Australian Farmers & Dealers Journal - May 2015

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AU ST RALASIA N FA R M E R S’ & D E A LE R S ’

RURAL MACHINERY, IMPLEMENTS, PARTS, VEHICLES AND TECHNOLOGY

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For More Information Phone: (08) 8260 9800 Email: apsales@agleader.com Web: www.agleader.com

INSIDE: Field Days & Expo Guide, Pumps/Generators & Tyres

CREATING VALUE AT EVERY POINT OF TRANSFER

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MAY 2 0 15 - IN TH IS I S S U E BUDGET UPDATE

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AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’

18 FEATURE INTERVIEW

RURAL MACHINERY, IMPLEMENTS, PARTS, VEHICLES AND TECHNOLOGY

www.agleader.com MINIMIZE WASTE, MAXIMIZE PROFIT

34 WATER/IRRIGATION

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It just makes cents.

Established 1984 Publisher & Manager Editor Hartley Higgins

7% average input savings from AutoSwath equals

2 YEAR ROI*

* “Impact of Auto-Swath Technology on Agricultural Sprayer Boom Dynamics”, Dr John P Fulton, Auburn University USA, 2007.

37 TYRES

Australasian Farmers’ & Dealers’ Journal

Exciting News!

Ag Leader has been appointed responsibility for all GPS Ag dealerships!

General Manager Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editorial

Talk with us today.

46 CONTRACTOR PROFILE

For More Information Phone: (08) 8260 9800 Email: apsales@agleader.com Web: www.agleader.com

Tom Dawkins

INSIDE: Field Days & Expo Guide, Pumps/Generators & Tyres

Email: edit.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au Advertising Manager

R EG U L A R S

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4 NEWS

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Sue Craig Ph: 0407600282 Email: s.craig@ryanmediapl.com.au

26 FIELD DAYS CALENDAR

Creative Services

49 TMA NEWS

Simon Miles

50 ADVERTISERS INDEX

Email: prod.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au Circulation Email: admin.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au

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FRO M THE EDI T O R TRADITIONAL machinery and agricultural field days have been a fixture of the regional farm sector for a long time and many would hope that such shows and expos have a long future ahead of them.

In this edition, the future of field days is put under the microscope by two very qualified industry players – Landpower Australia boss Merv George and Tractor & Machinery Association of Australia executive director Richard Lewis.

Both men issue a challenge to event organisers to ensure that field days adapt with the times and remain relevant to machinery exhibitors.

Given the commitment and significant expense associated with participating in regional field days, machinery companies are, it seems, starting to question whether their presence at such events is a high priority.

No doubt machinery manufacturers and distributors, most of whom have a presence in rural areas via local dealerships, would naturally want to support regional events such as field days as part of their commitment to ‘putting back’ into local communities.

But as Mr George points out, machinery businesses are on a never-ending quest to minimise costs and invest their marketing budget as effectively as possible. This, he says,

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is key to remaining competitive in a tough marketplace and being able to offer its products at the cheapest possible price.

Mr Lewis sums the situation up, saying that exhibitors will be tempting to spend their marketing dollars on digital platforms and captive events.

“Where field days where once 100 per cent of the marketing spend of a machinery business, this number is diminishing and would not account for 50pc these days,” Mr Lewis said.

“There needs to be a rethink on field days – fewer of them, less often and more targeted towards the machinery exhibitors to get some bang for their buck.”

Finally, as this edition of AFDJ is going to print the country is absorbing the Federal Government’s 2015/16 Budget. National Farmers’ Federation president Brent Finlay said the agriculture portfolio largely held its ground, with funding of around $2 billion.

“The measures announced tonight on trade, tax breaks and small business measures will be welcome news for Australian farmers,” Mr Finlay said. Refer page 8 for Barnaby Joyce’s post-budget opinion piece.

Tom Dawkins, editor edit.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au

Phone Cathy Johnson (03) 9888 4822 or email to subscribe: admin.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide, South Australia Ryan Media Pty Ltd ABN 85 085 551 980 Suite 103, 486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: (03) 9888 4822 Fax: (03) 9888 4840 Email: admin.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au Website: www.afdj.com.au

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All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent of the publishers.

Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd.

NEWS CropsScan 3000S wows Wimmera field day NEXT Instruments was awarded the 2015 AgriBusiness Innovation of the Year Award at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days for the CropScan 3000S On Silo Analyser, which was launched at the event in March.

The CropScan 3000S is a unique system designed for measuring protein, moisture and oil in grains and oil seeds as they pass through an auger, along a conveyor belt or through a pneumatic pipe. The system consists of the CropScan 3000 Near Infrared Transmission spectrometer, a remote sampling head and a touch screen PC controller mounted onto a trolley for transporting the system around the yard or shed.

The CropScan 3000S On Silo Analyser is part of an ongoing product development that started 15 years ago when NIR Technology Systems developed a portable NIR analyser for farmers. Since 2000, NIR Technology Systems and now Next Instruments, have introduced a complete range of onfarm analyser technology that includes the CropScan 3000H On Combine

Analyser, the CropScan 1000H On Farm Analyser, the CropScan 1000B Whole Grain Analyser and CropNet Farm Data Management Software.

The CropScan 3000S allows farmers, grain traders and grain processors to measure the quality parameters of their grain in real-time. This enables the user to monitor the protein, moisture and oil content as the grain is being loaded into a container, a truck or a ship. It allows farmers to blend grain from two silos to ensure that they meet contract specifications. It also allows grain processors, flour millers and stockfeed manufacturers to check incoming loads of grain to ensure greater uniformity in feed stock.

The CropScan 3000S, like all the CropScan range of NIR analysers, is linked to CropNet software which can then post data in real-time to the web.

Farmers, buyers and traders can access the web using their smart phones, tablets or office computer to capture grain quality data along with tonnage, storage location, variety and other information relating to the grain.

Next Instruments is a business setup under a unique business model. Next Instruments has brought together a range of innovative analytical and process instruments suitable for use in the food, agriculture and nutrition markets.

Next Instruments has procured and licensed a number of instruments developed in Australia and is marketing them through its worldwide network of dealers and distributors. These instruments have been developed by the CSIRO, various universities and local companies. These products offer innovative solutions to the analysis of food, grains, dairy products, meat products, beverages, feeds and meals.

Next Instruments now has a range of over 20 products with excellent software packages, sampling accessories and data processing tools, that have achieved a significant level of sales both domestically and internationally.

Details: www.nextinstruments.net • M ore highlights from the Wimmera Machinery Fields Days on p30

NFF welcomes Federal Government move to reform unfair contract term protections THE National Farmers’ Federation has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to extending unfair contract term protections to small businesses. There are over 130,000 farm businesses in Australia and most are small and medium-sized enterprises.

Chief executive officer of the NFF, Simon Talbot, said that primary producers are in a uniquely vulnerable position, due to the time pressures and logistical disadvantages in supplying perishable goods.

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“Consumers rightly have protection against unfair contract terms,” Mr Talbot said.

“That protection needs to be extended to the small and medium-sized businesses which are primary producers of perishable commodities.”

Mr Talbot said that participation in the perishable commodities market was highly competitive and condensed.

“Primary producers are commonly dealt with on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis.

Their ability to negotiate alternative

terms of trade with those in a dominant market position is limited,” he said.

“They have goods they have to sell and very limited time frames. We appreciate the Federal Government’s understanding of their situation, and their commitment to do something about it.”

“The proposed legislation will help ensure that primary producers can act as reasonable commercial parties engaging in routine negotiations.”

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Strong Competition drives NZ machinery market

 Landpower’s Christchurch headquarters in New Zealand.

LANDPOWER Australia director Merv George says there are significant differences between the Australian and New Zealand machinery markets.

Mr George, who is himself a Kiwi and continues to travel to his homeland at least once a month on business with Landpower, says New Zealand’s “softer environment” contrasted greatly with Australia’s parched lands.

“I go to New Zealand and fly in on a plane and I see everything is green and beautiful, even though they say they are in a drought,” he said.

“The country still has its stresses. It's a small country and agriculture is quite intense. The NZ dairy industry has doubled its milk production in the past decade while Australia has gone backwards.

“The trouble is the concentration of cows, and the nitrate levels are now in focus because you have too many cows for the land’s ability to suck-up the nitrates. So they have their own set of pressures which are not Australia's pressures because of the soil types and the geographical nature of NZ.” But is it a harder or easier place for machinery companies to operate?

“There's always competition and there are similar challenges but they are not climate driven. They're similar because all the competition is there, the farmers are much closer together so geography there would be dealers 100 kilometres apart not 300-500km like in Australia, so there's less travel.”

Mr George said the closer proximity in NZ meant companies like Landpower had greater insight into their competition.

“The visibility of your competitor’s machines is easier because you can see them over your fence as the farms are quite small,” he said.

Mr George believes the farm machinery business is very competitive worldwide because the return on revenue is very low. The performance of companies that are buying up dealerships in Australasia are working on a return which is down to 1 per cent.

“So you've got operate in a very smart way if you're operating on those tiny margins,” he said.

“That's what we operate in and that’s always been the way. It’s a tough business to be in, it’s changing but I don't think it will be any less tough in the future.

“It’s not staying the way it is. I see the TMA numbers and I look at what they say, no one can say what’s actually going to happen for sure, but certainly they'll be fewer farmers and fewer dealers and there will have to be smarter people in our business.”

Mr George said the Tractor and Machinery Association was a real asset for the industry in Australia.

“The TMA do a really good job of helping our industry. The reason there's no strong TMA in New Zealand is because sharing information in tighter markets is dangerous. For example, if you give me all the mower sales that occur in a particular small region then all of a sudden I’ll know which dealership has sold it and then I can go and chase it.”

“New Zealand is a much tighter more closed marketplace.”

Mr George said that the New Zealand machinery market was oversupplied.

“All the tractor brands in the world seem to sell in New Zealand, from the European and US brands to the Chinese, so it is oversupplied especially considering the size of the market,” he said.

“It could quite easily have just two or three suppliers and they could handle the market without difficulty.”

Landpower’s distribution in New Zealand is 50 per cent privately owned and 50pc owned by Landpower, which Mr George believes is a good balance. The company owns less in Australia, but it is likely to own more in the future.

“But whether it is Australia or New Zealand, dealers are so busy with their heads down working in the business of today that they're not seeing what is happening and working towards securing their future,” he said.

• More from Landpower’s Merv George on p 18-19

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS US survey puts Ag Leader on top PREMIUM provider of precision agricultural hardware and software in Australia, Ag Leader Technology, recently announced that it has been identified as the strongest brand in precision agriculture in a recent survey conducted

by Farm Journal Media, USA. The survey listed several top contenders in the precision agriculture markets and participants selected their opinion of ‘the strongest brand’, ‘which brand they currently use’ and ‘how satisfied they were with their current brand’.

The survey also revealed that Ag Leader users are very brand loyal, with a full 100 per cent of respondents believing that Ag Leader is better than its competitors.

One such loyal farmer is David Ausberger of Jefferson, Iowa.

“I like the flexibility of Ag Leader products, to be able to transfer the display from machine to machine, which maximizes value,” Mr Ausberger said.

“I also appreciate the customer support, which is available more often than others I’ve used. Also, it seems Ag Leader is very innovative. They are always looking forward to produce a product that adapts to my machine and provides value.”

Ag Leader is located in Ames, Iowa where the company designs, manufactures

and markets industry leading precision farming technology to help growers make smart, profitable business decisions.

Founded in 1992, the company has achieved consistent growth and expansion by providing value-based products that help growers and agricultural professionals achieve and maintain a successful, profitable operation.

Customer service and support is a high priority at Ag Leader, which employs a dedicated support staff and offers extended support hours during times of high seasonal demand.

Ag Leader president Al Myers said the company was very proud of such recognition from its customers.

“This falls in line with the Ag Leader company mission, which is to be the supplier of choice in the precision ag market. Our aim is to accomplish this by exceeding customer expectations in technology, quality, service and value,” Mr Myers said.

Ag Leader precision farming products are sold through an elite network of highly trained precision ag specialists. Together Ag Leader and its dealers strive to improve agriculture by helping growers plan, plant, apply, harvest and manage more efficiently and profitably.

Another US client, dealer Tim Luster, also sang the praises of Ag Leader.

“Partnering with Ag Leader for my dealership’s precision ag solutions has proven to be a great choice. They’re an accessible, innovative and marketable business ally for my precision agriculture business,” said Mr Luster, of Delta Precision Systems, Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Ag Leader’s Asia Pacific regional business manager Derren Halprin said the company was grateful to its hard-working dealer network and their customers.

“We are excited to be recognized so highly by our customers,” Mr Halprin said.

“And we endeavour to continue to excel in our product innovation, product quality and customer care.”

• Details: www.agleader.com

Case IH Red Power Tour draws customers across five states FEBRUARY and March marked the first ever Case IH Red Power Tour in Australia. A convoy of shiny new red tractors was driven around the country on the back of three big Iveco trucks, in a roadshow for regional Case IH customers.

The tour presented the new Case IH product models for 2015.

Over 250 customers came along to the five events held in Perth, Kadina, Mildura, Dubbo and Rockhampton.

Front and centre on the day was the new Magnum Rowtrac, which won Tractor of the Year for 2015 and most recently, Machine of the Year at SIMA in Paris. The machine – the only one in Australia – arrived straight off the boat from North America on the first day of the tour.

Visitors could also test-drive the other models on show – the new mid-range Magnum, the Maxxum CVT, the Farmall C and Case IH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS).

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The open days were a big success, with customers leaving excited and informed about the up-and-coming products. Ken Ohnell, one of Case IH’s North American Product Specialists who was flown to Australia for the Red Power Tour, was on hand to answer any questions.

“I enjoyed talking with Australian customers about their needs for the future,” Mr Ohnell said.

“It’s interesting to hear about what’s important to them in their businesses, so we can work together to give them the products they need. And nothing beats customers being able to touch and test the new machines and see the technology firsthand.”

The Red Power Tour was a unique opportunity for regional customers to meet global product experts face to face and try out brand new machinery before it became available at their local dealer.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

When there’s water to move, only the No.1* will do...

BUDGET UPDATE A Government and budget that is delivering for farmers BARNABY JOYCE POST-BUDGET OPINION PIECE

Here’s a little story about Jack and Diane. Two young farmers doing as best as they can. And if they sell $1.9 million of cattle and grain a year, or grapes and wine, or wool and lamb and their turnover is under $2 million then they have the benefit of record commodity prices and now have an overwhelming reason to invest in their farms to make it bigger for them and better for Australia.

From 1, July 2016, the fences they build are 100 per cent deductible in the first year. The water infrastructure and dams they put will also be immediately 100 per cent tax deductible. The silos and hay sheds they build can be written off over three years.

As of 7.30pm on Budget night, small items of plant and equipment such as the post-hole diggers, chainsaws, motorbikes, quad runners, cattle crushes, pumps, generators, welders, second-hand vehicles and other items that cost up to $20,000 and are used on the farm are instantly 100 per cent tax deductible.

With a record turnaround in prices for cattle, sheep, wool, grains and increasing prospects in wine, tropical fruits and citrus, they are also able to get a 5 per cent discount on their tax capped at $1,000 per year.

The Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper that is yet to come but is budgeted for will assist further in these two young farmers’ positions.

The Coalition has presided over one of the greatest turnarounds in soft commodity prices, so because of our six new live animal destinations and three new Free Trade Agreements, Jack and Diane are enjoying record prices for cattle, sheep and a dramatic turnaround in the Eastern Market Wool indicator, strong prices in citrus, wine and grape and a virtual mosh-pit of international buyers trying to purchase their product.

Jack and Diane have vastly better prospects in Australia now than they did in the John Mellencamp song.

At the same time the Farm Household Allowance will spend close to half a billion dollars over the forward estimates in regional areas, which is in fact a half billion dollar economic stimulus package for regional communities which are doing it tougher in the drought areas. This money is spent in local towns and businesses supporting regional communities.

On top of this is the further recent announcement of a $35 million stimulus package for the communities at the epicentre of the drought, and a further $25 million on top of the $8.5 million already allocated for pest control for pests 8

 Barnaby Joyce such as wild dogs and pigs.

This money is spent on such things as fencing material which underpins the businesses of rural suppliers and hardware stores.

Farmers doing it tough also have the benefit of being able to access further concessional loans above the $270 million already lent out.

And an extra $250 million has been made available for the next 12 months at 3.84% and 3.21%. This means that banks have to be competitive in the money they lend and farmers know that the government is partnering with them in replanting and restocking after the drought to assist the nation in the growth of the soft commodity base.

We also committed $20 million for social and mental health support in recognition that the people on the land are our most important asset and we must always look after them.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

BUDGET UPDATE These measures are part of the $333 million drought package announced by the Prime Minister on the weekend.

Our attention to drought can also be seen in the Farm Household Allowance fortnightly support payment that is currently being received by over 4,800 farmers or their partners; and the 531 farm businesses that are accessing concessional loans.

For farmers are in Northern Australia, they will benefit from a $5 billion infrastructure program which in its initial announcement includes $100 million on beef roads so farmers can get their produce to market in more efficient ways.

We have an increase in exports of cherries and citrus. We have completed the Wheat and Barley Protocol for China.

We have started, and are well on the way, in delivering a Country of Origin Labelling scheme that is simple, diagrammatic, reflects proportionality as to the amount produced in our country, and is compulsory. We have changed the Foreign Investment Review Board guidelines to give proper oversight to our most precious assets - the land we stand on and the food it produces - not only for our nation, but for so many others.

We have had problems with grapes into Vietnam in the past, but we now have major new markets for our wine and table grapes into Japan and Korea and a re-opening of the China market – significant markets that are making a difference.

We are seeing signs of a turnaround in the wine industry with new contracts. We’ve opened up new markets for fruits, including lychees and mangoes. In livestock genetics we are also realising new opportunities, with better access for our bovine genetics into the US. We are working with industry to develop export strategies, so that our efforts achieve the best possible outcomes for farmers. We have also reformed the Research and Development Corporations for our wine and wine grape producers, as well as for our horticulture industries.

We have delivered three free trade agreements to give access to so many sections of agriculture — to China, Korea and Japan. And we have opened six new live animal markets: Egypt, Bahrain, Iran, Thailand, Cambodia and Lebanon.

We’ve got kangaroo meat moving into Peru – taking some pressure off the Western districts where there are excessive numbers adding to the drought.

As already stated we’ve put major money on the table to control pests, including wild dogs. We’ve delivered the first major new programme in decades, to control this scourge that leaves sheep and cattle maimed or dead, destroying farm productivity. We have assisted in the delivery of on farm water infrastructure with $23 million for on-farm bores, piping and troughs, and invested a further $15.9 million in the capping and piping of bores in the Great Artesian Basin.

We have started our dams programme, with $60 million for

water infrastructure in Tasmania and funding for the Chaffey Dam in Tamworth. And we have funded the continued delivery of infrastructure in the Murray Darling Basin.

We have focussed on small exporters, and we have put into action our Biosecurity Rapid Response team, for incursions such as the Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus and Panama Disease. As I write, we are on the cusp of passing the Biosecurity Bill 2014 – the single largest legislative reform to Australia’s biosecurity system in more than 100 years.

This year’s budget delivers practical support to primary producers and encourages money to be spent on-farm to increase production, and now means that every farmer has even more incentive to invest in drought resilience over the long term. The accelerated depreciation measures for primary producers (for fencing, water infrastructure and fodder storage), the additional $20,000 instant write-off for small business, the cut in the corporate tax rate as well as the additional five per cent tax discount on profits including non-corporate entities, capped at $1,000, will make an immediate and profound difference to farming operations right across the nation.

We have in the budget the money for the further delivery of the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper which will be announced once we have allowed the Australian farming community to absorb the significant budget measures announced this week.

We have already announced the first round for R&D For Profit grants to deal with pests such as parthenium weed and blackberries, but it also funds such programs as dairy extension research and invests in Australia’s white fish aquaculture industries. The projects funded in the first round will directly improve the profitability or productivity of Australian farms. Why is that? Because that was the key, nonnegotiable criteria that I personally insisted upon.

We remain committed and are progressing well towards creating centres of excellence for agriculture, so that regional towns that live in and by the agriculture economy have the investment in their expertise and culture to provide career paths for young graduates to have a long term future in agricultural research and policy.

In some of the commentary it is said that the benefits for small business are not there because the profits are not there.

I disagree with this because the profits for agriculture are there and our job is to accentuate the benefits to ensure the family farm is the cornerstone of Australian farming. And coming from a small family farming operation, my sympathy is firmly for the family farming business.

This is what the government has done thus far. People know in agricultural Australia that this government has made a real difference to their lives. And people in agricultural Australia can be affirmed in their view that this dedication will continue.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Measure productivity to plan for success Key points: • N ew research shows more than one in three farmers believe productivity measures benefit their business by helping them plan.

• Dairy farmers are leading the way when it comes to productivity monitoring, ahead of grain and livestock farmers.

• One third of farmers surveyed use data to help solve production issues.

NEW research from Commonwealth Bank has revealed that measuring and monitoring business productivity is a key focus for farmers in Victoria, Southern NSW and Eastern South Australia.

More than 300 grain, dairy and livestock farmers were surveyed as part of the research, with 40 per cent claiming that monitoring productivity has had a positive impact on their business.

Dairy farmers were especially committed to implementing productivity measurement, with 82pc monitoring daily milk production.

The CBA released the research to coincide with the Farm World field days in Victoria in March, where the central theme of productivity was explored in discussions across four days.

Commonwealth Bank has been a major sponsor of Farm World for more than 30 years.

Darryl Mohr, Commonwealth Bank’s General Manager Regional and Agribusiness Banking for Victoria and Tasmania, said the research results show that farmers are recognising the value of tracking data to help them improve productivity and profitability.

“What we’re seeing is that farmers are using data to plan their operation, and importantly, significant numbers are using monitoring data to help 10

 Darryl Mohr, Commonwealth Bank’s General Manager Regional and Agribusiness Banking for Victoria and Tasmania.

them improve their environmental sustainability, which is inherently linked with long term business viability,” Mr Mohr said.

“In the field, we know many farmers are using technology like water monitoring apps to help them improve sustainable productivity.

“Tracking is fundamental in measuring business success and preparing for the future. We’re seeing very high levels of yield monitoring in the dairy industry where the data is relatively easy to capture, but we’re also seeing farmers across all sectors gather data on a range of measures, from weather and water usage to prices at market.“

What we’re seeing is that farmers are using data to plan their operation

Mr Mohr said that the collection of productivity data allowed farmers to make informed assessments of their business practices.

“They can then integrate their learnings into their future business plans and track their results to continually improve their operations,” Mr Mohr said.

Key research findings from surveyed farmers who collect data were: • 61pc use collected data to compare their current results to their previous year • 30pc use collected data to correct issues in their operation, to enable them to increase production. The number rose to 35pc among dairy and beef farmers • 22pc use data to support environmental sustainability (28pc in dairy) • 40pc say measurement benefits their business by helping them to plan for the future and 22pc say it helps them increase production • 34pc of those surveyed benchmark their operations • Weather is the most-monitored aspect of farming, with 55pc of farmers maintaining weather record.

The research was conducted by independent research company GfK Animal and Crop Health among 331 grain, dairy and livestock farmers from Victoria, Southern NSW and Eastern SA, in February 2015.

The Commonwealth Bank is a strategic partner of Farm World and has been supporting the event since the 1980s. As part of its involvement in Farm World, Commonwealth Bank announces two awards (Best Stand Award and Innovation Award) each year. It also supports the Women in Agriculture lunch, and runs a breakfast panel discussion addressing topical issues.

• D etails: www.commbank.com.au/ agribusiness

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Younger farmers lead on-farm investment trend NEW research from Commonwealth Bank shows Australian farmers prefer a proactive approach to farm profitability that includes focusing on product quality over cost management and actively adjusting farm management strategy to meet the needs of the market.

The research is part of CommBank’s bi-annual ‘Agri Insights’ survey, which also shows farmers across almost every sector are likely to increase investment in their operations this year. The index now sits at 10.3 points, the highest result since it was launched a year ago.

Farmers in the 35 to 44 year age bracket are the most driven to try new innovations, with almost half of that group reporting they are usually among the first in their farming region to try out new ideas. Women are slightly more likely than men to choose more innovative practices.

The survey reveals that most farmers use a combination of sales approaches to get the best return for their product, with a smaller number preferring to stay with a tried and true method that has served them well in the past.

CBA’s executive general manager regional and agribusiness banking, Geoff Wearne, says the results indicate a good balance between proactive management and risk mitigation.

“In any industry, you need a mix of early adopters and those who take a more conservative management approach,” Mr Wearne said.

“Innovation is essential to keeping the industry globally competitive and sustainable, but a measured approach helps manage risk. What Agri Insights has revealed is a healthy mix of both in Australian agribusiness.

“Farmers are focused on improving production outcomes, largely through programs of continual crop and livestock improvement. We’re also seeing a trend towards more flexible product marketing, although the degree varies by sector.”

According to the survey, most sectors of the industry will grow production over the coming year. Dairy and prime lamb producers are the most likely to say they will expand operations, and beef intentions have recovered strongly, with six per cent of producers saying they will expand production, a 15pc improvement over this time last year.

Cotton is the only sector likely to experience reduced production, with 10pc of growers saying they will decrease their scale of operation this year. This still represents a strong improvement over the October 2014 results, when 51pc of growers said they would cut back.

“The sound results in the latest survey reflect improved seasonal conditions, stronger commodity prices in global markets and a weaker Australian dollar, all of which are driving positive agribusiness intentions for the next 12 months,” Mr Wearne said.

 Commonwealth Bank executive manager regional and agribusiness banking, Geoff Wearne.

“Dairy intentions are buoyed by a steep increase in the world dairy price index since the start of the year, coupled with a bullish outlook for 2015 thanks to solid demand from Asian markets and strong investment from China. Likewise, strong global demand is driving livestock intentions, with expected tighter supply and higher prices also contributing to intentions around flock and herd rebuilding.”

Key findings: • 69pc per cent of surveyed farmers say they use a combination of methods to sell product to the right market at the right time, while 31pc sell their produce the same way each year, taking the price on offer • Women are somewhat more willing to lead the way in trying new products or approaches (42pc of women versus 38pc of men) and they are also more likely than men to be prepared to adjust their practices in response to the market (64pc versus 60pc) • 69pc say maximising production and quality is most important to profitability while 31pc say managing costs is most important • 20pc of farmers are looking to increase investment in farm technology and innovation, 31pc intend to increase investment in fixed infrastructure and 16pc intend to increase investment in plant and equipment Agri Insights surveyed 1600 farmers about 14 aspects of farm operation, covering physical aspects (including production scale and land size), financial investment intentions and people aspects (regarding people working in and for the farm business).

Agri Insights asks respondents if they intend to increase, decrease or maintain their level of investment across a range of measures in the coming 12 months. A ‘net change’ measurement is used to evaluate the likely overall impact of farmers’ intentions.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS AgriVictoria to explore new global opportunities THE inaugural AgriVictoria – State of Opportunity summit to be held on June 11 will explore vital domestic and international connections, new innovations and provide real business solutions for farmers, producers and industry professionals from across food and fibre value chains.

AgriVictoria is being delivered in collaboration between The Victorian Farmers Federation, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, ANZ, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Victorian Agribusiness Council and The Global Foundation and will be held at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne.

The summit will also be supported by the Victorian Government and will focus on helping ensure that Victorian agribusiness is well placed to take advantage of trade and investment opportunities.

ANZ Head of Regional Banking Victoria and Tasmania Simone Tilley said AgriVictoria will bring together some diverse and influential speakers from across the agricultural sector to inform and challenge attendees on a range of topics including trade, economic opportunities and the future of the industry.

“If you would like to hear from some of the industry’s most inspiring thought leaders about how you can seize emerging global investment opportunities, then this event is for you,” Ms Tilley said.

Among the impressive line-up of speakers is National Farmers Federation chief executive Simon Talbot.

Mr Talbot was appointed as CEO of the NFF in September 2014. Prior to joining the NFF, he was a director at Mondelēz International (previously known as Kraft Foods & Cadbury) for seven years, heading the corporate affairs function for Australia and New Zealand and leading agricultural

12

 National Farmers Federation chief executive Simon Talbot will be a guest speaker at AgriVictoria in June.

investment in the Asia-Pacific, where he was responsible for the development and execution of food strategies in Australia, New Zealand, China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Mr Talbot is an extensive contributor to food manufacturing and Asian Century policy. He has led the development of an extensive and collaborative white paper addressing how Australian food processing and associated agricultural supply chain can substantially improve its innovation capacity and competitiveness as an industry. The paper outlines economic and other critical requirements required to develop a successful innovation hub and a strategy to advance food manufacturing in Australia and into Asia.

Other guest speakers will include PWC Partner, Andrew Parker; Dairy Australia’s Project Manager/Farm Business Management Capabilities, Neil Lane; Director of Agribusiness Research, ANZ Insights, Michael Whitehead; and Austrade’s Trade Manager Agribusiness, Andrew Barnes.

VFF President Peter Tuohey said AgriVictoria is also a great opportunity for people to network with key local agribusiness industry players, meet with real buyers and make strategic connections that will facilitate international market access.

The summit will be followed by Victoria’s premier agricultural event, Agriculture: The Heart of Victoria dinner. Presented by The VFF and The RASV at Central Pier, Docklands, this highly anticipated night of nights will recognise the importance of Victoria’s agricultural industry and showcase some of the states finest local produce.

RASV chief executive officer Mark O’Sullivan said RASV was pleased to again be partnering with VFF to build on the success of previous years’ events; with the last Heart of Victoria dinner attracting more than 850 people.

Tickets for the AgriVictoria – State of Opportunity summit and Agriculture: The Heart of Victoria dinner are on sale now.

• Details: http://www.agrivictoria.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

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NEWS Croppers encouraged to keep an eye on mouse numbers GRAIN growers in Australia’s southern cropping region are encouraged to monitor mouse populations and activity using the MouseAlert website (www. mousealert.org.au) in the lead-up to sowing of this year’s winter crops.

CSIRO researcher Steve Henry, who has just completed a three-state survey for a Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded project, says now is the time to be vigilant.

Mr Henry says SA’s Yorke Peninsula is where mouse populations are most significant. He describes the coastal strip between Port Victoria and Point Pearce as resembling “Swiss cheese” in some areas where mice have been burrowing.

In other parts of Yorke Peninsula mice are at low levels, especially where stubbles have been grazed. “Grazing creates disturbance to mice because sheep are trampling the ground,” Mr Henry said.

“Sheep also reduce food for mice by cleaning up any grain left on the ground after harvest.”

Where summer weeds and volunteer cereals have been sprayed following January rains, numbers of mice are generally low.

However, Mr Henry says growers should check paddocks previously planted to vetch and pulse crops.

“Grains from these crops which have been left on the ground often don’t germinate after the first summer rain, so they can remain a potential food source for some time,” Mr Henry said.

On SA’s upper Eyre Peninsula, moderate

levels of activity have been recorded in the Buckleboo region, while on the Adelaide Plains there are also places where moderate levels of activity have been recorded.

Mr Henry visited 35 farms to collect data on mice. There were signs of recent mouse activity on 10 farms in the Mallee between Walpeup in Victoria and Pinnaroo in SA but little activity was recorded on 11 farms between Horsham and Hopetoun in Victoria.

In the area around Coleambally in NSW, Mr Henry’s survey detected low numbers of mice in cropping paddocks.

Despite numbers being low in many areas, Mr Henry urges caution as mouse populations can increase rapidly if conditions become favourable.

In south-eastern Australia, Mr Henry surveys mice at three critical times of the year: He surveys in March to determine numbers ahead of seeding; June to assess activity during the crop growing phase; and in spring to get an understanding of population size and breeding activity prior to harvest.

Also, farmers and agronomists can contribute directly to information about mice in their local area by using MouseAlert. This is accessible by computer or mobile device and an app will soon be available.

Recent reports of mouse activity can be viewed with MouseAlert, and it provides access to fact sheets about mouse control and forecasts of the likelihood for future high levels of mouse activity in each

 CSIRO researcher Steve Henry

(pictured weighing a mouse) has just completed a three-state survey for a GRDC-funded project and says now is the time to be vigilant. Photo: Alice Kenney

grain-growing region.

MouseAlert, the surveys by Mr Henry, and research to develop more accurate forecasts of changes in mouse numbers, are all funded by the GRDC. This is a collaborative project between Landcare Research New Zealand, CSIRO, NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC).

The GRDC, on behalf of growers and the Australian Government, is continuing to invest in a range of mouse-related research, development and extension activities – including MouseAlert – aimed at providing information to growers and industry to improve early warning of possible plagues and rapid response to mouse activity.

• Details: www.mousealert.org.au

Nuffield grain grower scholarship opportunity AN opportunity to develop industry knowledge, skills and professional networks is being offered to southern region grain growers through the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars program with the support of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). The GRDC is supporting three Nuffield Scholarships 14

for 2016, including one for a grower from the southern region, which comprises southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

The agricultural research scholarships provide successful applicants with a rewarding opportunity to travel and study overseas and to join a unique worldwide agricultural network.

Nuffield Scholarships offer a six-week global focus program after which scholars will pursue their individual study topic for a further 10 weeks.

Applications for the 2016 Nuffield Scholarships close on June 30 this year.

• Details: www.nuffield.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Technology use leads farming trends in 2015

AUSTRALIAN farmers are leading the world in adopting precision agriculture technology.

Take-up has been consistent across all states, and while up to 80 per cent of broadacre farmers use it, it’s not just for large grain growers with large units — horticulturists, fruit, vegetable and sugar-cane farmers are also taking advantage of precision agriculture technology, having it professionally fitted to their 60-100 horsepower tractors.

Case IH Regional Marketing Manager for Precision Solutions Rob Johnson says precision agriculture has been steadily adopted across the country, with no particular regional drivers.

He also says he’s noticed two particular trends in 2015.

“While the initial adoption of precision agriculture was in spraying, now its use for spreading fertilizer and sowing has grown too,” he said.

“We’ve seen growth of 20pc this year of Australian farmers adopting solutions for rate and section control. This is when during sowing you can switch your implement on or off as you pass over a certain area, thus reducing input costs. There’s a constant focus by farmers towards higher efficiency, and precision agriculture is certainly one tool to achieve that.”

The second trend Mr Johnson has noticed is increased accuracy in placement.

“Compared with previous years, there’s been a 30pc increase in Australian farmers this year adopting RTK with 2.5-centimetre accuracy. ‘RTK’ stands for ‘Real Time Kinematic’ satellite navigation, and it boosts the precision of position data that comes from satellite-based positioning systems, such as those used in precision agriculture,” Mr Johnson said.

“Case IH was an innovator to access the GLONASS Russian satellite constellation, so our customers can now access a

higher number of satellites in the southern hemisphere. This accessibility is a standard feature in the Case IH 372 AFS receivers.”

Sugar mills along the east coast have a co-operative RTK network, helping all farmers in the region be more productive in planting and harvesting.

“The technology is here to make growers’ lives easier and simpler, and manufacturers are integrating it into products.

The ability these technologies and innovations give farmers to control and improve accuracy optimises inputs, so maximises productivity and yields.”

Mr Johnson said there are a couple of reasons driving Australian farmers’ strong uptake of innovations and technology in 2015.

“Australian farmers tend to be early adopters of new technology, and on top of that, there have been big offers from manufacturers this year — in finance as well as new technology — so we can certainly attribute this support to at least some of the increased adoption, by helping to make technologically advanced products more affordable,” he said.

“Having data and support for your decision making from that data is the future for efficient farmers. What’s coming up from Case IH next is connectivity. The interaction of data to help with decision making is the next frontier, giving the ability to share on-farm data with trusted associates like your Case IH dealer or agronomist. That technology from Case IH is very close.”

Mr Johnson said Case IH is an international leader in innovation, yet local experts at the heart of Australian farming needs, with dealers providing global agriculture knowledge and home-grown support for all machinery requirements.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Ranger Diesel 1000 makes its Australian debut POLARIS has just released the 2015 Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS into the Australian market, becoming the 20th model available for sale with a Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS).

The Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS is built specifically for the Australian market with the inclusion of heavy duty upgrades, electronic power steering and engine braking with Four-Wheel Descent Control (4WDC) to manage undulating terrain.

The 2015 Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS receives a number of upgrades over the 2014 Ranger Diesel 900 HD including being built on the Ranger XP platform with updated styling, a brand new 1028cc Diesel Engine, Electronic Power Steering, 4-Wheel Descent Control, a massive 110 Amp Alternator and a new ROPS cab frame designed for the enormous range of Polaris Lock & Ride Pro-Fit accessories such as a full cab system.

With upgrades to the chassis, the Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS now shares the same attributes and chassis that have made the Ranger XP 900 the premium choice for farmers. This new model also boasts innovations such as a restyled cockpit, Dual A-Arm front suspension, new flip-up seat storage, new Lock & Ride Pro-Fit cab accessories, larger 37.6 Litre fuel tank, easier serviceability and a quieter ride due to engine repositioning rearward. The Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS also receives new intake openings, on the pillars behind the driver and passenger, allowing for improved airflow for the engine and clutch air intake systems.

The Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS has been fitted with a new and modern 3 cylinder, Kohler Diesel engine. The 1028cc Kohler Diesel is a 3 cylinder overhead cam liquid cooled engine. This proven, high performance diesel engine utilises indirect injection that delivers smooth power and reduced combustion 16

 Polaris Ranger Diesel 100 HD EPS noise. The engine boasts double the alternator output of the outgoing model, with a monstrous 110 amps, to power more accessories.

The Kohler engine boasts a compact, heavy-duty design with a cast iron crankcase for durability and an aluminum cylinder head for weight reduction and fast warm-up. Full pressure lubrication provides superior protection and engine life. The automotive overhead camshaft design also reduces mechanical drivetrain noise and with the engine being repositioned rearward in the chassis the new Ranger Diesel promises to be even harder working and smoother riding.

The Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS continues to deliver a monstrous, classleading 907kg towing capacity, 680kg payload capacity and a rear dump box with gas-assist dumping operation that can carry up to 454kg of materials and a full-sized pallet.

For demanding Australian conditions, the Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS will come as a “HD” (Heavy Duty) spec model complete with an upgraded rear driveshaft, grease fittings, HD sway bar, driveshaft seals, sealed a-arm bushes and sealed ball joints, all designed to stand up to our unique tough conditions such as dairy.

The “Heavy Duty” spec is a direct result of visits by Polaris Industries engineers

to Australia during which they spent countless hours with dealers and end users researching the usage of ATVs and side x sides in the tough Australian conditions.

Other standard features of the Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS include 25.4cm of steering adjustment, 30.5cm of ground clearance, room and seat belts for three adults and 25.4cm of Dual A-Arm suspension travel up front and 25.4cm of Independent Rear Suspension travel to keep the ride smooth when towing and hauling up to a ton.

Polaris offers a full line of accessories including cabs, boxes and specialised products. The Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS offers a new standard in accessory integration, quality and fit and finish with the industry exclusive Pro-Fit cab system. The highly modular cab frame system offers cab options from robust canvas doors featuring a poly windshield to premium automotive glass tip-out windshields and power window moulded doors. Even better, the purpose built chassis features dedicated component attachment points to allow for extremely efficient cab installation or removal. To further assist with accessory integration, the Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS is fitted standard with a built in winch mount and buss bar under the hood for easy access and convenient dash access, wire routing to install accessories is extremely user friendly.

Matched to Polaris’ Variable Transmission system, the Ranger Diesel 1000 HD EPS is underpinned by the Polaris on-demand true All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system which operates “on the fly” without the need to stop the vehicle.

The AWD system is complete with an unlocking rear diff function “turf mode” designed to enable tighter turns without tearing up grass.

• Details: http://www.polaris.com

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS CFMoto launches 500cc UTV in Australia CFMOTO has shown its intentions to rev-up to the sideby-side market in Australia by unveiling its new U550’s –500cc UTV.

The recent launch was staged at the test facility at Werribee 4X4 Park Melbourne, which provided the opportunity for industry to view the new UTVs and ATVs first hand .

Following a staff demonstration highlighting the features of the new range, those in attendance got the opportunity to try the UTVs and ATVs on the rugged test sight.

The entry-level model, the U550 offers a powerful 500cc 38HP liquid cooled, Bosch EFI engine, hi-low range, CVT transmission and a fully fitted roof, tow kit and alloys as standard.

The U550 LE offers the same as its entry-level sibling but comes standard with electronic power steering (EPS), a heavy winch and is available in four colours.

The U550s are sold alongside the company’s popular U8, which in 2014, was the highest selling, non-diesel UTV in the country.

CFMoto director Michael Poynton said he expected strong growth for the company in the side-by-side market in 2015,

 CFMoto’s new 500cc UTC was launched in Melbourne recently.

predicting sales across the industry could be up as much as 30 per cent in the next 12 months. This is on the back of the ATV/UTV sector’s recorded sales of 21,071 units in Australia in 2014.

To celebrate the launch, CFMoto announced a national promotion where customers who purchase the U550 LE receive $750 protector bars for their new vehicle free. The offer is valid until 30 June 2015, with further details available on the CFMoto website.

• Details: www.mojomotorcycles.com.au

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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FEATURE INTERVIEW Landpower boss flags challenges for field days In the final instalment of Mandy Parry-Jones’ interview with Merv George, the Landpower boss says the way machinery companies are interacting with farmers is changing.

MERV George knows the Australian machinery industry landscape better than most. The Landpower Australian director is at the helm of one of the largest privately owned farm machinery distributors in Australasia, which includes a growing network of branded CLAAS Harvest Centres and independent dealers.

Over almost four decades the company has established itself as a leading provider of agricultural machinery, with long-standing brand partnerships with European manufacturers like CLAAS, AMAZONE, Seed Hawk and Grimme.

It services a wide range of farm sectors, offering combine harvesters, potato harvesters, tractors, hay and forage equipment, spreaders, sprayers and tillage tools.

Mr George says the continuing evolution of farming and machinery is ushering major changes in the industry which will present challenges and opportunities in the years to come.

He says machinery manufacturers and distributors are reconsidering the value of exhibiting at field days.

“It’s very expensive to go to for dealers and distributors but they are a way of life for the country. There is a certain amount of pressure to support field days as they are supporting the agricultural community’s way of life,” he said.

But according to Mr George, where once there were orders on the day that doesn’t happen anymore and the machines cost a serious amount of money to transport to the display site, especially considering the location of some of the field days.

“Many of the shows have become side shows and the people still go to them as a day out but the machinery becomes something to sit on and comes second as 18

 Landpower Australia director Merv George.

part of the day out,” he said.

“The farmer will always want a product cheaper … in my travels around the world, they are all the same. They are very nice people but all of them want it cheaper.

“So if you want to take cost out of the system having fewer dealers will help – less buildings, less overheads, less cost but the delivery cost from the manufacturer in the US or Europe.

Mr George said the industry was always under pressure to reduce its costs and that going to field days and regional shows is a significant with a very marginal reward.

“Field days where you can display your products working have some value, but I was at field day recently which cost a lot of money to attend. A lot of money, a lot of organising but very few people,” he said.

Mr George believes traditional machinery field days are under threat as the interaction between farmers and the machinery industry changes.

“More successful today is where manufacturers run their own display

days. So you can have a ‘come and drive day’ where you have a range of the manufacturer’s tractors or products in a field,” Mr George said.

“They are more successful because there's more up-time for the farmer in the cabin where they can actually use the machine and compare it to what they own in an environment where they are with experts. Whereas a field day allows them to sit in a very fancy cab and I'm assuming they've all got fancy cabs.”

Mr George said broadacre croppers, dairy farmers and the forestry industry all shared the goal of producing more volume, more efficiently. He said Landpower saw value in taking innovative farmers offshore to places like Europe to help develop skills and knowledge in relation to the latest broadacre technology.

“They are people that are leaders, people who want to learn. They're probably high achievers of the industry,” he said.

On the subject of education, Mr George said the isolation of many farmers and their families had a more of a positive impact on their schooling.

“By definition they live in a rural environment many hundreds of kilometres from major towns. Often the parents can’t drop the kids off to school, there’s no public transport that they can catch to school so many of them are enrolled at the finest schools Australia has to offer,” Mr George said.

“This often leads to courses in some of the best universities that the country has to offer. These kids are well educated and savvy and once they go back home they bring with them degrees in agriculture, economics or science and put these to good use in their farming communities and their own properties.”

Mr George said a similar level of tertiary

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

 Landpower’s Melbourne headquarters. qualifications was not filtering through to the machinery industry in the same fashion.

“History would show you that most of people that have come into the (machinery) business have worked their way from trade school,” said Mr George.

“There are very few people in our side of the business that are coming through the university system.”

“The problem with the industry today is how to attract graduates and improve that whole brain horsepower? How we do that is the challenge for our industry because is it viewed from the outside as a sexy business to be in?”

Another change tipped to appear on the horizon for the industry is the way farmers think about their ownership of their equipment. He says the machinery manufacturers and retailers need to consider the optimal period of first time ownership, which currently it stands at around three years but should be more like five years, he says.

“It’s been traditional for sales people to move the machinery on after three years, replacing the farmer’s harvester or tractor after three years but this causes a problem, as there is a very small market for large tractors or combine harvesters and an even smaller one for secondhand ones,” Mr George said.

 The future of field days is being questioned by the machinery industry.

“The first owner has look at five or six years of ownership, not two and three.

He should be locked into a contract for five or six years with a service contract, so he doesn't have to worry about the service. That's the future in my view.”

“What happens then is that the machine has been written down to a lower value after five or six years, and there is a much better secondhand market with farmers who want a cheaper machine.”

Mr George believes that as the market grows with larger corporate farms and larger private farmers they are going to be smarter and telemetry will pay its part and machines will have to stay longer and be more efficient with less

breakdowns because of preventative work.

He predicts dealerships will stock fewer parts in the future because they won’t be able to afford to carry too many parts, and dealerships’ glossy showrooms will gradually become a thing of the past.

“The idea that we park a combine harvester to climb around in Moree is probably going to finish,” said Mr George. “It’s a cost to the dealer that he can't afford.”

“These machines are worth so much money it makes more sense for those customers that are getting serious and want to see the product to fly them to a more central location where they see and feel the product.”

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Robotic trials herald a game-changer for ag

 Unmanned tractors are now been trialled in Australia.

NEW research released by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is predicting that advanced robotics will boost productivity by up to 30 per cent in many industries by 2025.

Although industrial robots have been used in factories for decades, the use of advanced robots and automation is now reshaping how we grow and harvest the world’s food and fibre.

Boning in meatworks has already been automated and robotic milking systems are growing in popularity, easing staff workloads and lifting milk production.

Robots are increasingly being used for tasks like weed management, fertilising and seeding. It seems now that the use of multiple cooperative highlyautonomous farm vehicles could lead to the next step in agricultural automation.

Unmanned tractors, an on-farm version of Google's driverless car, are now been trialled in Australia. The tractor is guided by GPS signals and trials by Rice Research Australia, and their Japanese partners, have been successful in keeping the tractor to within 3-centimetre accuracy. The specialised satellite system also provides useful data like engine

20

temperature and fuel usage to the operator.

In New Zealand, Auckland University and RoboticsPlus are developing an ‘Autonomous Multipurpose Mobile Platform’ (AMMP) modular robot to operate autonomously in orchards.

Whether it is precision spraying kiwifruit or picking apples, modules like vision sensors, arms and grippers will be designed to be added or removed from the unit depending on the application.

US-based Boston Dynamics, which was acquired by Google in 2013, has been at the leading edge of engineering and robotics design for some time now. Boston Dynamics are developing quadrupedal robots that look and walk like cheetahs and dogs. Originally developed for the United States military, these four-legged robots are redefining how machinery can move across rugged terrain.

While wheeled and tracked vehicles still have a strong future, it’s not hard to see how this technology will be used by farmers in the future.

Boston Dynamics, Rice Research Australia and Auckland University will

all presented robotics technology at the recent MobileTECH 2015 event series, which was held at Auckland and on the Gold Coast. The series profiled advances in robotics, automation and the increasing use of UAVs or remotely piloted aircraft.

Program manager for Connex Event Innovators, Ken Wilson, said MobileTech2015 aimed to profile innovative new technology and demonstrate how it’s being used, while discussing operationally and financially just what it has meant to the early adopters.

“The technologies been applied in manufacturing or operationally within the agricultural, horticultural, forestry, fisheries or grain industries more often than not are able to be replicated across the primary sector,” Mr Wilson said.

“MobileTECH 2015 is one of few technology events where the developers, researchers and end-users can come together to discuss new innovations, opportunities for collaboration and the real results from early adoption.”

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Narva Mini Senator LED Work Lamps pack a punch virtually unbreakable polycarbonate lenses and a stainless steel pedestal mounting bracket that’s been engineered to provide sturdy mounting, combined with easy swivel movement that doesn’t require special tools for adjustment.

For ease of use and accurate positioning, the Mini Senator features an ergonomic, integrated handle and inbuilt weatherproof switch.

The low current draw Mini Senator are 9-33V multi-voltage and for added peace of mind, are covered by Narva’s 5 year L.E.D warranty. The work lamps are available from leading transport and automotive outlets throughout Australia.

Meanwhile, the outstandingly popular Narva ‘Gamma Micro’ work lamp has taken a big leap forward with the introduction of six super-efficient new technology L.E.D’s coupled with advanced thermal management design to deliver a brilliant white light with more than 20,000 hours L.E.D life.

This powerful compact 12/24 dual voltage work lamp, of a size of just 104mm square and 120mm deep, delivers an impressive 2700 lumen light output without any deterioration in performance even operating for extended periods.

• Detailis: www.narva.com.au

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Suitable for both trade and recreational use, the Mini Senator combines a modern, low-profile design while delivering a brilliant white light output, with the option of either Flood Beam or Hybrid Beam models.

Despite its more compact dimensions, the Mini Senator is still a big performer. The Flood Beam model (72465) produces 1200 lumens from its 4x3W L.E.Ds, while the Hybrid (72469) produces an even brighter 2000 lumens from 4x5W L.E.Ds. A standout feature of the Hybrid is its beam performance, which has a spot beam characteristic for longer light penetration.

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MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS New Kuhn FC4060 mover is quick and efficient AN EXTENSIVE demonstration day conducted recently by Kuhn Farm Machinery on the outskirts of Melbourne heralded the Australian release of their latest trailed mower conditioners, the FC1060 series.

The model demonstrated to a large audience of farmers and dealers was the FC 4060 TCD which has a working width of four metres and utilises Kuhn’s Optidisc cutter bar with its quick-release knife mounting system.

Director of Kuhn Australia Bruno Fetiveau said that the new mower/ conditioner was the culmination of constant development and improvement and reminded farmers that Kuhn invented the disc mower and is now a world leader in their development.

“It is a little known fact with farmers here in Australia that Kuhn is the largest agricultural implement manufacturer in the world, with nine production plants in France, the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil and Argentina”, Mr Fetiveau said.

The new Kuhn FC 4060 TCD is a centre-pull machine with nine cutting discs and pivoting steel fingers for faster mowing, wide swathing and efficient conditioning. Kuhn says that it requires a tractor of just 94 PTO horsepower to operate it. Clean, fast mowing of either heavy grasses or delicate forage crops, combined with quick drydown from effective conditioning makes the machine more profitable for both contractors and farmers.

The mowing unit is suspended by torsion bars on the new FC1060 series.

It follows the paddock contours and can be adjusted separately on both sides to keep dirt out of the forage. Ultralarge tyres reduce the ground pressure to protect the crop and prevent soil compaction.

Cutting height and conditioning intensity are both done quickly and easily so that operators can set up the machine for all types of crop. Windrow 22

 Kuhn Australia Director, Bruno Fetiveau, says that the FC4060 TCD mower/

conditioner is the culmination of constant development and improvement from the people who invented the disc mower.’

widths for the FC 4060 TCD are adjustable from 1.10 metres to 2.70 metres.

The machine’s heavy duty Gyrodine swivel hitch allows turns in excess of 90 per cent, keeping the PTO driveline straight. This means enhanced reliability and safety with high manoeuvrability.

The Optidisc cutter bar is a cutting unit which is characterised by the uneven distance between disc centres, providing increased crop ejection where the discs converge and a narrower distance between disc centres where the discs diverge to increase the recut area and thus the quality of cut.

The sealed gearbox, has increased resistance to wear, with a patented ‘Protectadrive’ a shear point on the disc drive to minimise downtime. If the disc impacts a very solid obstacle, the shaft holding the disc can shear just

above the bearing because of a carefullydimensioned shear groove to protect the toothed gear wheels. Changeover can be accomplished in under 15 minutes.

There are no oil changes necessary for the life of the cutter bar.

The fast-fit knife mount system means that knives can be changed in a few minutes.

The conditioner rotor’s drive shaft is also protected on its shaft extension by a shear bolt.

Other models available in Australia within the new FC1060 mower/ conditioner series are the FC 3160 (3.1 metre working width) and the FC 3560 (3.5 metre working width).

Both these models are available with either central pull or side pull.

• Details: www.kuhn.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Opportunities to reduce weed management costs OPPORTUNITIES exist for grain growers in Australia’s southern cropping region to more effectively manage weeds in retained stubble systems, according to new research conducted by the CSIRO and funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

CSIRO Senior Research Scientist (Farming Systems) Dr Rick Llewellyn says the new study has highlighted just how costly weed management has become and where there are opportunities to reduce further cost increases.

Presenting at a meeting of farming systems groups involved in the GRDC’s southern “stubble initiative”, Dr Llewellyn said data collected through a study of 600 grain growers’ weed management practices showed that while there has been recent rapid uptake of some key IWM practices across the southern cropping region (South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern and central New South Wales) there were still many areas where adoption remains low despite the herbicide resistance threat.

“The data shows very large differences between regions for practices like harvest weed seed control, crop topping and double knockdown which reflects past differences in the levels of herbicide resistance, but we’re now seeing resistance issues becoming much more important in all cropping regions,” Dr Llewellyn said.

“Many southern farmers have not yet faced the same herbicide resistance crisis that has come about in Western Australia or cropping-intensive parts of the medium rainfall zone, such as the Mid North of SA, but now there’s the chance to make earlier use of some of the practices that have been refined through farmer experience to extend the life of important herbicides, not just control resistant weeds once herbicides are lost.

“Where an integrated weed management practice can be introduced relatively cheaply we’re seeing that growers are very willing to take up the practice and narrow windrow burning is an example of that.”

While ryegrass remains the most commonly resistant weed, changing weed dynamics in the southern cropping region mean that long-term strategies are increasingly needed for control of other grass weeds as well, according to Dr Llewellyn.

“Brome grass in particular is really increasing in its spread and importance in much of the region. Recent studies have shown how brome has risen up the charts in terms of costs to growers and implications compared to a decade or two ago.

“Ryegrass has received a lot of the attention in Australia in the past but we’re now working with the University of Adelaide weeds team to look at the most economic long-term strategies of managing brome which has become the driver grass weed for a lot of our cropping land – it’s a weed for which there aren’t a lot of herbicide options and harvest weed seed control

 CSIRO Senior Research Scientist (Farming Systems) Dr

Rick Llewellyn says a new study has highlighted just how costly weed management has become and where there are opportunities to reduce further cost increases. Photo: C. Sullivan.

methods aren’t always highly effective. And what herbicides options there are, are being placed under a lot of pressure.

“There is a requirement of farmers to carefully manage the herbicide options they have over time. We’re aiming to help farmers and advisers take a longer-term seedbank and resistance risk view, by considering when they should use these herbicides to get the biggest bang for their buck and not use them up too quickly, as well as looking at the longer-term value of introducing new weed management practices.”

Dr Llewellyn said the latest study had also shown that summer weeds were likely to be now causing more crop yield loss than winter weeds.

“This is partly because, despite the challenges, growers are continuing to keep winter weed densities in crop quite low, partly because summer weeds are becoming increasingly difficult and costly to control and partly because stored moisture is so often of very high value to crop production.

“Even though about two thirds of land for cropping in the southern region may receive a herbicide treatment for summer weeds and about a third of growers use at least some cultivation for summer weed control, we are still seeing high total costs to yields from summer weeds.

“It’s a part of the farming system that is increasingly costly and is in need of more management options, particularly as new herbicide resistant or herbicide tolerant summer weeds become more important,” Dr Llewellyn said.

• Details: www.grdc.com.au/resources/IWMhub.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Mahindra’s new 4025 punches above its weight

 Mahindra’s new 4025 tractor.

WHEN it comes to designing smaller tractors with bigger work ethics, the world's biggest selling tractor company by sales volume, Mahindra, continues to bend the rules of simple category logic.

The Indian giant's new 4025 has the dimensions of a compact but the work ethic of a utility tractor.

This latest release coincides with Mahindra's tenth anniversary of operations in Australia, and is a good example of the qualities the company has become known for; super strong construction, a modest price tag, and most importantly an ability to punch well above its weight on any given workday.

The secret is in the construction. Mahindra continues to buck the trend of a market which produces lightweight, cheap products, by putting quality, heavy steel into their products – and lots of it.

There’s a reason this little 40hp is a rock-solid 2360kg, some 650kg heavier than any competitive 40hp model on the market.

The front axle alone is load rated at 2.5 tonne, the rear linkage can lift 1.6 tonne, and the front loader’s safe working load means you can easily lift round bales safely.

Mahindra's national marketing manager James Halliwell says that the 4025 fits in the compact category based on its size, but its durability cycle and strength identify it as more of a utility tractor.

The Mahindra 4025 is designed to work in excess of 1500 hours per annum, more than what is considered normal these days.

This durability combines with an excellent turning circle, courtesy of a bevel gear final drive reduction which provides the camber necessary for a tighter radius, A well thought-out dual purpose tyre pattern combines a continual centre pad with a modest but effective ‘lug’ on 24

the outside, while the certainty of four-wheel-drive traction minimises the operator's chances of spin.

A 40 hp engine and a price tag below $25,000, which includes the self-levelling loader, which make it an attractive proposition for prospective buyers.

“With what it can do, the Mahindra 4025 is particularly wellsuited to beef operators, nurseries, landscape contractors and lifestyle farmers,” Mr Halliwell said.

The well afforded cockpit is roomy with controls sensibly spaced, and features a top of the range operator seat, with the obligatory fore/aft adjustment complemented by arm and backrest adjustability, as well as a clever preload dial which quickly and easily adjusts the spring weight of the seat to the weight of the driver.

Satish Chandra, Mahindra’s AG sales manager says that the 4025 in four-wheel-drive is one of the great new products on the market this year.

It is affectionately known as the Mighty Mahindra 4025 in the United States, where it’s their biggest seller,” Mr Chandra said.

“With features like suspension seat complete with armrests, cup holder and hydrostatic steering, diff lock, four-wheel-drive and a great tyre package, the 4025 is a great all round tractor that matches the capability of some larger utility tractors without the size or the price.”

The Mahindra 4025 4WD starts from just $24,990 (including self-levelling loader) or just $19,990 without.

For even better value, the 4025 2WD with diff lock standard, tractor only is selling from just $14,990.

All Mahindra tractors feature a three-year/2000-hour powertrain warranty as standard. Mahindra is the only tractor manufacturer globally to receive both the Japanese Quality medal and the Deming Prize for Total Quality Management in their factories.

Mahindra is a multinational group worth approximately $US16.5 billion. Based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra provides employment opportunities to over 200,000 people in over 100 countries and operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.

In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

• Details: www.mahindra.com

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS drumMUSTER marks 25 million drum milestone WHEN Western Australian farmer Nathan Davey delivered drumMUSTER’s 25 millionth drum on 20 March 2015 to the Goomalling collection site, he had no idea what it signified for the thousands of people involved with the program over the past 16 years.

For students at Goomalling Primary School and Sacred Heart Catholic School, it meant Nathan’s drums would contribute valuable funds towards school camps, equipment and other essential needs.

“I started using drumMUSTER because the property I bought was littered with drums from the previous owner,” Mr Davey said.

“I now seek out drumMUSTER eligible containers because I know the program aligns itself with high quality chemicals.”

For Doug Sewell, President of Goomalling Shire Council and long-time drumMUSTER supporter and inspector, the milestone container indicated a job well done.

“Not only did Nathan deliver the 25 millionth drum, but he was also the first person to deliver his agvet containers to the Goomalling collection site when it first opened in April 2002,” said Mr Sewell.

“Over 80,000 empty containers have been collected by the council since then, with 80% of chemical users in the Goomalling district participating in the program. When we first started, farmers would turn up with dirty containers in a jumble. Now they know to properly rinse and sort them before delivery. This makes my job so much easier.” drumMUSTER National Program Manager Allan McGann said the program has come a long way since its first collection in early 1999.

“The program has gone from strength to strength. We started with yearly collections of around one million containers, but are now edging towards two million containers per annum,” he said.

“This goes to show the growing support drumMUSTER has garnered. We’ve established ourselves as a valuable program for farmers and growers. We’re here to stay.”

25 million containers represents over 30,000 tonnes of materials which have avoided landfill. Once collected, the containers are shredded or granulated and transformed into new products like plastic cable covers, wheelie bins, road signs and bollards.

“The great thing about drumMUSTER is that it’s changed the habits of people who use agvet chemicals. With a good footprint of collection points and greater access, it is now much easier for chemical users to recycle their containers,” said Mr McGann.

The program’s regional consultant for Western Australia, Bevan Henderson, agreed.

“There have been various changes to the size of chemical

 Nathan Davey, Kevin Ryan, Doug Sewell and Bevan Henderson at the Goomalling collection site.

containers over the years, and consequently, farmers have had to change the way they operate to accommodate this. Almost all of the farmers who participate in the program now are repeat customers because they find drumMUSTER a vital tool and good farm stewardship.”

While most compounds are managed by local councils at waste management sites and transfer stations, others are operated by community groups and charities. “drumMUSTER continues to support various community groups across Australia as they bring about environmental change in rural regions. We have seen a noteworthy increase in participation over the past few years with 119 community groups now involved in the program. They have collected an impressive 3.5 million drums and raised $880,000 between them,” Mr McGann said.

In the Goomalling Shire alone, seven community groups have benefited from the program. These range from local schools to the Lyons Club, Country Women’s Association, St John Ambulance Service, Senior Citizens group and Sports Council, who have shared $16,000 between them.

The new milestone comes less than two years after drumMUSTER received the 20 millionth drum in NSW, signifying the incredible growth the program has experienced.

The record was celebrated with an event on 25 March 2015 in Guildford, Western Australia, to thank all the people and communities involved in the program’s success. “drumMUSTER is leading the way in product stewardship.

We thank agvet chemical manufacturers, local government and program users for their commitment to sharing in the responsibility for a sustainable future in Australian agriculture,” said Mr McGann.

• Details: www.drummuster.com.au

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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UPCOMING FIELD DAYS PULLUp-to-date comprehensive Field Days Events Calendar.

Also available at www.afdj.com.au. To lodge your event contact Cathy Johnson Phone: (03) 9888 4822 or Email: admin.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au MAY 2015 1-2 East Gippsland Field Days Peter Treasure Bairnsdale Aerodrome, Bairnsdale, VIC 03 5153 1398 0427 878 645 info@egfielddays.com www.egfielddays.com 1-3 Tocal Field Days Coral Cairney Tocal Road, Tocal, NSW 02 4939 8827 fielddays@tocal.com www.tocalfielddays.com 7-9 Agfest Field Days Quercus Rural Youth Park, on Oaks Road between Carrick and Bracknell, TAS 03 6331 6154 admin@agfest.com.au www.agfest.com.au 8-9 Riverina Field Days Ffiona Beverley Griffiths Showground, Griffiths, NSW 02 6964 8811 riverinafielddays@bigpond.com www.riverinafielddays.com 15-16 Agrotend Field Days Bundaberg Col Reynolds Bundaberg Recreation Precinct Opposite Bundaberg Airport, QLD 0417 749 958 www.agrotend.com.au 22-23 Mildura Field Days Diane Johnstone SuniTAFE Field, Benetook Avenue, Mildura, VIC 0487 021 122 dianne@mildurafielddays.com.au www.mildurafielddays.com.au 22-23 Deni Innovations Expo Andrew Richardson Murray Valley Industry Park. Off Todd Road, Deniliquin. NSW 0407 503 978 www.deniinnovationsexpo.org.au

27-28 Rotary FNQ Field Days Lesa Pershouse Mareeba District Rodeo Assoc, Kerribee Park, Mt Abbott, QLD 0427 998 203 info@fnqfielddays.org.au www.fnqfielddays.org.au

JUNE 2015 2-4 Farmfest Field Days Kingsthorpe Park, on the Warrego Highway, 20 kms west of Toowoomba, 02 6768 5800 farmfest@ruralpress.com.au www.farmfest.com.au 10-13 New Zealand National Agric Field Days Myster Creek Events Centre, 125 Myster Creek Road, Hamilton, North Island, New Zealand +647 843 4499 www.fielddays.co.nz

11-12 Mudgee Small Farm Field Days Mudgee, NSW 02 6372 3899 www.mudgeefielddays.com.au 14-16 WineTech 2015 Matthew Moate Adelaide Showgrounds, Wayville, SA 0448 882 019 eo@wisa.com.au www.kjex.com.au/Winetech.html 17-18 Australian Wool & Sheep Show Prince of Wales Showgrounds Holmes Road, Bendigo, VIC 03 5439 5094 secretary@sheepshow.com wwww.sheepshow.com 24-26 Farm Fantastic Outdoor Expo 530 Punicestone Road, Caboolture, QLD www.farmfantasticexpo.com

AUGUST 2015 18-20 Primax Primary Industry Exhibition Bruxner Highway, Casino, NSW 07 5531 4600 info@primex.net.au www.primex.net.au

JULY 2015 2 BCG Grains Research Expo Birchip P12 School, Campbell St, Birchip, VIC 03 5492 2787 info@bcg.org.au www.bcg.org.au 7-9 Ag-Grow Emerald Field Days 6km East of Emerald on the Capricorn Highway, QLD 07 4982 4244 admin@aggrow.com.au www.aggrow.com.au

3-4 Sheepvention Hamilton Showgrounds, Hamilton, VIC 03 5572 2563 info@hamiltonshowgrounds.com.au www.hamiltonshowagrounds.com.au 5-6 Mallee Machinery Field Days Andrew McLean 2 km south of Speed Sunraysia Hwy, VIC 03 5084 1320 mmfd@bigpond.com www.mmfd.com.au 18-20 Commonwealth Bank AGQUIP Field Days 8 kilometres West of Gunnedah on Blackjack Road, Gunnedah NSW 02 6768 5800 agquip@fairfaxmedia.com.au www.agquip.com.au

Talk to us about how we can help grow your business Trusted and recognised – covering news, information and products from manufacturers, importers, suppliers and dealers, producers and contractors, plus their industry representative bodies for 32 years.

Industry guide for Field Days, expos and rural conferences.

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Editorial – Ph: 0402 406 965 Email: edit.afdj@ryanmediapl.com.au Advertising – Ph: 0407 600 282 Email: s.craig@ryanmediapl.com.au

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Advertising Sales Manager

-OUT GUIDE 26-27 Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days Dowerin, WA 08 9631 1021 info@dowerinfielddays.com.au www.dowerinfielddays.com.au

SEPTEMBER 2015 1-3 Heritage Bank Ag Show Damon Phillips Toowoomba Showgrounds, Toowoomba, QLD 07 4634 7400 admin@agshow.com.au www.agshow.com.au 2-3 Newdegate Machinery Field Days Anne Bishop Newdegate, WA 08 9871 1655 nfday@westnest.com.au www.nfday.com.au 4-13 Adelaide Royal Show Adelaide Showgrounds, Goodwood Road Wayville, SA 08 8210 5211 info@adelaideshowground.com.au www.theshow.com.au 9 BCG Main Field Day In The Field - Location TBA 03 5492 2787 info@bcg.org.ay www.bcg.org.au 11-12 Berry Small Farm Field Day Berry Showgrounds, Victoria Street Berry, NSW 02 4403 0300 berry_rotary@gmail.com www.berryrotary.org.au 17-18 Mingenew Expo Kym McGlinn Midlands Rd, Mingenew, WA 08 9928 1138 secretary@mingenewexpo.com.au www.mingenewexpo.com.au 18-19 Riverland Field Days Tim Grieger Sturt Highway (Short St) Barmera, SA 0409 099 122 fieldays@riverland.net.au www.riverlandfielddays.com.au

Pin me up and never miss an event 22-24 Henty Machinery Field Days Cookardinia Road Henty, NSW 02 6929 3305 admin@hmfd.com.au www.hmfd.com.au 23-24 South Gippsland Dairy Expo Contact: Deane Kennedy Korumburra Showgrounds, cnr South Gippsland Hway & Charles St, Korumburra, VIC 0419 878 055 www.dairyexpo.org.au 25 25th "Kilfera" Field Day Clive Linnett "Kilfera" Ivanhoe, NSW 02 6995 1315 0428 951 315 kilfera1@bigpond.com 19-20 Royal Melbourne Show RASV Administrator Melbourne Showgrounds Epsom Road Melbourne, VIC 03 9281 7444 customerservice@rasv.com.au www.royalshow.com.au

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 26-3 Perth Royal Show Robin Bartlett Perth Showgrounds, Garlands Road, Claremont, WA 08 6263 3100 info@raswa.org.au www.perthroyalshow.com.au 29-1 Yorke Peninsula Field Days Elaine Bussenschutt Copper Coast Highway, Paskeville, Sth Aust 08 8827 2040 ypfd@netyp.com.au www.ypfielddays.com.au

OCTOBER 2015 6-8 Elmore Field Days Sue Doyle Few minutes drive east from Elmore along the Midland Highway, Vic. 03 5432 6176 info@elmorefielddays.com.au www.elmorefielddays.com.au

16-17 Wandin Silvan Field Days Nan Cleven Wandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin, Vic 0429 428 537 info@wandinsilvanfielddays.com.au www.wandinsilvanfielddays.com.au 17-19 Murrumbateman Field Days Kim Williams Murrumbateman, NSW 02 6227 5895 admin@mfdays.com www.mfdays.com 15-18 Royal Geelong Show Administration Geelong Showgrounds, Breakwater Road, East Geelong, Vic 03 5221 1707 info@royalgeelongshow.org.au www.royalgeelongshow.org.au 21-24 Royal Hobart Show Hobart Showgrounds, Howard St, Glenorchy 03 6272 6812 admin@hobartshowground.com.au www.hobartshowground.com.au/show/ 21-24 Australian National Field Days 563 Borenore Road, Borenore, NSW 02 6362 1588 info@anfd.com.au www.anfd.com.au

NOVEMBER 2015 13-15 Equitana Melbourne Showgrounds Epsom Road Ascot Vale 03 8698 2000 http://www.equitana.com.au/ info@equitana.com.au 20-22 Bendigo Caravan & Camping Leisurefest Bendigo Racecourse 8/88 Dynon Road West Melbourne VIC 3003 03 9372 5388 info@ciavic.com.au www.leisurefest.com.au

Riverland Field Days – 18 & 19 September 2015 Barmera, South Australia – Farming, Horticulture & Business 0409 099 122 • admin@riverlandfielddays.com.au • www.riverlandfielddays.com.au

F I E L D D AY S E X P O G U I D E

Sights set on Riverland event in September

THE 2015 Riverland Field Days in South Australia will be held on 18-19 September at the event’s purpose-built site at Bamera, on the banks of Lake Bonney.

New chairman Wes Kalisch said organisers and exhibitors were looking forward to this year’s field days, which would be the 58th Riverland Field Days and the second year the two-day event would be held on Friday-Saturday.

“With the increase in attendance on the Saturday, this means an increase in business opportunities for you, Mr Kalisch said.

“The Riverland Field Days has an extensive promotion and marketing program targeting customers across eastern South Australia and western Victoria. Our advertising and promotion program extends to Clare and the Mid North, the Barossa Valley, Murray Bridge and the Mallee, the South East of SA, the Mildura and Sunraysia region and of course, the Riverland region.”

Gates at Barmera will be open to the general public from 9am – 5pm on both days of the event, with adult tickets $15 and students under 18 and younger children free.

To give the elderly field day goers the opportunity to see the field days and enjoy a great day wandering the exhibits, scooters can be pre-booked by calling The Country Care Group on 1800 727 382 or by visiting site 132 in First Avenue near Gate 7.

An exhibitor survey conducted at the 2014 Riverland Field Days confirmed high levels of satisfaction with the event. Of the nearly 400 exhibitors, 121 responded to the survey.

Exhibitors showed overwhelming support for the organisation and running of the field days. The great majority supported the new Friday/Saturday format too.

Strong support was expressed for the increased family focus on the Saturday, while many many machinery and farming exhibitors also supported the move to the weekend.

"The machinery and farming exhibitors are important to us and we are working on providing greater support and focus for those exhibitors", former field days chairman Ashley Chabrel said.

"The increased attendance over all provided greater benefit to exhibitors, adding significantly to their potential customer numbers and business volume.

28

"We are very pleased with the Friday/Saturday format, and the strong support shown by exhibitors. It is the right move for the event to ensure its strength and growth into the future.”

Over 20 Riverland community clubs and organisations gained financially through their participation in the Riverland Field Days last year. The groups were involved in many activities including car parking, food catering, running drinks vans, waste pick up and other services and activities.

Riverland Field Days secretary Tim Grieger said over $30,000 was raised by the organisations from across the region, in this way, providing support to their activities and to the community.

"The Riverland Field Days Committee has a strong focus to support community organisations, and is pleased to see this amount of money going back to the community," Mr Grieger said.

"We are keen to involve many community groups at each field day event, and will be seeking expression of interest from any club or organisation for the 2015 field days.”

Mr Kalisch said there was a wide range of sit options and packages available to exhibitors.

“Our committee and staff are keen to work together with you to promote your business in September. We look forward to your participation in the 2015 Riverland Field Days,” he said.

• Details: http://www.riverlandfielddays.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

33rd

MINGENEW EXPO

Lions Midwest

September 17 & 18, 2015 “Where industry and farmers meet & mingle”

Prospectus available April 2015 Site Applications due 20 July 2015 Email: bookings@mingenewexpo.com.au Phone: 08 9928 1138 Fax: 08 9928 1212

www.mingenewexpo.com.au

F I E L D D AY S E X P O G U I D E

Cropscan On-Silo Analyser a Wimmera winner THE Wimmera Machinery Field Days held in March showcased some of the most exciting farm machinery technology in the world.

Field days manager Murray Wilson said the annual Victorian event prides itself on providing a showcase with a modern professional image and the very latest in agriculture machinery and technology.

“To encourage exhibitors to strive for similar ideals, there are two major product awards including Machine of the Year and eleven site awards on offer during the field days,” Mr Wilson said.

“The two main product awards are judged by panel of regional primary producers and agribusiness professionals who are committee members of the WMFD.” In many cases the award winning machine has gone on to become a standard piece of equipment on farms throughout Australia.

Judging criteria include the machine’s purpose and suitability; scope of application; construction (durability, appearance and design); ease of maintenance and service; ease of operation (including operator comfort and safety); ease of adjustment; availability of parts; and overall value-for-money. The machinery and agribusiness products that are eligible are required to be new to the market in the 12 months following last year’s field days.

The 2015 WMFD Machine of the Year went to the Amazone 11200 Boom Sprayer, exhibited by Claas Harvest Centre at Lake Bolac.

One of the most exciting displays at the event in March was the Cropscan 3000S On-Silo Analyser, which is a near infrared analyser that is mounted to an auger or pipe to measure protein, moisture and oil continuously during grain and oilseed harvesting.

The CropScan 3000S was awarded the Agribusiness Innovation of the Year by the judges.

The site awards are judged by a panel of WMFD committee members according to overall showcase and ease of recognition, effort put into the display, quality of the site and overall participation in the theme and spirit of the Wimmera Field Days Judges also look for aesthetic appeal, presentation of equipment on display, dress and ease of recognition of staff on the site (uniform/ name tags) and safety (tent pegs, leads, sharp objects trip hazards) and compliance with WMFD policy and procedure prior to and during the event is also taken in to consideration.

Claas Harvest Centre at Lake Bolac won the Best Outdoor Machinery Exhibit, while the Best Outdoor General Exhibit went to the Horsham Lawnmower Centre.

The Best Field Days Marquee Exhibit was awarded to another local business, PB Seeds at Horsham.

Southern Precision from Naracoorte won the award for the best exhibit in the Alan Heard Pavilion, while Hamilton Farm Supplies’ Te Pari Racewell won Best Livestock Block Exhibit.

Swanbuild, from Swan Hill, has recognised at the best exhibit in the Moore Exhibition Centre and Scania from Campbellfield took home honours for Best Truck and Trailer Territory Exhibit.

The Best Boating, Camping and Caravan Exhibit prize was claimed

by Ballarat City Caravans and the Best Country Gourmet Exhibit 30

 The CropScan 3000S was awarded the Wimmera

Machinery Field Days’ Agribusiness Innovation of the Year.

went to Chefs Toolbox from Horsham.

Wentworth Falls, NSW, exhibitor Cozyosko won the Best Indoor Country Lifestyle Exhibit, while Timeless Toys from Mount Evelyn won the Best Outdoor Country Lifestyle Exhibit.

• Details: http://www.wimmerafielddays.com.au/

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

F I E L D D AY S E X P O G U I D E

Farmers urged to support regional field days FARMERS are being urged to support regional agricultural field days, as difficult seasons across many regions impacting on patronage on many of Australia’s best known machinery and farming expos.

Executive director of the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia, Richard Lewis, says that tough seasons impact everyone involved in agribusiness, not just farmers, and that a vivid reminder of that fact has been lower attendances at field days around the country in the past six months.

“Specifically at the recent Wimmera Machinery Field Days held at Longerenong (in Victoria), I attended on Wednesday which “was better than yesterday” for most of the machinery exhibitors I spoke to,” Mr Lewis said.

“The crowds were noticeably down on previous years, and the dust blowing in from the west in the afternoon, giving an indication as to why. The general interest pavilions were bustling with people looking at boarding school exhibits and workwear displays, but the machinery stands outside had what only could be described as a slow trickle of people flowing through them.”

Mr Lewis said that last year had been a tough period seasonally for Horsham and surrounding Wimmera districts and that there had been little rain around so far in 2015.

“To their credit, the field days committee have an excellent facility at Longerenong with clean and modern amenities, plenty of volunteers on hand marshalling gates, traffic and courier services and frankly there is little they can do about the season gone and the attendance over the three days,” he said.

“Farmers facing another tough season don’t need to go to a field day to look at what they can’t afford.”

Mr Lewis said a challenge for field days organisers was finding ways to ensure that farmers and other patrons continued to attend their events. He said many new products on display are generally launched overseas before their Australian launch and information is abundant on the web for seeking out details on every product shown at the field days.

“The local (Wimmera) dealers such as O’Connors, Emmetts, William Adams and Traction Ag are all in attendance with larger sites displaying millions of dollars of equipment, as are the local manufacturers and importers looking to display their machinery,” Mr Lewis said.

“Of course the dealers will continue to support their local area, but I’m not so sure about the other suppliers. I spoke to one international supplier that only weeks ago held a dealer and customer conference on the outskirts of Melbourne, showcasing their entire product range with representatives from the factories in attendance and demonstrations for customers.

“This came at quite an expense, but the justification is in the fact that these are captive audiences and they are able to get their message across a lot easier than attendance at a field days – not to mention

the cost of exhibiting at 10 field days across the country each year.”

Mr Lewis argued that if farmers don’t attend their local field days, then the exhibitors will eventually begin to spend their dollars on digital platforms and captive events to ensure they get to their customers more effectively.

“Where field days where once 100 per cent of the marketing spend of a machinery business, this number is diminishing and would not account for 50pc these days,” he said.

“There needs to be a rethink on field days – fewer of them, less often and more targeted towards the machinery exhibitors to get some bang for their buck. Field days have their place in the machinery marketing process, but I’m not sure for how long if the crowds (and specifically farmers) don’t show up.”

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Yield Prophet technology assists growers with input

 Yield Prophet is useful for allowing growers to match inputs with the yield potential of their crop and assess the effect of changed sowing dates or varieties.

A NARROW window of opportunity remains for grain growers in the southern cropping region to employ the useful online tool Yield Prophet to support their decision making around this year’s cropping programs and inputs.

Yield Prophet is an innovative, worldrecognised system for monitoring and simulating crop paddocks. It was founded through an invitation from Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) to CSIRO to simulate cropping systems’ field experiments, and launched nationally off the back of significant funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in 2004.

The motivation behind its development was to reduce farmer uncertainty about the crop management environment and to enable growers to assess the possible effects of alternative management practices. Today, the system is operated as a web interface by BCG, generating crop simulations and reports to assist hundreds of growers in decision making.

Tim McClelland, Farm Business Analyst and Yield Prophet® Coordinator at BCG, says the right time to employ Yield Prophet is in the months leading up to sowing.

“It’s useful for growers in and out of

season, but to gain maximum value, growers should take a soil sample at the start of the year,” Mr McClelland said.

“The soil sample gives the tool a moisture and nitrogen starting point to base simulations from, then it runs forward with information from current season climatic conditions, crop management and historic climate data.

The results assist growers with decision making on applications of crop inputs to meet yield potential for the coming season.

“Predicting yield potential is difficult in any one season, and farmers often make decisions on intuition. While that works the majority of the time, sometimes it can be biased by external factors. Yield Prophet can correct or confirm intuition to help farmers make the right choices throughout the year.

“The ability of Yield Prophet® to provide real time, relevant information about growers’ crops can help overcome forecasting challenges in addition to increasing investment in response to a good yield,” Mr McClelland added.

Yield Prophet’s simulations provide a framework for growers and advisers to perform a range of tasks including managing climate and soil water risks and allows them to make informed decisions about nitrogen and irrigation

applications. It is also useful for allowing growers to match inputs with the yield potential of their crop and assess the effect of changed sowing dates or varieties.

More than 2000 growers, consultants, researchers and farming systems groups have subscribed to the system, which operates as a simplified version of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) developed by CSIRO, the State of Queensland and The University of Queensland.

To benefit growers, GRDC is working alongside BCG and CSIRO to develop a project that combines the new Bureau of Meteorology POAMA seasonal forecasting system with APSIM. The intention of the project is to assist grain growers to improve their management responses to climate variability and achieve a long‐term minimum $10/ hectare benefit.

Yield Prophet developers plan to launch a Yield Prophet web app and dashboard, providing easily accessible data on a single screen to help with quick decision making. To improve the model’s accuracy, Yield Prophet will also be integrated with private weather stations and soil moisture probes.

• Details: http://www.bcg.org.au/cb_ pages/what_is_yield_prophet.php

PUMPS & GENERATORS Aussie Quick-Prime QP402 a real water winner RECENT rain means farmers are looking to maximise water storage with careful dam management. With drought conditions set to continue across eastern Australia, reliable, fuel efficient water transfer pumps are essential. Australian Pump Industries' big QP402 four-inch water mover has proven itself as the farmers' ‘Drought Buster’.

The Aussie Quick-Prime QP402 offers huge flows of up to 1800 litres per minute and heads of up to 28m. The pumps will selfprime from a huge 8.4m direct lift, enabling suction from dams, wells and creeks. Recent on-farm tests demonstrated the pump priming from a 3m lift in less than thirty seconds.

After prolonged dry periods the amount of run off may be more than can be stored. Once a water tank or dam fills, the water can't be captured and overflows back into the environment.

“The QP402 is designed for high flow transfer. Even a small amount of rain can overflow a turkey nest dam really quickly," Adam Scully from Aussie Pumps said.

"This big pump can transfer the water across fast, preventing overspill and wastage. You don't waste a drop.”

During times of drought and intermittent rainfall it is important to monitor the quality of water retained. Evaporation may increase the concentration of salts, whilst a flush of water may increase manure or fertiliser runoff making it unusable for stock watering.

It may be necessary to transfer the water for stock use directly from a tank or water tanker. The QP402 is a high flow pump that can be used to draught water from farm water source or tanker.

Powered by a genuine Honda petrol engine, the pump offers farmers low fuel consumption and maximum pump performance.

Options include 8hp up to 13hp versions with recoil or electric start.

The QP402, in its base configuration, comes with heavy duty cast iron impeller and volute. The impeller has large open vanes to allow spherical solids to pass straight through the pump without damage. A heavy duty mechanical seal is standard equipment.

Like all of Aussie’s big three inch and four inch transfer pumps, the QP402 comes in a heavy duty roll frame with anti-vibration mounts. A free four inch coupling and strainer kit is also provided with every pump. The pump body components are made from high grade marine aluminium ensuring long life.

The Aussie QP402 has Australian Pump Industries' unique, fiveyear pump end warranty.

"We know we have the best, most reliable, pump out there so we put our money where our mouth is," Mr Scully said.

"We're proud of our pumps! End users can buy an Aussie Pump with confidence. We have also developed high pressure kits to suit the QP402.”

“For example, we can change the impeller and volute for a high pressure set that gives heads of up to 70 metres. That’s almost 100 psi!”

 Hamish Lorenz, Fiddletown NSW, uses the big Aussie QP402 to shift water from dam to dam in an effort to maximise water storage with minimum fuel costs.

The versatile Aussie QP402 ‘Drought Buster’ is suitable for anywhere needing high volume water transfer. It can be used for fast fill tanker applications, tanker batter spray, flood irrigation and dewatering. Other on-farm applications include dust suppression and wash and flush stock crate clean-out.

• Details: www.aussiepumps.com.au

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WATER / IRRIGATION Power cost relief for irrigators but more needed THE NSW Irrigators' Council has welcomed the Australian Energy Regulator's final decision on the regional network's electricity charges for the next four years, but says more needs to be done to ensure that irrigators are getting long-term relief from rising electricity costs.

The council's policy manager Stefanie Schulte said the council was pleased to see that the AER has stood firm against criticism of its draft determination by the NSW Government and the network companies, and only approved a total revenue allowance of $3.8 billion, compared to the $5.5 billion requested by NSW's regional network, Essential Energy.

The AER expects the decision to reduce power bills for NSW regional customers next year by 11.9 per cent.

Irrigators will keep a close eye on their network charges to ensure that the gains are not offset by further increases in retail prices.

"Electricity prices for irrigators have increased by over 300pc over the last five years, mainly due to network charges. Those price increases are unsustainable and something had to be done to address this cost acceleration for regional customers," Ms Schulte said.

“Irrigators are price takers in international commodity markets for their food and fibre products, so they are not able to absorb such excessive electricity price increases, and power costs have begun to undermine their viability."

Ms Schulte said the AER had answered what was a totally unrealistic request by Essential Energy for further revenue increases, setting a revenue allowance that should bring some welcome relief to regional power users.

“Many irrigators have been facing the difficult decision of either switching off their pumps and pressurised irrigation equipment or going off the grid. We hope that the AER determination will provide a third option for irrigators in NSW - staying on the grid and remaining financially viable," Ms Schulte said.

"It is very important for both power users and for the network that we don't end up in a electricity network 'death spiral' where we have an expensive power network with a large number of stranded power assets and a declining customer base bearing unsustainable increases in power prices.

“The AER determination is a first step in the right direction, however we need to ensure that it translates into lower ongoing power costs for irrigators in NSW." Ms Schulte said the battle to achieve better power tariffs for irrigators and other primary producers was far from over.

She said recent changes to the electricity rules mean network tariffs will from now on need to be 'cost reflective', which remains a serious concern to irrigators in regional NSW because they often use large amount of power over a short time period and do not have the opportunity to utilise off-peak tariffs.

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This means that without easier access to off-peak power rates irrigators remain very vulnerable to future cost hikes.

"What irrigators really need is flexibility, with electricity tariffs that suit their requirement to draw power when seasonal conditions dictate water needs. They need tariffs that are based on overall annual power use, not cost reflective prices for short periods of use," Ms Schulte said.

NSWIC has restated its commitment to working with Essential Energy, the regulators and policy makers to find a sustainable electricity cost solution for irrigated food and fibre producers in NSW into the longer term.

Meanwhile, the council has expressed disappointment with the Federal Government's Energy White Paper - pointing to the paper's lack of recognition of the energy use patterns and cost pressure on irrigators.

Ms Schulte said that while the previous Energy Green Paper acknowledged the particular circumstances of irrigators who have little flexibility in changing their energy usage patterns, the White Paper is silent about irrigators and other rural users' energy challenges.

"NSWIC has emphasised on many occasions that irrigators who utilise electricity are extremely vulnerable to price increases and regulatory changes because of the inflexibility in their electricity use. We had expected that the White Paper would also recognise this," she said.

The council said it was particularly concerned about the Federal Government's support of cost reflective tariffs. Despite the White Paper comment that 'most consumers will gain from cost reflective tariffs', Ms Schulte said the was genuine fear within the irrigation sector that this will simply lead to even higher electricity prices because irrigators are heavy power users over short periods, and have limited opportunities to access off-peak power tariffs.

"NSWIC supports the White Paper's objective of keeping prices down, however we cannot see how this will be achieved for the irrigation sector and other agricultural sectors, without tariffs specifically designed for agricultural industries usage patterns,” she said.

“Irrigators can either use their pumps to water their crops when the weather dictates or switch off their pumps and pressurised irrigation equipment and walk away. There is no 'in between' and cost reflective tariffs are not the answer."

"Electricity prices are already unsustainable for a large number of irrigators in NSW and if there are further cost increases it will force even more growers to go off the grid. The end result will be a death spiral of an expensive power network with a large number of stranded power assets and a declining customer base from which network costs can be recovered - leading to even steeper cost increases for those remaining on the grid."

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

WATER / IRRIGATION Project to improve irrigation profits for growers A project aimed at improving the profit of 3,000 cotton, dairy, rice and sugar irrigators was announced in early May as one of 12 successful Rural R&D for Profit programme projects.

The project, Smarter irrigation for profit, is a partnership between the major irrigation industries of cotton, dairy, rice and sugar, led by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) in conjunction with Dairy Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Sugar Research Australia and other research partners.

The project aims to improve the profit of each individual irrigator enterprise across the four industries by $20,000-40,000 per annum, with the support of 16 R&D partners and up to 19 farmer-managed learning sites.

CRDC Executive Director Bruce Finney welcomed the announcement of today’s funding, which will see up to $4 million directed from the Rural R&D for Profit programme to this project.

“Irrigated agriculture is responsible for 30 percent of all agricultural production in Australia, and half the profit. This is a large-scale, ambitious project designed to achieve a 10-20 percent improvement in water productivity, efficiency and farmer profitability, while also improving crosssector industry research collaboration,” Mr Finney said.

“It is designed to increase on-farm profitability by integrating new irrigation scheduling and delivery technologies into good irrigation practice. It will build on previous research to drive additional improvements in cotton and rice, and will transfer learnings from the cropping

industries to dairy,” Mr Finney said.

“Our aim is to increase on-farm profit through the adoption of automated and precision application technologies across all industries.

CRDC is also a partner in four other projects that have been selected for funding as part of the announcement: • Stimulating private sector extension in Australian agriculture to increase returns from R&D, led by Dairy Australia; • Improved use of seasonal forecasting to increase farmer profitability, led by RIRDC; • A profitable future for Australian agriculture: Biorefineries for highervalue animal feeds, chemicals, and fuels, led by Sugar Research Australia; and • Consolidating targeted and practical extension services for Australian Farmers and Fishers, led by RIRDC.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Timely safety reminder for cotton growers

COTTON growers Australia-wide are being reminded to make safety a priority in the midst one of the most dangerous periods of the year – harvest.

Injury claims cost the cotton industry over $5 million each year, with the key risks of death or injury being motor vehicles (including utes, cars, quads, trucks) and electricity, according to a recent report by the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership (PIHSP).

Awareness of these risks is high at Jonathan Mengel’s property at Nangwee, near Dalby in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, who says it’s a sobering reminder to hear about incidents and near-misses through the media or at local events.

“We’ve been lucky that we’ve had no issues ourselves, but we wouldn’t get through a season without hearing about someone hitting a power line, or knocking one down,” he said.

Attributing this safety success to luck 36

is probably misleading as Mr Mengel’s company takes safety very seriously.

“We have an induction program for our staff, which we got off the Cotton Australia website and modified. It basically explains the way our machinery is operated and associated dangers, and what we expect of our employees,” he said.

“We go through it when our staff come on farm for harvest, when we can have up to eight casual workers, and give them a chance to ask any questions or make concerns known.

“We’ll also have smoko together in the morning each day of harvest while waiting for the dew to dry, which is a good chance to discuss specific risks in the paddocks we will pick that day. We’re also in contact while everyone is picking, reminding each other of hazards and just taking a lot of care.

Even before harvest starts, Mr Mengel spends a lot of time ensuring all machinery is in safe, working order, and even then

a maintenance person on the ground throughout harvest to ensure any ongoing maintenance is done efficiently and correctly.

Cotton growers, managers and workers all have responsibilities to ensure safety is foremost during the cotton harvest, when fatigue can be an added factor. As Jonathon Mengel puts it, everyone should always think before they act.

“It’s a busy time, and you do have to be careful with tempers fraying and how you deal with problems,” he said.

“As well as the impact on our workers and their families if an incident occurs, the pick will essentially be over, which racks up costs that can be significant. Accidents are just not an option,” he concluded.

Cotton Australia has a range of Workplace Health and Safety resources available for growers in the CottonSafe section of its website.

• Details: www.cottonaustralia.com.au or www.mybmp.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

TYRES Innovative four-track tractors aid soil conservation WITH winter crop sowing upon us, many farmers will be thinking about equipment upgrades. Technology developments in tractors mean there’s a wide range to choose from and one important decision for farmers to make is whether to include tyres or tracks.

Some farming operations are better suited to tracks, while others are better suited to tyres. The decision is based on soil, crop type and the planting and harvesting timeframe.

Case IH High Horsepower product manager Pete McCann says tracks are becoming more popular as farmers realise their benefits.

“Today’s designs have come a long way since the steam tractor with ‘dreadnaught wheels’, or tracks, in the mid 1800s.

These days, tractors with tracks are highly manoeuvrable, offer excellent traction and are very effective at protecting the soil,” Mr McCann said.

Because tracks have a greater contact area with the ground, they place even pressure on the soil, conform to contours and minimise compaction. They are also better suited to changing windows for planting, seeding and harvesting, because they can help farmers get on the paddock earlier.

“When choosing your tracked machine, it’s ideal to have four points of contact on the ground — whether that’s by a four-track system or a rear twin-track with tyres—it significantly reduces the berming effect produced by a stand-alone twin track system. Berms are good for landscaping your garden, but not in a paddock,” Mr McCann said.

Case IH’s new Steiger Quadtrac and Rowtrac have a four-track system, which ensures maximum manoeuvrability while increasing traction and reducing compaction and soil disturbance.

“There’s also a track-wheels combination in the Magnum Rowtrac. This gives farmers row-crop flexibility; it has the flotation benefits of tracks, with the manoeuvrability of a mechanical front

 The Case IH Magnum Rowtrac features the flotation benefits of tracks and manoeuvrability of a front wheel drive.

drive. It also reduces berms and soil disturbance when turning,” Mr McCann said.

“Bespoke wheel-tracks tractors give the best of both worlds, as well as special features such as customisable row spacings for speciality crops, like many vegetable varieties.”

Mr McCann says a four-track system gives much better traction and optimum manoeuvrability.

“By keeping four points of ground contact, these Case IH tractors don’t turn like a bulldozer, so they reduce surface pressure and create less weight transfer from front to rear, and this is what reduces berms,” he said.

The new Case IH track tractors are also well suited to large-scale arable farmers and contractors - businesses that strongly depend on efficient, timely and soilconserving operations.

“The United Nations has named 2015 the ‘International Year of Soils’. Along with the wheeled version, the Magnum Rowtrac 380 CVT was recently voted ‘Tractor of the Year 2015’ by a panel of 23 independent journalists from trade magazines in 23 European countries, so

Case IH is particularly proud to launch this innovative tractor this year.”

The Steiger Quadtrac and Rowtrac models come with some of the most powerful engines on the market, adding to productivity and suiting these tractors to operations that need the highest horsepower available.

As well as choosing a four-track system or a rear twin-track with tyres system, it is also important to check out the tractor undercarriage.

“Case IH’s unique and proven track undercarriage design ensures maximum ground contact; more power to the ground means less compaction and soil disturbance. While independent, positivedrive tracks give the tractor full-time, full-soil contact, and that provides better traction and even soil pressure with less compaction,” Mr McCann said.

“There are also many different tyre options, and they all still provide really good flotation and traction for specific soil conditions. They’re also available in a wider range of frame sizes, so they can be great for farmers who want a smaller machine.”

• Details: www.caseih.com

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TYRES Bridgestone joins Tyre Stewardship Australia TYRE Stewardship Australia, the industry initiative created to deal with the 48 million end-of-life tyres created in Australia every year, now has the support of the tyre industry leader in Australia and New Zealand and the world’s number one tyre brand.

In January, Bridgestone Australia announced it had officially joined the TSA, with a special event at Bridgestone’s Bandag manufacturing facility in the Brisbane suburb of Wacol.

The event was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Bob Baldwin, TSA chairman Gerry Morvell and Bridgestone Australia managing director Andrew Moffatt.

Mr Moffatt said the decision to join TSA was a natural extension of Bridgestone’s commitment to the environment.

“At Bridgestone, we take a multi-faceted approach to ensuring we do everything we can to lower our impact on the environment,” Mr Moffatt said.

“This includes our fuel-saving low rolling resistance Ecopia technology, which lowers emissions and is being progressively introduced across our passenger car, 4WD and truck tyre ranges, our Bandag retread process, which ensures tyre casings are reused rather than wasted, and our commitment to use only authorised tyre recyclers throughout our dealer network,” he said.

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“We believe we are leading by example, and see TSA as a very important vehicle in helping educate the consumer and bring national focus and real solutions to the critical issue of waste tyres in Australia.”

TSA chairman Gerry Morvell said it was a very positive development.

“Of the approximately 48 million end-of-life tyres created annually in Australia, only 16 per cent are currently recycled.

The rest are disposed to landfill, stockpiled, illegally dumped or exported overseas,” Mr Morvell said.

“We welcome Bridgestone to TSA. Their participation will add to the considerable strength of this cooperative industry endeavour and will help address the physical management of end-of-life tyres.”

“We are confident that Bridgestone will also play a major role in gaining public recognition and support for the industry’s efforts to address this environmental challenge.”

The Tyre Stewardship Scheme will provide transparency on the fate of end-of-life tyres with the aim to develop both industry and consumer recognition of sustainable treatment of such tyres and to weed out unsustainable behaviour.

• Details: www.tyrestewardship.org.au

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

TYRES Michelin turf tyre earns John Deere award MICHELIN Group’s Agricultural and Earthmover operating units were recently named a Supplier of the Year as well as a Partner-level supplier for 2014 in the John Deere achieving excellence program. The partner-level status is Deere’s highest supplier rating.

Suppliers who participate in the achieving excellence program are evaluated annually in key performance categories, including quality, cost management, delivery, technical support and ‘wavelength’, which are various measures of responsiveness. John Deere Supply Management created the program in 1991 to provide suppliers with evaluations and feedback that promote continuous improvement.

Additionally, Michelin Tweel Technologies received a John Deere supplier innovation award for its The Michelin X Tweel Turf tyre.

The award is presented to a select group of suppliers that have demonstrated innovation in a product or service they provide to John Deere. Award selections are based on four factors: creativity, feasibility, collaboration and bottom-line impact. John Deere created the supplier innovation awards in 2010 to promote innovation in the company's supply base and recognize suppliers that think creatively.

In 2014, Michelin announced an exclusive partnership with John Deere to equip its ZTRAKTM 900 Series line-up of zero-turn commercial mowers with the ground-breaking Michelin X-Tweel Turf as original equipment to replace a standard 24x12x12 tyre.

Emmanuel Ladent, group director of Michelin’s agriculture tire division, accepted the Supplier of the Year Award on Michelin Group’s behalf during a ceremony hosted by Deere in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“Our business teams have worked very hard indeed to establish a spirit of mutual partnership with our associates at John Deere, which has resulted in a strong and growing relationship between our companies,” said Emmanuel LADENT. Michelin delivers products to multiple Deere manufacturing sites globally: Davenport, Iowa; Thibodaux, Louisiana; Waterloo, Iowa; East Moline, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; Augusta, Ga.; FuquayVarina, N.C.; Valley City, N.D.; Dubuque, Iowa; Horst, The Netherlands; Mannheim, Germany; Indaiatuba, Brazil; and Zweibrucken, Germany.

Meanwhile, in a further sign of cooperation between Michelin and John Deere, seven tractor-driving finalists in the European Drivers Challenge have been invited to the Michelin Technical Innovation Centre Test Circuit in Ladoux, France to demonstrate how best practice can affect tractor performance.

Each participant will get his own John Deere 6215R AutoPowr tractor, pulling a heavy 20 tonne Joskin two axle trailer. The tractors will be equipped with Michelin MachXBib tyres, with trailers featuring Michelin CargoXBib High Flotation tyres. The participants will be challenged to select their own strategy of

 The award-winning Michelin X Tweel Turf tyre going over a curb.

tractor settings and tyre inflation pressures.

The seven tractor operators from seven European countries will compete to win the European Drivers Challenge title, each representing their home country, with participants from France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and UK. Unlike traditional motor racing, it’s not the tractor operator with the fastest lap who will make it onto the podium. The winner will be the contestant with the best overall strategy to achieve a fast transport time, combined with the lowest possible fuel consumption and the least soil compaction in the field.

Furthermore, they will need to complete a handling course along the way too, and ensure they succeed in all objectives without any failures.

The range of tasks represents the typical daily challenges that today’s contractors constantly face. Time and money matter: that’s why it is essential that farmers and contractors use the latest technologies available in order to win the battle of speed, fuel efficiency and soil protection.

The European Drivers Challenge has been organised jointly

by John Deere and Michelin to demonstrate how the proper understanding of technology by users influences performance both on the road and in the field, even when using highly automated equipment. The event is designed to showcase the key role tyres play in managing difficult terrain with different levels of grip and traction, whilst protecting the soil from compaction and saving on fuel.

Located close to Michelin’s headquarters, the Michelin Technical Innovation Centre Test Circuit is one of the world’s largest vehicle test facilities, made up of 19 tracks totalling more than 41km – typically the exclusive preserve of Michelin research and development engineers testing future generations of tyres.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS John Deere and USQ announce research partnership GLOBAL agricultural equipment and services provider John Deere and the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, have teamed up to develop new agricultural technologies.

In what has been a shared research alliance for some time, John Deere and USQ formalised their association and will work jointly on the development of machine automation and control and planning for improving producer productivity in all aspects of the growing cycle.

John Deere Australian managing director Peter Wanckel and USQ ViceChancellor and President Professor Jan Thomas said the research partnership between the University and John Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Advanced Engineering Group will benefit growers in Australia and globally by reducing agricultural production costs.

“Since 1837, our commitment to those linked to the land has driven a spirit of innovation. Our products and services deliver higher levels of productivity and profitability for farmers and land owners,” Mr Wanckel said.

“We are delighted to work alongside USQ’s respected researchers. Together we can provide additional tools for agriculture to feed, fuel and clothe the increasing global population.”

The work with John Deere will be managed and directed through USQ’s

National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA), a leading innovator in agricultural research.

Professor Thomas said the NCEA had developed a recognised reputation in finding solutions for the rural sector with its research covering many areas of agriculture, energy use, water resources and food security.

“This research partnership illustrates the reach and relevance of USQ’s research efforts in engineering and highlights the importance international organisations are giving to the development of future technologies that will transform agricultural industries over the years to come,” Prof Thomas said.

NCEA Director Associate Professor Craig Baillie said the collaborative work with John Deere will improve existing technology and develop innovations for the company’s tractors and other farm equipment.

“John Deere is a world leader in providing advanced products and services to the agricultural industries and the applied research being undertaken will allow the NCEA to field test laboratory based technology solutions with real world farming applications and in real time situations,” he said. ”As Australia’s only university offering a degree in agriculture engineering, the opportunity to work with John Deere and gain industry experience

 Broughton Boydell (Senior Staff

Engineer, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, Advanced Engineering), USQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas, Professor Steven Raine (Executive Director, Institute for Agriculture and the Environment).

with a globally respected company will also attract engineering undergraduate students,” Associate Professor Baillie said.

“Apart from the benefits of working with a global agricultural equipment and services provider, the partnership will allow us to develop a potential gateway for the commercialisation of other technologies the NCEA has been developing,” Associate Professor Baillie said.

Fuel Tax Credit Scheme gains support WESTERN Australian farm group WAFarmers has been working with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) to ensure the Fuel Tax Credits Scheme continues to benefit its members and the wider agricultural sector.

Following calls for the Federal Government to make cuts to the scheme that provides a rebate on fuel used for off-road purposes, affected industries including agriculture have taken a proactive approach to ensure the rationale behind the tax credit is fully understood by decision makers.

WAFarmers board member Lyn Slade, and her husband Meat Section senior vice president David Slade, have recently been featured as a case study in a newly released Fuel Tax Credits Coalition publication.

The publication, titled ‘Powering Regional Australia: The Case for Fuel Tax Credits’, argues that the fuel excise introduced to contribute to the cost of building public roads should not apply to diesel used off-road or in off grid power generation.

Mrs Slade says it is important that decision makers, government departments and city-based politicians really understand what the tax was put in place for and ensure that off-road users are fairly treated.

“The original intent of the tax was to maintain and upgrade roads,” Mrs Slade said.

“There are a lot of decision makers who don’t know why the tax was originally introduced, so it’s important that people are fully informed about the off-road uses of fuel for vehicles.”

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NEWS Van Leeuwens choose Lely for NZ dairy expansion

 Aad and Wilma van Leeuwen are adding three more robotic milking sheds to their Canterbury dairy operation.

THE Van Leeuwen Dairy Group in Canterbury successfully introduced large scale robotic dairying to New Zealand in 2009 with 16 Lely Astronaut A3 robots. Now the Group has purchased 24 new Lely Astronaut A4 milking robots to be delivered this year.

Aad and Wilma van Leeuwen have built up considerable experience managing large herds using the Lely concept.

Mr van Leeuwen says they selected Lely again because of their previous experience with the Astronaut A3 robotic milking system and the top quality aftersales service and farm management support they received.

He said knew the new Astronaut A4 robots would provide a top milking performance. The group was also confident that the local New Zealand dealer network would again install and commission the units on time and provide top quality ongoing service and support.

“Our staff are used to the simplicity of Lely’s herd management system and they rely on the robots to do the job,” Mr can Leeuwen said.

“The cows know the system and the Astronaut robotic milking system ensures we get the best result from the cows. Happy cows and a good return on investment help us reach our goals.”

The Van Leeuwen Dairy Group will install their 24 Lely Astronaut A4 robots in three barns of 500 cows each. The 42

first delivery of eight robots will be installed in June, the next group of eight robots will be installed in July, and remaining eight will be installed in October.

Robotic milking is a revolutionary step in dairy technology that offers the win-win potential to increase production while reducing stress on both animals and people.

Farmers who choose the Lely Astronaut A4 system frequently point to ‘I-flow’ cow walkthrough design as a pivotal feature of the system. With I-flow, the cow walks straight in and out of the unit without making turns. This makes it easier for her, shortens the learning curve and increases throughput.

From the cow’s perspective the Lely Astronaut A4 system is completely voluntary. The cows have 24 hour access to feed, water, milking and rest, and this lowers their stress levels.

The reduction of stress is due to minimal human interference.

The free cow traffic allows for them to move according to their needs and the hierarchy rules in the herd, which promotes natural cow behaviour.

In turn, farmers face a much lighter workload and can choose when they want to be in the shed.

Not only does the Astronaut A4 automate milking, it automatically cleans out the milk lines and the robots three times a day, and automatically washes the vat after the milk is removed.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

NEWS Tapping into earlier wheat seeding opportunities A CSIRO study of wheat sowing times in South Australia found varieties sown in mid to late April produced higher yields than their May-sown counterparts.

It also found slower maturating APW variety Trojan was the best at turning early seeding opportunities into increased grain yield.

Following similar research in other states, the organisation conducted an ‘early sowing project’ last year at several trial sites across SA. In a recent interview with ABC Radio, CSIRO senior research scientist James Hunt said the results challenged the traditional sowing start date of Anzac Day. “What we found across most of the sites in the traditional grain producing regions is that our highest yields did tend to come from our mid to late April sowing time in 2014, and one cultivar particularly stood out, which was Trojan; a reasonably new variety,” he told ABC Radio.

“I think that offers some real hope for South Australian growers who tend to grow a lot of Mace, which is really suited to May. “Trojan can really complement Mace in a cropping program, and let growers start planting at the end of April with Trojan and then switch to Mace.

“So they’ve reduced their exposure to frost risk quite a lot, and based on our results should increase their whole farm yield considerably.”

In SA’s Mid North, Saddleworth grower David Parkinson said the district trend was for longer maturity wheat that could be sown earlier to maximise yield as well as spread frost risk on farm.

“Mace is better suited to a mid-May planting but Trojan has the advantage of an earlier-sowing. You can seed Trojan in late April/early May which in turn lifts overall farm yields and increases profitability,” he said.

“In saying that though, it complements Mace well.”

 David Parkinson from Saddleworth in South Australia says opening the planting window lifts overall farm yields and increases profitability.

Mace is better suited to a mid-May planting but Trojan has the advantage of an earlier-sowing.

Mr Parkinson farms with his father Bob and wife Lisa, is advised by his brother Andrew, an agronomist, and has been comparing Trojan, Mace and Cobra the past two seasons at “Tuela”.

At harvest in December, the family’s April 28-sown Trojan averaged 6.3 tonnes per hectare, Cobra in the same paddock sown May 3 went 5.3t/ha and Mace in an adjacent paddock, sown May 17, yielded 5t/ha.

“I think Trojan definitely has a fit in our system, having delivered well above the other varieties on the farm in 2014.”

It was an up and down year for the croppers, starting the season well on the back of strong rains in February and March, only to have waterlogging issues a few months later.

“As soon as we finished seeding, it just rained and rained.

“Usually at the end of July, this area has

a full profile, but in the first half of 2014 we’d had so much rain the paddocks were showing waterlogging.

“The paddocks had dried out enough by the middle of August to allow us to get back on them.

“After that the rain pretty well dried up and the Trojan finished without much additional rain, so it drew the moisture down and delivered well.”

Mr Parkinson direct drilled the three varieties with an air seeder bar fitted with 16mm knife points and press wheels on 24cm spacings, using slightly different rates.

He drilled the Trojan at 80kg/ha, Cobra at 90kg/ha and Mace, which was sown into a previous wheat stubble, at 100kg/ ha.

DAP was applied at a rate of 100kg/ha and urea was used in three applications totalling 270kg/ha.

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

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NEWS Deep ripping with Agrowplow lifts yield

DEEP ripping using an Agrowplow has resulted in higher yields in low and no-till cropping systems in Western Australia’s grain belt.

Manager of a 8000 hectare canola, wheat and barley operation at Wongan Hills, Aaron Falconer, said wheat yields in the area averaged 2.5 tonnes per hectare at best, but past experience has shown deep ripping can lift yields to between 2.5- 3 tonnes/ha.

“Definitely a noticeable lift – phenomenal,” Mr Falconer said.

Further north, at Moora, Tony Snell started deep ripping relatively recently on lighter country that had been ‘spaded’ to mix the soil profile up and correct non-wetting sands. He found that deep ripping was needed after some subsequent ‘settling’ and ‘packing down’.

Like Mr Falconer, Mr Snell experienced a “pretty graphic” illustration of the results of ripping. Just using a shovel and digging down after harvest, on the ripped country he found all the moisture had gone – utilised by the crop; whereas on unripped country it was still ‘wringing wet’ below the hard pan – out of reach of the crop’s roots.

And whereas malting barley yields on unripped country were around 2 tonnes/ ha, yields on ripped country averaged up to 3.25 t/ha, according to Mr Snell.

Mr Falconer recalled they used to deep rip regularly using an older Agrowplow some years ago but the idea was dropped. Average rainfall in the area is supposed to be 400mm although they have only seen about 350mm in recent years, so chasing moisture is important.

44

“Since deep ripping when we can, we’ve definitely got a better root structure, and we’ve broken up the hard pan allowing the roots to get down to the moisture that’s there,” Mr Falconer said.

“We have some deep sand but it’s mainly yellow sandy loam that can become compacted here, there’s a hard pan about 250-300mm down. If we get rain at the right time we deep rip before planting.”

A current Agrowplow Model AP90 had been used over 4000ha on another property Mr Falconer is associated with - on deeper sand at Dandaragan - before it came to Wongan Hills where it has since done another 1400ha.

Cropping around Wongan Hills commonly utilises 12m (40ft) implements with tines at 19-inch spacings and wheels at 3.0m centres.

The AP90 currently employed on the farm Mr Falconer manages is a 27 tine model with two tines removed to suit the tramlining system.

Mr Falconer farms some very hard country so he finds the strength of the Agrowplow’s frame great. He also likes being able to “shift the tines around” to suit different crops and systems, the shape of the AP90’s tine shank, and the “fantastic” trash clearance of the implement’s longer tines.

“It’s pretty easy to pull too when the conditions are right – we were doing 6 km/h with the tractor just idling along,” he said.

Mr Snell liked Agrowplow’s value and price through Wangan Hills dealer Boekemans.

“While my 29 tine machine works a

little narrower than others, it rips a little deeper behind our 600hp Case tractor.

It’s been very good,” Mr Snell said.

Features of the Agrowplow AP90 include a 150mm x 150mm 9mm heavy duty RHS 3-bar frame, +/- 10 degree floating wings to cover ground undulations, and boltless quick-change shanks and points.

Both producers’ Agrowplows are complemented by rear rollers to maintain a consistent level seedbed.

In Western Australia’s challenging grain belt, deep ripping with the Agrowplow AP90 has been shown to be an effective and durable answer to the challenge of accessing soil moisture and creating a productive soil profile in readiness for sowing.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

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CONTRACTOR PROFILE

 Two excavators and a Dressta bulldozer initiate work for a weather proof cow pad on a Gippsland dairy farm.

Diversity and scale the key to longevity for successful Gippsland contractors

By David Palmer

GEOFF Allen started Allens Contracting near Leongatha in Victoria’s Gippsland region more than half a century ago when was just 18 years of age.

Today at the age of 70, he is still active in the business, although his son Mike has largely taken over day-to-day activities of the diverse organisation.

In fact 42 year-old Mike is quite the veteran too, having started in the business when he was 16.

Allens Contracting runs 32 pieces of equipment including 100 to 200kW farm tractors, mowers, balers, forage wagons, ploughs, bull dozers, 20 to 28 tonne excavators, Volvo and Hitachi wheel loaders, road graders, rollers, triaxle drop deck floats to move equipment mostly within 60km of home base and tip trucks and trailers mostly to handle bulk material.

The Allens also run a quarry, a deer farm and a garden supplies business in nearby Wonthaggi.

While the important earthmoving side of the business demands big machines, the Allens have invested heavily in large 46

forage conservation equipment.

They have mowers capable of harvesting grass at the rate of five to 10ha/hour and two forage pick-up wagons which can hold 38 cubic metres of wilted plant material.

They then usually cart the material to sites near a dairy where a wheel loader compacts it into a clamp that is later covered with tyre weighted plastic to seal and protect it.

Mike said clamped silage was increasingly more popular than plastic covered round bales because it was significantly cheaper to ensile and store.

However in a wet year round bales come to the fore when large areas of mown pasture would be vulnerable to the elements.

The Allens cut about 1500ha a year for silage and about 3000 big square hay bales around Nerrena about 10km south east of Leongatha. The season runs from September to the end of December and sometimes into January.

On the earthmoving side of the business, the Allens mostly use two 14 tonne Hitachi excavators to excavate

 Carting silage through a river on a 450 cow dairy farm near Toora.

dairy effluent ponds, build dairy feed pads and excavate small wetlands for new environmentally-aware residential housing estates.

Mike said the days are now gone when a contractor could walk a bulldozer across farms for maybe months on end, building gully dams on different farms as he went.

He said the State Government had pretty well put paid to that by proclaiming a law which says that farmers must buy a water licence for the amount of water they want to store in a proposed dam.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

 Allens Contracting’s Toora quarry is about 50km from its base near Leongatha. Overall contracting operations extend in a 60km radius circle from Leongatha.

That means engaging engineers and confronting considerable ‘red tape’ and expense.

Construction of cow pads where cows can eat and rest and keep pressure off wet paddocks are almost essential now on high rainfall, high production Gippsland dairy farms.

The Allens utilise clay, sand and gravel from their Toora Peerless Gravel and Sands quarry, 50km south east of Leongatha, to build suitably elevated and compacted pads to keep cows dry.

Mike said they are typically 7m-13m wide and need one cubic metre of gravel, sand and clay for each square metre of surface area.

The quarry produces 3mm-7mm, 7mm14mm and 14mm-40mm diameter pebbles, as well as washed concrete sand, screened bedding sand and screened gravel for cow tracks and roads.

The wash plant was designed and built to extract four different products from the raw material.

The Allens have equipped a 24 tonne Hitachi ZX240 excavator with belly guards, strengthened upper structure, heavy-duty undercarriage and a mulcher to mulch trees up to 300mm in diameter as well as to handle other

 The Allens install culverts on the 20km Foster to Welshpool rail trail. arduous conditions of forestry work.

As well they operate a 28 tonne Dressta bulldozer generally for heavy duty earthmoving on various projects.

Recently the Allens completed a 20km rail trail from Foster to Welshpool. That involved earthmoving, installing culverts and gravelling the already mostly elevated and previously railed gradient.

Their deer farm runs about 250 red deer which are bred for their antlers and meat

and are sold for export via a Myrtleford abattoir.

However Mike said he was likely to only run deer for another few years before replacing them cattle.

For the future he and his wife have four daughters. But he believes “there is some (contracting) talent there” for extending the business into the next generation.

Details: Allens Contracting, 0417 550 568

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

47

NEWS Variable rate tech works on Cobra wheat crops

 Grower Geoff Cosgrove (left) and Pacific Seeds territory manager Steve Lamb in a paddock of Cobra wheat.

MAINTAINING a profitable broadacre cropping industry in Australia can be tough amid variable weather and rising input costs.

Some growers are meeting the challenge by adopting new technologies and improved plant varieties to get the greatest efficiencies and yield from their land.

While many farmers have been utilising GPS-based Precision Agriculture (PA) technologies for a while, a growing number (just over 40 per cent according to the CSIRO) have taken up Variable Rate Technology (VRT) for applying chemicals.

VRT enables them to account for and tailor applications to the change in soil type and conditions across a tract of land.

According to the CSIRO, some growers may realise up to a $50/ha advantage using VRT. One farm business that has taken up the technology is the Cosgrove Farming Company on Western Australia’s north coast.

“Our latest venture has been VRT on the seeder to vary compound fertiliser and potash by zone rather than a blanket application,” cropper Geoff Cosgrove said.

The operation runs 13,000 hectares for cropping and livestock across seven properties on country that varies greatly – stretching from Mingenew (sandplain country) in the north, Arrino (loamy) to the east and Arrowsmith East (loamy) in the west.

Mr Cosgrove said their other efficiency-boosting practices included minimum till, auto-steer machinery and controlled traffic.

“We practice minimum tillage, with deep ripping required on some of the sandplain country to open up the soil so the plants can draw water from deeper. This can add up to an extra tonne per hectare in yield in cereals.

“All of our fleet is auto-steer and we are using controlled traffic 48

associated with tramlining to reduce compaction.”

Mr Cosgrove farms with his wife Fiona, parents Gary and Alison, and brothers Owen and Andrew.

The cropping program typically includes 6000ha of wheat, 2000ha of canola and 2000ha of lupins, with the remaining land used for 2000 Merino breeding ewes and 150 Black Angus breeder cattle, or chemical fallow.

Mr Cosgrove handled most of the wheat program last season, overseeing 3000ha of Cobra, 1000ha of Wyalkatchem, 1000ha of Calingiri and 1000ha of Mace.

High yielding, early-mid season, AH variety Cobra has been part of the program since 2011.

“It has been our main variety since bulking up in 2011 and will remain so into the future,” he said.

Last year, the Cosgroves started seeding wheat on May 15 using a John Deere with 1830 bar, stiletto points and boots, and finished two weeks later.

Despite crops bleeding yields in some areas of WA last season due to tough conditions, the Cosgroves were content with the yields from their wheat and canola.

A period of extreme heat a few months from harvest cut up to a tonne per hectare in wheat yields and 800kg/ha in canola yields.

“Rainfall was a bit below our average of 350mm, sitting at about 320mm, but it was the hot spell in August, where we had 35 degree days, five days in a row, that threw us a bit,” Mr Cosgrove said.

Harvest began on October 15 with a John Deere 9770 direct header on canola first then wheat, finishing up on December 1.

“Cobra was miles ahead of anything else. We saw 6t/ha in the best areas,” he said.

Their average for the wheat program was 2.3t/ha, with Cobra coming out best at 2.5t/ha average.

Mr Cosgrove said the family will continue to employ spatiallyaware technologies along with high yielding canola and wheat varieties to improve their bottom line.

AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL - MAY 2015

TMA NEWS So far so good for machinery sales to start 2015 A COMBINATION of low interest rates and the threat of rising prices due to a lower dollar has pushed national machinery sales higher for the first quarter of 2015. Both New South Wales and Queensland have seen vast improvement in sales numbers for the first three months, coming off the back of a poor year last year, with tractor sales up 15 per cent in both states from this time last year. Unfortunately the Victorian market is not faring as well, with a drop of 17pc in tractor sales from this time last year. However, overall the sales of new and used machinery across the country is up around 12pc from this time last year. So what’s driving the demand?

Certainly the low interest rates on offer from the factory credit providers such as John Deere Credit and Agco Finance are taking the financial sting out of the capital purchases – at rates as low as 1.9pc being advertised the money is basically free and helping the decisionmaking process. Even the bank rates and non-factory rates are historically very low, giving farmers and contractors some incentive to purchase. The drop in the Aussie dollar is putting upward pressure

TMA News

With Richard Lewis, executive director TMA

on imported machinery prices, and there is a sense of ‘get in early’ among buyers to beat the price rises that will inevitably come. Most tractor companies set their pricing a couple of times each year – around now and later in the second half of the year. That means that stock or inventory on the ground is not necessarily impacted by a drop in the dollar, and forward ordered equipment can often avoid currency movements by fixing in a price for delivery later in the year. Most buyers are aware of this impending price increase and may shed some light on why sales are remaining strong – can it be sustained through the year?

One look around the world shows that most of the markets for new tractors have drooped away so presumably we will eventually follow suit at some stage, and we are tipping this will come in the

second half of this year. The bright spot in the market is in the hay and fodder machinery sector with baler sales and early orders for hay tools in good shape and expected to remain in an upward trend through the year. Demand for quality hay and fodder is expected to remain strong through the year and currently being helped along by strong livestock prices and poor weather conditions.

Many of the larger machinery manufacturers are reporting declines in sales internationally and will be keen to meet any levels of demand, therefore there will be some very good deals at the dealership levels and factories attempt to keep production levels up, even at a lower margin. Used equipment levels around the country have been reduced in the past year or so as demand has improved, meaning dealers are once again keen to take trades and make a deal happen for buyers. As we all wait anxiously for a decent autumn break in most of the country, the longer term prospect for farming and agribusiness remains positive and dealers are keen to do business.

• Details: http://www.tma.asn.au/

Annual conference in Melbourne in July THE Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia will hold its annual conference in Melbourne this July.

TMA executive director Richard Lewis said the 2015 conference, to be hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, promised to be “bigger and better than ever”. “We have a fabulous line up of speakers with an emphasis on the agricultural market in Australia and what the future holds for the machinery sector,” Mr Lewis said.

“We will look at commodities such as hay and fodder, dairy and grain

and the rise of corporate farming in Australia, with some speakers from these organisations, and we will look at young people in the dealerships and the opportunities that are in our industry for young people generally.”

“More details will follow shortly, but please save the date. The conference will be held on Tuesday July 14.”

Registration and accommodation options will be available online and there will be sponsorship opportunities available to those members keen to get their names in front of the industry.

“We are particularly encouraging dealers

to attend this year as we believe that no dealer has ever left our conference disappointed and not having met someone new that can add value to their business,” Mr Lewis said.

“The TMA annual conference is an excellent way to network with companies and people from our industry – this is our conference and the only national ‘get together ‘for our industry throughout the year, so be sure to come along.”

• Details: http://www.tma.asn.au/

MAY 2015 - AUSTRALASIAN FARMERS’ & DEALERS’ JOURNAL

49

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