Write-off scheme extended

AFederal Government move to extend the Instant Asset Write-off Scheme until June 30, 2023 has received the thumbs up.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said the scheme was a “proven winner”.

The Instant Asset Write-off Scheme was expanded substantially in last year’s budget to $150,000, largely as a COVID-19 stimulus measure.

The scheme has now been extended for another year, providing a longer window of opportunity for agribusinesses to make on-farm investments.

While Tractor & Machinery Association of Australia executive director Gary Northover welcomed the news, the strong demand for machinery has caused supply issues.

“The level of demand being seen “The level of demand being seen in the market continues to surprise, in the market continues to surprise, with many suppliers reporting buyers bringing forward purchasing plans to take advantage of the Federal Government’s fi nancial incentives,” Mr Northover said.

“The challenges in meeting this demand are showing no signs of abating, however, with shipping and port clearance delays having a signifi cant impact on delivery times.

“We are receiving reports of a more than doubling of shipping times being compounded by the shortage of containers and the bottlenecks being experienced at Australia’s ports.

“As a result, suppliers are having great diffi culty guaranteeing delivery times, which is hampering confi dence in the supply chain.

The Instant Asset Write-off Scheme has been extended again.

“To compensate for these delays, forward orders are now sitting at levels well above what would be considered normal posing a risk of oversupply in the event of a slowdown in demand.

“These challenges are not confi ned to the agricultural machinery industry, with construction and automotive likewise aff ected.”

In April, the association reported the past 12 months had seen in excess of 15,500 tractors sold in this country, which is 38 per cent ahead of the previous 12-month period.

The last time sales were anywhere near these levels was back in 1984.

Lending for machinery and equipment purchases has hit a seven-year high, with new data showing Australia’s agriculture sector continues to boom.

Commonwealth Bank executive general manager of regional and agribusiness Grant Cairns said the record funding was being driven by farmers investing in transport equipment, sowing and cropping equipment, tractors and harvesters.

According to the data, March 2021 was the third largest month for purchases of agriculture machinery since 2014.

Tractor purchases are up 78 per cent and harvesters up 88 per cent, compared to the same time last year.

NEW STANDARD IN ROUND BALING

With conditions in some regions of Australia continuing to improve and dairy farmers preparing for another year ahead, KUHN Australia’s newly released VB 7100 series round balers are ready for the job.

The VB 7100 series round balers debuted in Australia in 2020, and have set a new standard in round baling.

KUHN Australia marketing manager and baler product specialist Michael Murer said the VB 7100 series was built for large farmers and contractors looking for a high-performing baler that creates dense bales.

“Featuring patented i-DENSE technology, the VB 7100 series is about ensuring Australian farmers and contractors have high performing systems that save time and ensure the economical use of your baler without compromising on performance,” Mr Murer said.

The key feature of the new technology is its intelligent twin tension arm system providing bale densities of up to 140 kg m3 in straw.

Utilising the intelligent moisture sensor, it automatically adapts the baling pressure according to the diff erent crops and crop conditions, without intervention from the operator.

“Baling up to 30 tonnes of dry product per hour, with minimum downtime, the machine was designed with extreme durability in mind ensuring robustness and reliability,” Mr Murer said.

The rotor tines are made of Hardox wear plate and 50 mm spherical roller bearings are fi tted on the main driven rollers with seals on the idling rollers.

These seals, consisting of a unique combination of two

A new range of KUHN round balers have hit the market.

specifi cally developed rings, ensure contamination is kept away from the bearings.

Essentially, the baler takes control of the baling density and the baler’s power consumption and moisture indication, and many other data points can be monitored on the ISOBUS display terminal.

With technology playing a greater role than ever in helping operators to get maximum performance from their machines, KUHN’s range of balers delivers the benefi ts of consistent, perfectly shaped bales for effi cient, more profi table farms.

To fi nd out more, visit www.kuhn. com.au or contact your local dealer.