WHAT a difference a season can make with the sniff of a good winter crop harvest, also the prospect of possible bumper summer crop ahead, funnelling property owners towards this year’s Heritage Ag Show event in Toowoomba, Queensland.
Against a blue-sky back-drop, plus a chance to shrug the continuing stalemate in the general election, there was a buoyant mood at the event during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
And the technology side of the broadacre sector was humming, based on the debut of:
• A header that scored a record-breaking performance entry in the Guinness book of records;
• Massive chaser bins from Argentina – the new machinery force in world agriculture; and
• A system of rubber tracks for improving the pace and stability of modern-day combine harvesters.
With new ideas cascading on to the marketplace at ever-increasing rates, it’s the reason why Bongeen producer Roy Sleba slipped behind the wheel of New Holland’s most powerful combine harvester to date – the 443kW (591hp) twin rotor CR9090 Elevation.
Claiming a current Guinness World Record for the most grain harvested, it gulped up 551.61 tonnes of wheat over an eight-hour period during a hectic harvest on a busy UK farm.
Mr Sleba, who operates a CR8060 model equipped with a 10.9m (36ft) wide front, says his crops are “looking okay”, adding the subsoil moisture on his property was the best in five years.
“There will be a huge cotton crop on the Downs this year,” he said.
Having by-passed the show for the last couple of years, Mr Sleba said: “I thought it was time to come along because there’s just so much new gear on the market.”
Meanwhile, area sales manager for PFG Australia, Allan Delaforce, said recent NSW field days were pointing to “one of the best hard grain crops ever” in that state, with Queensland producers relishing soil moisture levels ahead of the summer crop plant.
“Cotton is looking good, beef prices are coming up a little bit and grain is looking good – even though the price is still jigging around – and while the way our dollar has strengthened, which doesn’t help our exports, there are still some positive stories around,” Mr Delaforce said.
Meanwhile, expect to see a lot more Argentinian farm machinery around the traps - as evidenced by general manager, Davey Group, Malcom Mackellar, just back from South America.
He told of a 94 million tonne grain industry, one that had increased productivity by 60 percent during the last decade.
Debuting a massive chaser bin at Heritage Ag Show, he drew attention to the competitive nature of the Argentina’s farm machinery industry which is home to 600 manufacturers.
“There are 24 chaser bin manufacturers, 75 seeder companies, plus I visited a self-propelled sprayer company that makes 500 units a year,” Mr Mackellar said.
“Their goals and vision are unbelievable.”
Equipped with the latest laser machinery and robotic welders, the Argentine machinery business is set up to produce quality products like the chaser bin on the Davey stand.
“We were looking to expand our product base by not only offering more value to our dealers but also by bringing technology to farmers that actually gives them some operational and management advantage,” Mr Mackellar said.
Email a friend