buyers requesting more information to validate claims about meat products. “Our integration with KPMG Origins helps empower farmers to educate consumers and…

Monarch Tractors completed a US$61 million (A$86.2 million) series funding round following an initial $US20 million (A$28.3 million) raised in March. The brand, established by former Tesla manager Mark Schwager, received the funding from Astanor Ventures – one of the world’s leading sustainable food ventures, with additional contributions from CNH Industrial, At One Ventures and Trimble Ventures. Monarch says the funding will go toward accelerating the production and deployment of the smart tractors and expanding its manufacturing footprint in order to meet growing global demand. International pilot test programs will also be launched to ascertain regional market validation, with Monarch expected to expand its footprint into South America, Europe and Asia. Astanor Ventures spokesperson Hendrik Van Asbroeck says there is a need to identify more sustainable alternatives in the tractor…

Don’t confuse simplicity with basic either. I’m sure it’s taken plenty of time and research to get to the Buckton silage wagon of today. Keeping things simple is exactly what this month’s test machine, the Buckton SD100 silage wagon, is all about. Silage wagons have been the go-to machine for feeding bulk pit silage of both grass and maize varieties for years on farms throughout the country. Although mixer wagons have been appearing around the countryside for some time now, they can’t compete with a standard silage wagon for ease of use, and this can be an important factor on farms where staff are animal people and machinery is a necessary evil to keep the animals fed. Test time We checked out the latest addition to the Buckton collection on…

Ennor Engineering’s latest product – the 32 Series 12.7 Gen II disc plough – has been sold to customers in multiple states since hitting the market earlier this year. It forms just one part of a rich and long history for Ennor Engineering, which is based in the southern New South Wales town of Deniliquin and manufactures its own products locally. The family-owned company’s history dates to 1949 when it started life as a blacksmith shop, before shifting to manufacturing in the late 1970s. The first disc implement to carry the Ennor brand was built in 1980 and was a 32-inch (81cm) machine, just as the newest disc plough is. Plenty has changed in the past 40 years, of course, with more features being added to Ennor’s machines. One upgrade…

John Shearer has unveiled its latest electric drive mounted airdrill, which it says is ideal for farmers with small- to medium-sized holdings. The AS2400LT airdrill is electrically driven, replacing traditional chains and sprockets to reduce maintenance demands of the equipment. The new electric drive means operators can stay in control from inside the tractor cab. Available in 47-row, 40-row or 35-row specifications, the machine boasts sowing widths of 5.875m, 6m and 6.125m respectively. However the 40-row, 6m sowing width model is available with spacing options of 125mm, 150mm or 175mm. Equipped with folding wings, making it narrow when transporting but wide while sowing, the AS2400LT boasts folded width of 2.8–2.98m, meaning it is compliant with transport regulations. The machine’s two-component hopper can be filled with seeds or fertiliser to a…

Eighteen months ago, farmers started hearing about a shortage of computer chips impacting global supply chains and, hence, causing delays in the supply of ag chemicals, parts and equipment. Twelve months ago, farmers were getting reports of shipping and container shortages pushing up the price and adding to the delays in the supply chain. Six months ago, the world started to see major rises in the price of coal and gas as a result of Europe’s summer of no wind and flooding across China’s key coal producing provinces, plus the resurgent demand for Chinese goods in the wake of the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines Last month, we were told about the globe running out of the diesel additive AdBlue, potentially stopping Australia’s trucking industry in its tracks, along with…

The output of Australian horticulture farms has remained steady despite the ongoing labour shortage facing the sector, research from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Research Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has found. As noted in the Labour use in Australian agriculture: Analysis of survey results report, the reduced availability of overseas labour due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an eight per cent drop in horticulture worker numbers. However, improved growing conditions and adaptations made at the farm level have helped the horticulture sector steady its output. ABARES executive director Jared Greenville says the impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural workforce in Australia has been felt most directly in horticulture. “The number of workers used by horticultural farms declined by 11,100 from 2019–20 to 2020–21 mainly due to fewer seasonal…

charging ahead The Toro WE 500 wheeled compact utility loader is powered by a lithium-ion battery for ease of use both indoors and outdoors, the company says. More at TradePlantEquipment.com.au TRADEPLANTEQUIPMENT.com.au 17,670+ items for sale in print & online…

An impending AdBlue shortage could have major implications on Australian transport and supply chains, with farmers to be affected both directly and indirectly. The issue stems from China stopping exports of urea, one of the main ingredients in the emissions reduction additive. AdBlue, or diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), is used to reduce emissions from diesel engines and has become particularly popular in Europe with emissions requirements becoming stricter. Farmers will be directly impacted if their tractors require AdBlue, while urea is also used in fertilisers. The biggest impact for Australia will be on the trucking industry and getting goods, including farm produce, distributed. Transport industry groups held a roundtable conversation about the issue and Australian Trucking Association chair David Smith says he has been told the nation’s AdBlue supply is…

Management of Victoria’s Sungold Field Days is now in the hands of Shepparton News publisher McPherson Media Group (MMG), with the event expected to return in February 2023, possibly in a new location. Running since 1981 and traditionally held at Allansford, about 12km east of Warrnambool, Sungold was owned and run by Saputo Dairy Australia, showcasing a vast range of agricultural machinery and the latest in dairy innovations. Goulburn Valley-based MMG publishes 12 newspapers across the Goulburn Valley and Southern Riverina and a range of business, health and agricultural magazines, as well as running events including the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo. MMG events manager Jamie Gilbert says that Sungold is a good fit for the company. “With its focus on dairy innovation and agricultural machinery and products, Sungold Field Days…

Silicon fertiliser company Agripower has partnered with a federal government-backed research centre with the aim of improving soil productivity and increasing farm yields. Agripower will work with the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) to make “improvements in the extraction of moisture from the subsoil to overcome common constraints and improve root health”. Agripower says more than 60 per cent of Australia’s 20 million hectares of cropping soil have constraints such as acidity, salinity and sodicity and are therefore yielding less than their water-limited potential. Four on-farm experiments will take place in Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria to assess the long-term effectiveness of new practices and products in soil types used by the grains and sugarcane industry. The partnership will also involve Agripower collaborating…

Agricultural machinery owners and independent repairers should be provided with access to repair information and diagnostic software, the Australian government’s Productivity Commission (PC) has recommended. An inquiry report into the right to repair has recommended the Australian government should introduce and amend existing right to repair laws after establishing a repair supplies obligation for motor vehicles earlier this year. Due to commence in July 2022, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme (MV Scheme) requires manufacturers to share vehicle diagnostic, service and repair information on reasonable commercial terms with third-party vehicle repairers. Currently, agricultural machinery repairs are dominated by the authorised dealer network of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), rather than third-party repairers or by farmers doing the repairs themselves. But the PC found that restricting access to supplies…

The month of November has been another outstanding one for the agricultural equipment market with tractor sales continuing to break records, supported by a huge month in the sale of combine harvesters. Tractor sales across the nation enjoyed a strong rise of 21 per cent on the same month last year. This now sees the year-to-date (YTD) figure 28 per cent above last year with a running rate now approaching 18,000 tractors per annum. Sales have been strong in all states, fuelled by the excellent harvest season underway and supported by the government’s various company tax incentive programs. Beginning in NSW sales were up 16 per cent for the month and are now 43 per cent ahead YTD, Queensland was again strong up 19 per cent now up 25 per…

Lemken has extended its application range of cultivators with the introduction of a new hybrid cultivator to the Australian market. The Koralin hybrid cultivator is available in 6.6 and 8.4 metre working widths and features a combination of discs and a tine frame with duckfoot sweep shares. Instead of being fixed to the frame, the tools on the Koralin have a rolling motion, which enables them to break up the soil more efficiently. Two rows of vertically operating discs are arranged in front of horizontally operating tines to better break up the soil and cut organic remains. The discs and tines cut into the soil ahead of the point and the edges of the duckfoot sweep shares, resulting in more penetration into the soil, less blockages, and less wear on…

Using tracks in place of tyres has been shown to help maximise work and lower operating costs, whether the operation is ground preparation, planting or harvesting, according to overseas tests. Wheel, tyre and track suppliers Big Tyre distributes the Trackman range of agricultural rubber tracks in Australia, and the company’s sales manager Robert Ward says the products can offer better flotation and traction, as well as less soil compaction and a smoother ride. Ward explains that rubber tracks typically operate with a slip of 3–5 per cent compared to tyres, which have a slip of up to 10 per cent or greater. Slip causes compaction by creating pressure and moving the soil – either compressing it between the lugs as the tyre tries to grip the surface, being compressed into…

Australia’s 2021–22 winter crop production is expected to hit a record 58.4 million tonnes at harvest, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). The new predicted national record, outlined in the December edition of ABARES’ Australian Crop Report, is a 6.6 per cent upward revision from its September estimate of 54.8 million tonnes. With production also expected to increase for every major livestock commodity, this puts Australian farmers on track to produce a history-making agricultural gross production value of $78 billion. The latest figure is $5.4 billion more than predicted just a few months ago. The value of agricultural exports is also forecast to hit a record $61 billion, up $6.5 billion. In the crop report, ABARES says good rainfall and favourable growing conditions…

Australia’s two major foreign labour schemes will be consolidated into a streamlined program to be overseen by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the federal government has announced. The new Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme will combine the existing Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) once implemented in April 2022. The combined scheme will set out to find solutions to the labour shortages faced by primary industries as a result of border restrictions over the past 18 months. It will see more than 55,000 Pacific and East Timorese workers fill unskilled to semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia, in fields such as agriculture. Following initial reforms made to seasonal worker programs in September, the PALM scheme will also have new features to better improve…

A recently-released report from CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS), called Fighting plagues and predators: Australia’s path to a pest and weed-free future, says action is needed now to prevent further extinctions of native Australian species. CSIRO says a conservative estimate of the cost of damage caused by invasive species in Australia – predominantly weeds, feral cats, rabbits and fire ants – is $390 billion over the past six decades and around $25 billion each year and growing. Over eight in 10 nationally-listed threatened species are endangered by invasive species and more than 70 per cent of Australia’s native animals are found nowhere else. Invasive species also undermine agriculture, leading to increased food and fibre prices. It is estimated that weeds cost agriculture at least $5 billion…

With Australian winter crop production in 2021–22 forecast to reach a new national record (see p46), Coolamon spreaders NSW and Victoria regional sales manager Shane Cummins says demand for the company’s innovative spreader chaser bins is at a new high. “We are 80 per cent sold out for next year at this stage, which is unprecedented for the company’s history,” he says. “We still have several 36-tonne units available but that is the only size in stock. “The 24-, 30-, 45- and 60-tonne chaser bins have completely sold out. There is nothing for immediate delivery but we do have a few spots for delivery after June 30, 2022.” Coolamon spreader chasers range from the SC2416 model with a 16,000-litre capacity up to the SC4026 model at 40,000 litres. The spreader…

A brand new range of front end loaders has been designed and launched for Case IH tractors, ranging from the Farmall C to Puma models. Now being built in France, the new loader series is split into three ranges, and dealers can order a tractor and loader together for the customer to ensure the process is more efficient. The new A, U and T front loader ranges, comprising 27 models, can be ordered through the Case IH dealer configurator digital software, making possible a single purchase of selected tractor and matched loader, along with any attachments. The flagship T range is aimed at high-output work, with premium specifications including hydraulic self-levelling, and in sizes that match Case IH tractor models from the Farmall 55C to the Puma 240. Next comes…

Designed and engineered in Australia, the Earthquake Post Rammer range offer quality, durability and nationwide sales and service. The tough clay soils of the Darling Downs have long presented a formidable challenge for farmers, trying to install long-lasting fences that are steadfastly secured in the ground. It’s an environment that has suited Mick Dowel, selling earthmoving and farming attachments and equipment throughout the region for over a decade. It was in the early years that Dowel was contacted by long-time customer and fencing contractor Luke Sheuerle, of Darling Downs Ag Repairs, to build him a post driving machine that would suit a skid steer loader. What was devised was a hydraulic powercell wrapped in a silencing housing that included a multi-fit frame to suit Sheuerle’s John Deere skid steer loader.…

New Holland Agriculture has released images of its straddle tractor concept, specifically designed for narrow vineyards with rows less than one and a half metres wide. New Holland partnered with Italian automotive and industrial designer Pininfarina to develop what the company says is a futuristic design around a high-comfort, high-safety cab and electric propulsion. Inspired by the shape of a champagne flute – tall, wide at the top and tapering down at the bottom – the shape, together with wraparound glass, provides the operator with exceptional visibility around the machine. The interior, easily accessible thanks to the large single door and rotating seat, offers a comfortable environment, with wood used inside for a plush, luxurious feel, says New Holland. “Our ground-breaking straddle tractor concept offers a glimpse into the future…

Geelong Classic Truck & Machinery Show – Breakwater Geelong plays host to one of the biggest and best displays of classic trucks, tractors, cars, machinery and much more. As well as having a range of visiting clubs and displays, the event also showcases the Vintage Machinery Section’s own pavilion, with a wide range of steam-powered machinery. WHEN: January 15–16, 2022 MORE INFO: www.classictruckandmachinery.com.au IDW Australia – Tatura Park Australia’s International Dairy Week is a forum to showcase the latest developments in Australian dairy cattle, farming practices, dairy knowledge, breeding and genetics, machinery, equipment and technology, environmental management and services. IDW is the place to be for all dairy farmers, breeders, producers, companies, organisations and others operating within the dairy industry. WHEN: January 16–20, 2022 MORE INFO: http://internationaldairyweek.com.au Eurobodalla Agricultural Show…

Bourgault has been manufacturing air seeders for more than 40 years and with experience comes knowledge. The Canadian company, with a strong local presence through Bourgault Australia, introduced the world’s first tow-behind seeder in 1980 and has an in-house agronomy team that aims to keep it at the forefront of innovation. Involving a mixture of smart planning and capitalising on technological advances in machinery, Bourgault shares its top 10 tips for how farmers can best utilise their air seeder. Input costs Rising input costs can take away the profit from all your hard work, so the desired solution is to mitigate recent increases in costs of seeds and fertilisers without negatively impacting yield. The best way to increase the value of high-cost inputs is to increase efficiency by putting exactly…

Distributor Farmgard has widened its supply networks for Italy’s Celli range of cultivators, which offers new options to help farmers prepare their paddocks for sowing. Manufactured in Italy, the Celli range comprises power harrows, rotary hoes, spading machines and rippers, and dates its origins back to the 1950s. But it’s the company’s Australian and New Zealand-developed combovator bed-forming system that continues to attract widespread interest among horticulturalists on this side of the world. The machine combines soil cultivation and raised bed formation in the one unit, combining either a power harrow or rotary tiller with a bed former or roller – depending on an individual’s needs. The bed former and roller can also be lifted or removed to allow the unit to operate as a cultivator. Farmgard director Scott Capper…

The apple-green GrainRite self-propelled augers have been a talking point among grain haulers since they first hit the market about 10 years ago – and there’s plenty more to talk about. GrainRites are manufactured by Jaeschke’s of Tarranyurk, and Maree Jaeschke says the auger’s iconic colour was a deliberate choice that ultimately led them to adopt “The Green One” as its slogan. “We chose that colour because we wanted something different. So that it did stand out,” she says. “The slogan actually came from the truck drivers – they would say ‘you’ve got to get one of those green ones’, so that’s why we use it.” Starting out as machinery dealers, the Jaeschke family have been selling the GrainRite augers since 2011, developing their own heavy-duty design for Australian conditions…

It’s little secret that farming in Australia is a tough gig at the best of times, given its largely dry and harsh environment. That’s why the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) declaration on November 23 that a La Niña weather system had developed in the tropical Pacific Ocean caused quite a stir amongst the agricultural industry. The system is expected to persist in the southern hemisphere until late in the summer and may even stick around until early Autumn, and with it, an above average rainfall is now expected across the eastern seaboard states. Professor Graeme Hammer – a professor in crop science at the University of Queensland’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) – says La Niña conditions will likely be a positive for farmers who use water…

The global beef market is tipped to tighten further in 2022, according to Rabobank’s quarterly industry report. The agribank’s Beef Quarterly report also expects “trade-exposed beef nations” such as Australia to be impacted by alterations to global trade flows caused by changing demand. Reduced beef production in the United States is a significant factor in the report’s outlook, Rabobank says, with concerns about both drought and feed cost and availability contributing towards an expected 2.5 per cent drop next year. Australia’s ability to capitalise on global demand is limited by a “sluggish” post-drought herd rebuilding effort, with export volumes down 16 per cent year-to-date to October. Report co-author and Rabobank senior animal proteins analyst Angus Gidley-Baird says the impact on exports to each of Australia’s biggest markets has been considerably…