Hay Making September 2021

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 17

Hay Making Hip hooray for top quality hay Brothers Sam (left) and Jake Thompson from Wyuna East and Timmering’s Alex Peacock (inset) and his family have all had their hay growing skills recognised in the annual Feed Central National Hay Quality awards. Read more, pages 20–21 and 26–28.

September 2021 16-page feature

18 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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haymaking

Put a cap on your big squares

T

he Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a wetter than average spring as crops are looking promising and many farmers will take the opportunity to conserve hay.

As a result producers are being reminded to think early about storage options for their hay.

It was seasons like this that led experienced hay producer Phil Snowden to invent Hay Caps.

“So much hay was being wasted,” he said.

“When you consider all the effort that goes into making hay it is such a waste to see it stacked in the open with no protection.

“For every 75mm rain that falls on an eight foot by four foot by three foot bale of hay, over 200 litres goes into the top bale. That’s a 44-gallon drum of water and it ruins the hay.

“It is also important to bale at the right moisture to prevent heating and spoilage, or worse, spontaneous combustion.

“If you are going to bale hay then that investment needs to be protected and Hay Caps are a very economical option if you don’t have permanent storage.”

Mr Snowden has been covering hay for more than 30 years and has looked at the major problems with the systems that have been used before he came up with his simple, safe and reusable way to cover large

Easy

square bale stacks.

He said Hay Caps paid for themselves from the first season by protecting the hay.

“They have the added bonuses

of improved and efficient handling, safety and durability.

"Hay Caps have now been widely accepted as a better way of covering hay, with more than 1000 farmers

and contractors using them,” Mr Snowden said.

Hay Caps are made on the Snowdens’ family farm in southern NSW using Australian recycled

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 19

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haymaking

Herd rebuild is good for feed growers

T

he resurgence and rebuilding of the national herd is good news for fodder growers around Australia, with Feed Central predicting strong demand for quality feed.

In a pre-season update webinar, Feed Central general manager Cieran Maxwell said high-end quality feed would find a good market with strong confidence running through dairy, beef and feedlot sectors.

“It has been a tough season, but the animals will be there to feed when it’s needed,” Mr Maxwell said.

“There is confidence through all markets and when feed gaps come, all sectors will be well resourced to invest in their herd with quality feed.

“There’s no doubt quality feed is going to move.”

However, Mr Maxwell warned that buyers wanted high-end quality feed, with high density bales and product shedded to ensure there was supply

ready for feed gaps.

“The market is likely to remain a little bit soft in the beginning with the impact of feed on the ground but, in the new season, better quality product will move first,” he said.

“That’s what the market is looking for.

“With lower quality product you have to be prepared to have it sitting there until the next dry spell starts to emerge, but it will eventually move because no doubt there will be more feed gaps.”

With talk of a wet spring on the cards, Mr Maxwell urged growers to choose the best windows for harvest through to baling, ensuring they altered cutting practices accordingly.

“It will be a year where quality over yield will be the key. Cattle are expensive and buyers will want to keep their good condition as a priority.”

He also urged growers to have their finances arranged for a possibly

Hungry herds: Quality feed will be in demand as the national herd grows. prolonged selling period, in particular for any existing old-season or lower grade product.

Mr Maxwell predicted a return to historic price conditions that would be impacted by feed test, visual quality, bale weight and location.

“The most positive thing for the fodder industry is that our customers

are profitable.

“The continuing building of numbers on feed is heading in the right direction.

“There is profitability which means feed will be required, but margins are still very tight; any sharp increases in commodity prices will pose a very fast negative effect on feeding any

operation.”

Feed Central is set to release an updated booklet on tips for a profitable hay season. ▯ People can see the webinar at: https://www.feedcentral.com.au /pre-season-update-hayquality-awards-webinar/

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20 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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haymaking

All about the quality

By Geoff Adams

C Big stack: Alex Peacock with a stack of oaten hay on his Timmering property.

rops are never far from the view of Timmering hay maker and transport operator Alex Peacock.

From his kitchen table you can see a vibrant strip of yellow slashed across the landscape, but this is one harvest that won’t end up as hay.

The 30-hectare canola crop will go through to harvest as an oilseed

crop, part of a farming and contracting operation which will see the family business near Rochester handle thousands of bales in an average season and will supply domestic and export markets.

The Peacock family — including Alex, his wife Sandra, daughter Beck and her husband Joel Wolfe — has been recognised in the annual Feed Central national hay making awards for cereal and wheaten hay.

On the road again: Brian Parkin, Robbie Ramskill, Leia Ramskill, Alex Peacock, Beck Wolfe and Joel Wolfe with a load of hay.

The wheaten hay from last season — harvested on a share basis on Alex’s brother Richard’s property and destined for chaff in the horse racing industry — was a winner in the feed test category.

Alex said unlike dairy farmer customers, the thoroughbred industry does not require as many feed tests — something he thinks will change as end users become more focused on getting the maximum nutritional value out of the feed they buy.

For the moment, it’s mostly “sniff and see”, and he’s comfortable with a move towards more quality testing as he’s confident in his product.

“The smell and look are important (it has to be palatable) but a feed test shows you what you can achieve.”

Although Alex takes care in his hay making he acknowledges a certain amount of good fortune and jokes that he was lucky to get the winning hay cured in between rain last spring before being made into big squares.

“It was a good crop, averaging out about six to seven tonne to the hectare.”

His family company employs eight staff and they grow hay crops on about a third of the Timmering home block, and across a smaller outblock and on share properties.

Continued on page 21

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haymaking

On the job: Beck Wolfe is hands-on with the family hay making business.

Continued from page 20 The contract side runs three big square balers (Kuhn and Krone) and a Staheli West steamer across northern and north-western Victoria. Alex bought the steamer back from Utah, in the United States, in 2015 and believes it was worth the trip.

The steamer tackles an age-old problem with hay making — trying to capitalise on the right moisture content, which frequently results in hay making through the night as producers try to capture the early dew.

Hay making dry can shatter the leaves, reducing the feed value.

This season is shaping up as a good one, with good rains to get the crops started and lower water prices, although Alex said the Mildura region had been very dry.

Hay prices might also be affected by lower export demand due to China’s reluctance to issue export permits. The country usually buys about 350,000 tonnes of hay each year.

Family affair: Joel Wolfe, Beck Wolfe and Alex Peacock have been sowing 40 ha of lucerne with the John Deere disc drill.

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haymaking

New life for damaged hay

H

eavy rain and flooding can spoil stored hay.

Options for recouping this investment are few and include using the bales to fill old gullies, spreading hay over the surface of paddocks and allowing pasture to grow through, or composting the spoiled hay.

Of these options, composting has the greatest potential to return some benefit to the farm.

Aerobic composting is the rapid decomposition of organic materials into a humus-rich product ideally suited to soil improvement.

High temperatures are naturally generated during the composting process resulting in the destruction of any weed seeds and pathogens that may be present in the raw organic materials.

If your farm produces sizeable quantities of 'waste' materials each year (spoiled hay, silage or manures), then composting is a good way of improving your soil and

extracting extra value from what was previously often regarded as waste.

Composting methods While there are numerous composting methods available, the most simple and costeffective for farmers is the ‘turned windrow’ method.

A compost windrow This involves piling organic materials in correct proportions and with adequate moisture, in rows on a suitable surface and then mixing well.

The dimensions of the windrow depend on: • types of materials being composted; • space available; and • equipment being used.

For a manure-based operation, the height of the windrow will be typically around 1.5m, with the base at two to three metres wide. The length of the

row can be as long as space permits.

Many farm wastes (manure, hay, silage and sawdust) can be composted with minimal pre-treatment. Other wastes that become available from time to time (woody wastes) may need to be chopped up because they are too coarse.

Once the wastes are correctly mixed in the right proportions, and at the right moisture content, the composting process will begin.

All you need to do is provide organic materials in the right proportions, with moisture, and the microbes will do the rest.

Understanding the conditions required by the composting microbes is paramount to successful composting.

Micro-organisms have three basic needs and when these are provided, the composting process will proceed and the mix will heat up.

These needs are:

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haymaking Continued from page 23

nine emissions of ammonia production may present a problem. This is unlikely to be an issue if normal organic ingredients are used.

• oxygen; • adequate moisture; and • suitable food supply.

Temperature

Oxygen Fresh air contains 21 per cent oxygen but inside the composting pile microbes will be actively consuming oxygen.

Oxygen percentages of greater than 10 per cent inside the pile are adequate but when levels drop to around five per cent, the activity of the microbes will slow.

In oxygen-deprived piles, anaerobic microbes will begin to dominate and unlike the aerobic microbes, these can produce foul smells.

Aeration is maintained by physically turning the pile, and also ensuring that the feedstock contains a mix of small particles and larger air-trapping particles.

Wastes such as manure can have high moisture contents and, if not well-mixed, can impede air flow.

Such material should be mixed with structured wastes such as straw or woodchips.

Waterlogging of the pile (from rain), over-watering or poor structure can create an oxygen poor environment — so moisture levels need to be monitored.

Moisture Composting microbes need adequate moisture to survive and the ideal moisture content is around 50 to 60 per cent.

Flooded fodder: The forecast for a wet spring may mean an increased likelihood of damaged hay.

Another way of determining the moisture content of your compost is to assess it by hand.

Ideally compost should appear wet, but when a handful is taken and squeezed hard, moisture should be visible but not run out of your hand.

At 50 to 60 per cent moisture content, the compost will hold its form after squeezing, and resist crumbling.

If the compost is too dry (below 30 per cent moisture content) microbial activity will be restricted, and if it’s too wet (greater than 60 per cent) conditions will become anaerobic and unfavourable microbes will flourish, creating nasty smells.

Adequate moisture levels should be established when the mixture is first created.

As the microbes consume the compost materials they will generate heat, causing water to evaporate from the pile. This is a beneficial process as it moderates the temperature of the pile — it is important that this

moisture is replenished.

Moisture content should be assessed at every turning, and additional water applied using a hand-held or soaker hose as required.

Stockpiled spoiled hay is often very dry and can be difficult to re-wet.

Trying to wet the hay at the same time as mixing it with manures can be very difficult.

It is best to spread out the hay, some time in advance of making the pile, using a bale processor where the row is to be established and allowing time for rain to thoroughly wet the hay. Alternatively, a soaker hose that slowly applies water will do the job.

Carbon to nitrogen ratio and nutrients The carbon to nitrogen ratio of the compost feedstock will have important implications on the speed of the composting process.

If there is too much nitrogen, the

pile may heat up too quickly and loss of nitrogen in the form of ammonia can occur. If there is too little nitrogen, the pile may not heat up enough and the compost may take much longer to break down.

The ideal carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio at the start is about 30:1 — 30 parts of carbon by weight to one part of nitrogen. In practice, an initial C:N ratio of between 25 to 40:1 is usually quite sufficient. This will gradually fall to 10 to 20:1 as the carbon in the pile is digested.

Other nutrients are also needed by the microbes in addition to carbon and nitrogen. These include: • sulphur; • phosphorus; and • other trace elements.

If animal manures are a primary ingredient of the compost, then these elements are usually in plentiful supply.

A variety of pH levels are conducive to composting. At a pH above

Heat is naturally generated by microbes as they digest waste materials. This heat will build up within the piles, with the highest temperatures occurring in the centre.

The ideal range for effective composting is between 45°C and 65°C, and to maintain temperatures within this range the pile should be monitored and turned or watered as necessary.

Temperature can also be used as an indicator of how the composting process is progressing.

The early stages will see the temperature climb quickly — assuming the pile has been properly constructed. Heating occurs due to the rapid increase in biological activity in the pile and the consumption of available food by the microbes.

During this early phase (week one to two) the pile will need the most attention to prevent over-heating.

Careful monitoring of temperature is necessary to know when to turn a pile. The temperature should not be allowed to go beyond 70˚C. Once 65˚C is reached, the pile should be turned to blend cooler material from the outside to the inside, ensuring evenness of the final product.

During this process, care should be taken to assess the moisture content.

If the material is too dry or has dry

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haymaking Continued from page 24 sections, moisture must be added for proper composting to continue. Once reformed, the pile will again heat up.

Temperature monitoring will provide the feedback necessary to know when to next turn the pile.

As time goes by, the pile will heat up less quickly and after the first couple of weeks, will no longer achieve 65˚C. This occurs when the easily digestible feedstocks are depleted and microbial activity declines.

Once temperatures fall below 45˚C, fungi become progressively more important, particularly in the latter stages of decomposition, due to their superior ability to degrade more complex organic compounds such as lignin and lignocelluloses.

When the compost reaches near ambient temperature, and turning does not result in significant changes in temperature, the composting process is complete.

Heat is an important consideration in ensuring that your compost has been rid of any pathogens or weed seeds.

In order to be confident that the compost is pasteurised, the whole mass needs to have reached temperatures higher than 55˚C for at least three days.

This means the pile must reach a minimum of 55˚C following five turns so that every part of the compost has been subject to high temperatures.

Selecting a site Site selection is a pivotal factor influencing the success of a composting operation.

Ideally, composting should be conducted on a level, compacted surface. Suitable surfaces include concrete, crushed rock or gravel and compacted soil.

Other considerations include: • distance from composting site to the paddock; • access to compost ingredients and water; • avoiding potential odour complaints; • wind direction; • distance from surface

Happy ending: Spoiled hay can be turned into compost to recoup costs. water; • proximity to groundwater; • slope; and • run-off storage.

Curing and storage When temperatures in the compost are within 10°C of ambient, and turning no longer results in a rise in temperature, the compost may be ready for use.

However, it will benefit further from a short (three to six weeks) period of curing.

Curing reduces the likelihood of experiencing plant toxicity effects that can sometime occur with the application of fresh compost. Curing also promotes the formation of stable and complex humus compounds.

During the curing phase the compost will not require turning.

Stable compost can be stored for longer periods.

Care should be taken not to contaminate stable, finished compost with potential pathogens and weed seeds that can be transmitted on equipment.

Care should also be taken to prevent the pile becoming saturated or flooded.

Application Annual crops: For annual crops, apply compost before sowing — ideally two months ahead.

This allows the compost to become integrated into the soil to start soil conditioning and biological stimulation.

Ideally compost should be incorporated or at least 'tickled' into the surface soil.

Perennial pastures:

For perennial pastures, paddocks should be grazed down before compost is applied.

This enhances contact with the soil surface and pasture re-growth will quickly shade the compost and prevent it drying out or blowing away.

Compost can also be surface-applied under perennial crops (trees, shrubs and vines) where it will slowly decompose or be drawn into the soil by the action of worms and other invertebrates.

Application rates Application rates should not exceed 60 cubic metres/hectare/year on high value crops.

Higher rates will be uneconomical and can result in nutrient losses in the same way that inorganic nutrients can be lost if over-applied.

Broadcasting compost is the easiest way to improve soil conditions across a whole paddock.

Restricting application to planting beds, placement in trenches or banding can be used to reduce total application requirements and costs.

In practical terms, application rates for perennial pastures or cropping are likely to be in the order of one to seven tonnes/hectare/year.

The cost of this is highly dependent on the degree to which farmers have: • access to compost material; • labour costs; and • machinery costs.

As a general guide, farmers report costs in the order of $100 to $250 to make and spread three tonnes of compost per hectare.

Source: Agriculture Victoria

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26 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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haymaking

Looks

By Daneka Hill

T

he Thompson brothers are crediting their success in the Feed Central awards to a great team and good soil.

The Wyuna East farmers took out the honours for best lucerne hay in Victoria — in both the visual category and feed test analysis.

The 2020-21 awards mark two years in a row the Thompsons have won a top gong.

Last year the fifth generation farmers picked up the award for the best-looking lucerne hay in all of Australia.

Sam Thompson said the family was delighted to win again and acknowledged the good people around them.

“Our agronomist Tim Anderson from Advanced AG helped us get this lucerne established and it’s on real good soil,” Sam said.

“It’s a Shepparton fine sand and the beautiful climate in the Goulburn Valley allows us to dry the lucerne quick.”

The brothers have been supported by neighbour Frank Fanning and friends the Peacock family throughout their farming careers.

The Peacocks won their own Feed Central award this year in the cereal hay category (see page 20).

Top croppers: Brothers Sam (left) and Jake (right) Thompson have continued to prove they are among the best in Victoria when it comes to quality lucerne.

Continued on page 27

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haymaking

good, smells good, is good Continued from page 26 “We’re surrounded by a lot of mentor farmers. We’ve learnt a lot of our techniques from other people,” Sam said.

The Thompsons have the capacity to produce about 2000 tonnes of lucerne in a season, provided every little thing goes their way.

Most of that is sold to Feed Central which supplies feedlots, dry-lot dairy farms and horse stables.

Jake Thompson is the main brother on the farm, owning and leasing the

majority of the enterprise’s land.

“We are selling some hay local as well,” Jake said.

“Since the drought broke, the price of hay has come back to a point where the dairy farmers can justify using it.”

Sam said when it came to high output industries like dairy and feedlots, people were happy to buy premium because it meant a premium end product.

Continued on page 28

Double joy: Jake and Sam Thompson with their awards for best looking and best performing lucerne in Victoria.

In charge: Sam says his brother wears the boots on the farm, working as the full-time manager and ‘machinery man’.

Jake has been running this shiny 7230R for two years and tends to lean towards John Deere as his brand of choice. The 7230R gets put to work with sowing and dragging along the balers.

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haymaking

Destined for the feed bucket: Jake and Sam Thompson in an oat and hay paddock. It will likely be turned into chaff and end its life in a horse’s feed bucket.

Continued from page 27

Looking good: The award-winning lucerne comes from a field of Shepparton fine sand, watered by centre pivot irrigation. Lucerne was first planted to take care of a rye-grass resistance issue.

“With livestock so expensive at the moment people are prepared to feed premium,” he said.

“That’s why Feed Central is so on top of quality. They want to make sure what people are buying is what’s going on the truck.”

The visual award goes to the farmer who produces the best looking, feeling and smelling lucerne hay in the state.

The feed test award requires a random sample to be lab tested for nutrient content.

“Ours came back very high in proteins, energy and high digestibility,” Sam said.

This season’s lucerne is coming up nicely for the duo, who expect to start on their first cut in mid-October.

“We should get about five cuts from it,” Jake said.

When not helping out around the farm, Sam works as an airline pilot.

His next flight is into Queenstown, followed by a run to Adelaide.

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NEW Big Pack 5th Generation Introducing the all new Big Pack 5th generation range with Introducing the all new Big Pack 5th generation range with 6 6 knotters. These square balers have been tested in Australian knotters. These square balers have been tested in Australian conditions and have the same strong performance levels and conditions and have the same strong performance levels and so so much more than our HDP High Speed and Xtreme balers. much more than our HDP High Speed and Xtreme balers.

The The new machines are fully available for 2021 alongside the new machines are fully available for 2021 alongside the existing existing of Big Pack 6 High knotter Highand Speed and which Xtreme, range ofrange Big Pack 6 knotter Speed Xtreme, stay which stay in the range long term and then there are the in the range long term and then there are the legendary HDP II legendary II balers.

For a successful ahead to balers.

For HDP a sucessful season ahead andseason to prepare forand success prepareno forsubstitute success there’s no substitute for Krone equipment. there’s for Krone equipment.

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ECHUCA CIH SALES & SERVICE: 43 Sturt St Ph: (03) 5482 1733

TEDDERS

Find us on www.bertolis.com.au

MOWERS

SHEPPARTON VIC: 198–200 Numurkah Rd Ph: (03) 5821 3299

*Offer is available for business borrowers only. This 1.90% p.a. finance rate offer is only available with a minimum 20% deposit, 60 monthly repayments and minimum financed amount of $4,000. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and credit criteria apply. Different term and different deposit may result in a different rate. Credit provided by Kubota Australia Pty Ltd ABN 72005300621. This finance offer is available until 30/11/21 and applies to new Krone models.

Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 29

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haymaking

Make hay while the sun shines

Hay and silage contracting southern NSW Servicing all areas of Victoria and ays done Very competitive rates great job alw

D

• Round and • Wrapping Big Square • Mowing Baling • Raking

iscounts on the Sitrex Pro 17 and 19 V-wheeled hay rakes are available at selected dealers.

In stock now and ready for expedited delivery, the limited stock is expected to sell out quickly.

The Sitrex Pro 17 and 19 hay rakes have large raking wheels that angle back to about 70 degrees, giving a better lifting motion to windrow your crop.

The uneven number of wheels on each side is designed to prevent clumping and the need for a centre kicker wheel. The short side pulls the crop into the windrow and then the long side transfers the crop back to combine and complete the windrow.

With a maximum working width of 9.6 m, the Pro 17 is suitable for all types of crop and leaves a square, uniformed windrow.

The Sitrex Pro series hay rake is quiet and delivers a clean pick-up with very little dust. It has wheel covers to protect the crop from the wind and reduce crop friction to flow into the windrow better.

It is user-friendly with all adjustments done on the move using the electro-hydraulic control panel. The tines are fitted inside a flexible rubber mount and provide soft handling of the crop.

The raking wheels are supported by an overhead frame and rocker axles with large tyres for tight turning areas and smoother raking. This is

• Chopping • Teddering

Also tillage and sowing available

Scoop up a deal: The Sitrex Pro 17 hay rake. a real improvement on V rakes that only have outside support wheels.

The Pro 17 is fast and efficient with the ability to rake about 15ha/hour.

Sitrex says a rotary rake does not perform as well in broadacre paddocks of cereals or lucerne. However, the Pro series raking action operates smoothly across the seed-drilled plant lines for better raking and machine life.

The Pro 17 can also run behind a utility, which is not possible with a rotary rake.

Sitrex has an excellent reputation, firstclass engineering and a very competitive price-to-specification ratio. ▯ For further information, visit: https:// www.sitrex.com.au/

Find us on facebook for regular updates and to discuss how we can help you!

North Vic Ag Contracting Call Lochie anytime 0476 137 216

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*For more information visit us at www.vicon-machinery.com.au JOHN SANDERSON MACHINERY

GOULBURN VALLEY AG

COBRAM FARM EQUIPMENT

36/34-38 Industrial Cres, Nagambie VIC 3608

7847 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla VIC 3631

3687 Murray Valley Hwy, Cobram VIC 3644

P: +61 3 5794 2272

P: +61 3 5832 5500

P: +61 5872 1722

30 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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haymaking

No slowdown

By Daneka Hill

B Family business: Lochie Morris runs North Vic Ag Contracting with the help of his brother and father.

Got it covered: A Welger RP 535 Master round baler. “Me and Dad both have five-foot balers so my brother went and got a six-foot one,” Lochie Morris says. “He likes to get second-hand machines, I like to buy new. They all do the same job in the end.”

usiness has been booming for one Naring farmer-turned-contractor.

In the past 12 months, Lochie Morris’ contract work has grown a life of its own.

“I was happy to expand the client list slowly but in the last year it’s taken off,” Mr Morris said.

“When they know you’ve got more than one Welger baler, the phone dosen’t stop ringing — and we’ve got heaps ... people want guys who are versatile.”

Mr Morris runs North Vic Ag Contracting with his brother Hamish, who picks up the work at harvest.

“He likes to work seasonally whereas I love to do it full-time,” Mr Morris said.

“Dad is in it a little bit but he’s slowing down and letting us take over.”

The Morris family has done cropping work outside Numurkah for years, alongside a bit of beef.

Mr Morris said the industry had changed, even in just three years.

“It’s the sort of industry where you need to have contacts and need to have a good reputation with people to get work today,” he said.

“If you start off now it’s tough. I call them blow-ins — they think they can buy a bunch of new machinery and make a killing — but they are here today and gone tomorrow because they don’t make the profit they expect.”

North Vic Ag Contracting will take on clients anywhere in Victoria and extends up to Wagga Wagga in NSW.

Big red: Lely Welger balers are popular with clients.

Providing structural steel and concrete solutions to agriculture and industry

21 Nelson Street Numurkah, VIC 3636 info@milnecf.com.au

0417 296 286

• Hay Sheds to suit your needs • Custom and standard designs • Kit sheds avaliable for fast delivery • Installation available

Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 31

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haymaking

in lockdown “We don’t have clients Victoria-wide, but I am keen to expand so I advertise that,” Mr Morris said.

“I’m willing to go 300 km north into NSW. That way I can still get home if Dan Andrews pulls anything (lockdown-related).”

Mr Morris said COVID-19 closures had definitely interfered with the business.

“It’s made it harder to finance stuff; I got into a blue with a bank recently.

“Finding staff is hard as well, a lot of drivers go to the big contractors first and it leaves smaller guys like us stuck.

“There is a major workforce shortage, but the government doesn’t care. They especially don’t care about small businesses in the ag industry.

If you aren’t retail, forget it.”

North Vic Ag Contracting runs six tractors,

but has two on order and there’s also one roustabout tractor for small jobs.

“One is going to be here soon and the other is still on the water,” Mr Morris said.

“We do everything from start to finish — hay, silage, tillage, harvest.”

Mr Morris said this year was going to be good for silage and tight for hay.

"Nobody wants to cut hay with grain prices where they are. I was looking yesterday. It’s $905 a tonne for canola.”

While there won’t be much hay work, good weather means silage is set to keep farmers busy.

“We’re going to cut out silage today (September 9). Now that is way earlier in the season than normal,” Mr Morris said.

“I reckon people will be getting a lot of cuts out of their silage.”

Firm favourite: “This multidisc is my favourite piece of machinery,” Lochie Morris says. The Maschio Veloce Speed disc is a good light harrow for shallow seedbed preparation.

Faithful workhorse: “Granddad will have a heart attack if you put this tractor in the paper,” Lochie Morris says. “It’s mainly used for small spraying jobs.”

GAFFY’S

HIRE HELPING FARMERS GROW KLINE NEW 6.25M POWERFLEX SPEED TILLER

NEW TO THE GAFFY’S FLEET

CONTRACT MOWING AND WINDROWING

Massey Ferguson Swather • Two fronts, one is a 30-foot windrower

Gaffys Tractor hire have taken delivery of three new holland tractors they all have Auto Command Transmission (CTV) that will make achieving the right speed for every job easy.

They also come with premium led light, 50km road speed font and cab supination. Auto steer will be an option on them both and a loader is available on the 145hp (205 hp has front linkages).

• Side knives for cutting through tangled crops • The other front is a 16-foot mower conditions front with steel rollers to speed up the drying time • Both machines also have auto steer

HORSCH AVATAR VERSATILE, ROBUST AND PRECISE • Dry hire Horsch Avatar 6.16 SD • Easy movement to different fields • Fill both seed and fertiliser into 5000 litre bin with a 50/50 split • Single disc seeder for precision seed placement ideal for over sowing into summer crops

Jadan Big Square Bale Stacker

JCB Telehandler

• Pick bales in any direction • Heavy duty floatation tyres • Adjustable drawbar tongue • Wet bale kit

3 Tonne lift capacity with a 4 speed powerbox transmission. The JCB 531-70 is also equipped with air conditioning, 7 metre reach and bucket and fork attachments.

Phone: Tim 0407 561 381 or 0428 100 555 | www.gaffystractorhire.com.au

• Horsch avatar comes equiped with its own loading auger

32 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

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haymaking

Bulking up capacity

D

ealers across the region are bulking up their spare parts supply as the season shapes up to be a bumper one.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has forecast a winter crop of 46.8 million tonnes, to be 13 per cent above the 10-year average to 2020-21 in most cropping regions of the eastern states and South Australia.

John Deere says it has taken steps to more than double its weekly in-flow of spare parts, in addition to taking collection of 110 tonnes of goods that arrived in Melbourne recently on a dedicated Qantas flight, in preparation for a predicted bumper harvest.

John Deere Australia/New Zealand’s Luke Chandler said John Deere had secured an ongoing 10 tonnes of cargo capacity a week over recent months that would continue in the lead-up to harvest.

“We know harvest is often the single biggest and most important event on the calendar for broadacre enterprises, and that it is not only critical to the bottom line of farm businesses but also to the consistent and secure flow of high-quality food to the world,” Mr Chandler said.

“This is why we have worked to prioritise securing this additional capacity to boost our in-flow of stock — to place us on the front foot in

resourcing what is on course to, for a number of key growing areas, be another outstanding crop.

“We strive to work collaboratively with industry to lead an efficient, sustainable and profitable farm sector and these types of practical, on-the-ground initiatives, along with the support provided by our technicians and technologies, are at the very foundation of our commitment to this overarching mission.”

The CNH Industrial team said it had been preparing “for months” for the bumper harvest season, with parts supply in-flow for its Case IH and New Holland machinery maintaining strong levels since February, and providing 17.5 per cent more inventory than at the same time last year.

“Very early in the year, we could see the season was going to be one of the biggest in many years,” CNH Industrial’s Yavuz Sikca said.

“Machine up-time is a key focus for us and with concerns surrounding limited supply and shipping delays due to the ongoing pandemic, it was critical for us to get in front of the game.”

Mr Sikca said CNH Industrial began increasing the local parts supply in February and since then the Western Sydney-based depot had increased stock levels by almost 13 per cent since the beginning of 2021, focusing on combine and high horsepower tractor parts.

“Speed to farm is critical during harvest and this will be the second year operating our dealer hub program,” he said.

“Building the stock inventory in the master depot was the first step.

“Over the past few weeks, we have shipped more than $4 million worth of critical harvest parts to 24 strategic dealer locations across the country. Parts can be delivered to farms in hours and machinery up-time maximised.”

Mr Sikca said to ensure coverage was maintained, more than 100 cubic metres of parts on average was being air-freighted each week, and additional charter flights were being co-ordinated for a final top-up of parts in preparation for the harvest season.

The 2020 harvest was the first year CNH Industrial operated the dealer hub, a program that moves parts from the national distribution centre to strategic dealer locations to increase support during harvest.

For farmers it means that if they need a part urgently, surrounding dealers can draw on this centralised supply to ensure the fastest possible response.

Stocks arriving: Dealers across the region are bulking up their spare parts supply as the season shapes up to be a bumper one.

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021 33

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haymaking

Boom times for tractor sales

A

ugust was another outstanding month for tractor sales across the nation with a rise of 40 per cent on the same month last year, according to the latest Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia update.

This saw the year-to-date figure 30 per cent above last year with a running rate well in excess of 16,000 tractors a year, TMAA executive director Gary Northover said in the update.

“While there remains considerable supply challenges and long lead times, the current demand is being fed by aggressive ordering by dealers back in 2020 in anticipation of strong ongoing activity,” Mr Northover said.

“Sales have been strong in all states fuelled by the expectations of a bumper season coming up, supported by various company tax incentive programs.”

NSW, which has been on a positive run for nearly 18 months, was up 44 per cent for the month and is now 52 per cent ahead YTD. Queensland was again strong, up 38 per cent and up 26 per cent YTD, while Victoria was up 18 per cent and is 17 per cent up YTD. The update said sales in Western Australia recorded a 64 per cent lift for the month in preparation for what promises to be a bumper harvest season and is now 34 per cent ahead for the year.

South Australia was likewise

extremely busy, up 83 per cent for the month, and Tasmania finished 60 per cent ahead. Sales into the Northern Territory enjoyed a 125 per cent increase.

All performance reporting categories enjoyed strong rises for the year, however the under 40 hp (30 kW) range was up just six per cent in August due to ongoing supply challenges, but remains 18 per cent ahead of last year.

The 40 to 100 hp (30-75 kW) range was again up strongly 23 per cent in the month, now 31 per cent up YTD; the 100 to 200 hp (75-150 kW) category was up 72 per cent to be 26 per cent ahead YTD; and the large 200 hp (150 kW) and above range had another strong rise of 144 per cent and now sits 67 per cent ahead of last year.

Baler sales were down in August and remain 13 per cent behind last year’s outstanding season. And sales of out-front mowers are up 11 per cent YTD. “As we have been highlighting for some months now, the industry is coping with a range of extremes on the supply side at present,” Mr Northover said.

“Machine deliveries continue to be pushed out, particularly in the smaller ranges and price rises for raw materials are beginning to impact the finished product.

“New challenges continue to emerge, with items ranging from

Big business: While baler sales were down in August and remain 13 per cent behind last year’s outstanding season, overall machinery sales have been going gang-busters.

VINCENT CONTRACTING HAY & SILAGE

ROUND BALES, CUT, CONDITION, TED, RAKE, BALE, WRAP. CARTAGE AVAILABLE.

Custom-made hydraulic power packs for silage wrappers to suit your needs Be prepared this hay and silage season

With local knowledge and over 25 years’ experience in the Hydraulics industry, GV Hydraulink offers a fully equipped hose and fitting truck using quality Hydraulink products for on-site servicing for all industrial, transport and agricultural industries.

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• Body Tipping Systems • Semi Tippers • Truck & Dog • Tray Bodies • Walking Floors

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Locally owned and operated

34 Country News, week of Tuesday, September 14, 2021

$19,700 S/H 417 SMALL SQUARE BALER ALSO 317 AT $12,870 AND 275 AT $7,400

$46,990 NEW 75HP ROPS LANDINI 4WD FF.E.LOADER 4IN1 BUCKET

$13,500 NEW ELITE ROUND BALE FEEDER ALSO NEW BOOMERANG MARK 6 BIG SQUARE BALE FEEDER $17,100

JOHN DEERE 4850 190HP P/SHIFT LINKAGE 39900 ALSO 4650 165HP AT $39,000

NEW 4 ROTOR TEDDER 5.5MT W/W

3.6MT KANGA TOPPER

13 WHEEL INLINE W/W 8.5MTS

NEW 1.9MT MOWER

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$23,900

$49,940

NEW SIP 3.8MT 9DISC CENTRE PIVOT MOWER

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$2,200 4FT SLASHER ALSO 5FT SLASHERS AT 2700

1.8M COSMO FINISHING MOWER

$69,900

$24,000

NEW JADAN BIG BALE STACKER

S/H JOHN DEERE 342A SMALL SQUARE BALER. ALSO DEUTZ HD 460 SMALL SQUARE BALER. $26,600 EXCELLENT CONDITION.

$26,000

$16,600

TYM TS25 25HP TRACTOR 4WD ROPS MANUAL DRIVE NEW TYM T265 ROPS NEW MAHINDRA 41HP F.E.LOADER CRUISE CONTROL INDUSTRIAL TYRES WITH FRONT END 25HP 4WD HYDROSTATIC DRIVE ROPS TRACTOR LOADER AND 4IN1 BUCKET. THREE YEAR WARRANTY WITH FRONT END LOADER & 4 IN 1 BUCKET

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New

L ODE ingcs.t OM 0 DEM . $9,90 IL AVA

$10,272 EX GST $11,300 INC GST Image for illustration purposes only

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TANCO TL1000R LINKAGE BALE WRAPPER

New

$

33,490

Many more models in stock to choose from Rotary hoe in stock

MAHINDRA Konigs EOFY Deals DEALER

13,990 ,900 inc gst MAHINDRA JIVO, 24HP $

NEW SILVAN 3000LT BROADACRE, 18MT BOOM HYD LIFT AND FOLD

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EURO HITCH SILAGE GRABS NEW

$31,490

NEW GRIZZLY DISC PLOWS 28 PLATE .40PLATE $48,500

NEW SIP 7.2MT DUAL ROTARY RAKE

$2,050

S/H 4.7MT LINKAGE ROTARY RAKE ALSO S/H 4.5MT ROSSI $7,850

$39,600

NEW LANDINI POWERFARM 110 4WD CAB WITH 4IN1 BUCKET

HOLLAND TD85D CABIN 4WD F.E. LOADER 1680HRS

$11,000

$8,690

$31,460

$49,000

NEW SITREX 16 WHEEL VEE RAKE 9.4MT W/W OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE ALSO 14 WHEEL AT $28,350

3.2MT NEW TOPPING MULCHER

$82,000 S/H LANDINI 100HP REX4 ONLY 500HRS LIKE NEW

$17,745

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$28,380

$91,990

2017 MERLO TURBO FARMER TF33.7 FARMER TELEHANDER 15HP BUCKET AND FORKS

$13,950

$21,600 NEW 15 BALE JADAN SMALL BALE ACCUMULATORS. ALSO JADAN 15 BALE GRAB $6,000

$106,600

$39,900

$13,650 QR 10 W/W 6.7MT ALSO QR 8 W/W 5.8MT $12,600

www.countrynews.com.au

inc gst

MAHINDRA MAX 36, 36HP, 4WD, HST TRANS, INDUS. TYRES, FEL, 4 IN 1 BUCKET

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$9,800