THE CRT FarmFest field days put worries about last year’s Federal Government investment grant initiative behind it, championing new technology as the way ahead.
There’s always justifiable caution at taking on board the latest piece of wizardry just for the sake of it.
But when new developments just “look right” there’s a certain inevitability of it paying dividends down-the-track.
Concerns about the burgeoning Coal Seam Gas industry on Queensland agriculture, however, and the Bligh Government’s lacklustre attitude towards protecting productive farmland were concerning many property owners.
Such was the backdrop to this year’s event where healthy crowds boosted exhibitor confidence ahead of what is shaping up to be a bumper planting season.
On the previously-mentioned technology front there was something for everybody out to make crop production more efficient – not only from the big multinational machinery companies but also on the home front. I was impressed by:
- The ingenuity involved in small Boonah company Muller Fabrications’ tractor-mounted side-shift facility for bale handling, now in production after proving trials;
- Austrian company Pottinger’s massive Novacat T8 trailed mower with its unusual-looking trailing portal which supports three mowing decks covering some 8.4m in one pass;
- A ‘push-me-pull-you’ Xerion tractor from Claas that is able to operate in either direction by rotating the cab to suit the task in hand.
Meanwhile, just as encouraging was to gauge the business barometer of Australia’s farm machinery industry, courtesy of the A F Gason organisation’s Peter Piddington who had travelled from Victoria.
Here to unveil its Para Maxx planter, as well he gave news of recently taking over the Adelaide-based Chris Grow Engineering enterprise.
This will augment the company’s inventory line-up by the addition of a 32-strong range of mowers and slashers which debuted at FarmFest. Other acquisitions are in hand and will be revealed later this year.
Gason sets great store in Australia’s farming community and its underlying resilience in the face of drought and depressed grain prices.
“But with the dollar ‘coming off’ in the past two or three weeks, the reaction has been unbelievable,” Mr Piddington said.
“I think farmers can see the lower dollar is going to drive exports which, in turn, is going to drive higher grain prices.
“Generaly, farmers are looking at a good season and cattle prices are on the up, plus sheep prices are at levels we have not seen for a long time,” Mr Piddington added.
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