Farms & Farm Machinery Issue 440 August 2024

CONFIDENCE THAT LASTS.

PLUS, THE MAXAM AGRIXTRA RANGE DELIVERS MINIMAL SOIL COMPACTION, A COMFORTABLE RIDE AND IMPROVED TRACTION WHICH SURPASSES ALL AGRICULTURAL TYRE EXPECTATIONS. WHEN PACKAGED WITH ONE OF THE BEST WARRANTIES IN THE INDUSTRY, THE AGRIXTRA DELIVERS THE PERFORMANCE YOUR FARM DESERVES!

15 Industry groups unite to promote autonomous farm machinery code

16 Clark Equipment introduces McCormick X6.415 tractor

17 Largest ever Claas Xerion tractor hits local market

22 Sveaverken brings robotic solutions to Australian customers

27 John Deere unveils new large square baler

31 Prime Ag Machinery passionate about Merlo machines

36 I nlon celebrates 40 years in business

41 Farmer’s job made easier with Rata Equipment Power Claw

Trends and data

49 Tractor sales slide in June, however TMA’s Gary Northover says a more realistic market picture will appear from next month

Opinion

50 WAFarmers CEO Trevor Whittington says the numbers must add up for farmers to consider investing in alternative energy sources

Event news

63 Tractor and Machinery Association conference discusses push Towards 2030

65 Hort Connections breakfast and panel sessions address industry issues

68 Combine harvesters showcased in Perth to promote Dowerin Machinery Field Days

Regular items

4 Editor’s note

60 Calendar of upcoming events

78 List your item for sale!

81 Beyond benchtops

Lungs are the new frontier in work health and safety planning - we look at what’s in store.

81 Leading light

Weld Australia’s online training package, developed with TAFEs, has received global recogniton.

Image: AgriFutures growAg

Welcome

to the latest edition of Farms & Farm Machinery

Barely a month goes by where this column does not make me take stock of how much has been going on for the Farms & Farm Machinery team.

In July, for example, we attended the Tractor & Machinery Association’s annual conference in Melbourne.

Our coverage in this edition barely scratches the surface of what was an insightful day filled with fascinating presentations about where the agricultural industry is heading.

I n our prior edition we brought you a machinery wrap from the Hort Connections show, but this edition includes more extensive coverage.

We had the opportunity to participate in a farm tour during the event, and we showcase the work and technology advancements being done in real-world conditions.

An extensive profile on Zeke Zalsman, who was awarded Young Grower of the Year during the event, also features in this edition – as does coverage of plenary sessions and discussions during Hort Connections.

June also included Farm Safety Week, which provided the opportunity to go into some of the initiatives and funding provided to ensure Australian agricul ture remains “in safe hands”.

T he cover of this edition has Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10 telehandler as the focus.

We go into detail about the design fea tures which make this unit ideal for the biggest jobs on Australian farms, while also suiting a wide section of the market.

Speaking of big machines, John Deere has also launched a new baler which

has prioritised longer and heavier bales with all of the precision technology the company is known for.

Claas has also debuted its biggest tractor ever to the local market, while McCormick has a new addition to the utility tractor sector – both of which have already won international awards.

For machinery group Inlon, it is time to celebrate, thanks to the company’s 40th anniversary being marked.

We also speak to a customer using Rata Equipment’s Power Claw, profile Merlo dealership Prime Ag Machinery and introduce Swedish technology company Sveaverken while delving into their ambitions of cracking the Australia market.

Australian researchers are always doing fascinating things, and this month we learn more about a project to tackle facial excema in livestock, with an environmentally-friendly solution potentially capable on saving hundreds of millions of dollars for the industry.

All of this, and plenty more, is packed into another big edition.

Lincoln Bertelli

Sveaverken F100 Auto Steer System

Get Ready for Spring

With Galileo PPP

V1 Base Station

Auto steer systems have become almost a staple in a farmer's tool box, significantly reducing labor and costs for farming ac�vi�es such as harrowing, sowing, fer�lizing, and harves�ng. They provide a wealth of func�onali�es that can help you make informed decisions. We will do a deep dive into the most important features that make the Sveaverken F100 New Version the ul�mate tractor guidance solu�on.

Galileo PPP

Sveaveren F100 comes equipped with industry-standard PPP func�ons free of charge, at no addi�onal cost. Galileo PPP is suitable for users who do not have a nearby reference sta�on to provide network data and have not purchased a mobile base sta�on. The biggest advantage of Galileo PPP is that it is free and does not need network connec�vity, but s�ll ensures an accuracy of about 5-10cm.

ISOBUS

With ISOBUS, you can control various implements using a single display, the F100 Control Terminal, elimina�ng the need for mul�ple implement-specific displays in your tractor cabin.

Headland

Tradi�onal guidance lines can't cover all the space in irregular fields, such as a trapezoidal-shaped field, leading to low land u�liza�on. The Headland feature enables you to generate guidance lines based on the shape of your field boundaries. Two types of genera�on modes are available, so you can choose the guidance line

Tramline

In crop farming, not trampling plants is crucial for successful cul�va�on and yield. With the new Tramline feature, lanes for plant protec�on can be marked in yellow under the blue guidance line and seeding opera�on width. These lanes will remain unsown, allowing for periodic plant protec�on solely on Tramlines to prevent seedling damage. Harves�ng opera�ons will then be carried out exclusively on the blue guidance line to enhance efficiency.

Innovative operation

As the first Australian to adopt heat pump technology for greenhouse heating, Zeke Zalsman was recognised as the winner of the 2024 Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year. Jackson Haddad speaks to the award-winner to find out how this idea came about and his experience using the technology

Growing up on a farm for his whole childhood, you’d be forgiven for thinking that second generation farmer Zeke Zalsman was destined to take over his family business when the chance arose. However, this was not initially the case, with Zalsman leaving his family’s business –Zaldeesh Farms – after high school, in search for a career in commerce and economics.

“I liked growing up on the farm and working there, but I never took an interest in running it,” he says.

“It was enjoyable helping out, but I never actually thought I was going to work there full time.”

With his parents being horticultural growers, Zalsman went down a very different path, but after a few years of working in commerce and economics he found that it wasn’t for him.

“ I wasn’t enjoying it and I needed a break to try and figure out what I really wanted to do in my career,” he says.

Back to his roots

While on this break, the young grower decided it would be best to return to the farm and lend a hand, but he still didn’t have intentions of staying there.

As a few months passed, this all changed and Zalsman found he was regaining that enjoyment from his childhood, so he decided to stay at his family’s business.

“A year before that I was set in my mind that there was no chance I’d work full time

Zeke Zalsman is at the helm of Zaldeesh Farms. Image: vegetablesWA/Frances Andrijich

FARMING

on the farm – it’s funny how these things change,” he says.

Zalsman is now at the helm of Zaldeesh Farms, where the business specialises in the production of capsicums, as well as growing pomegranates using wastewater from its greenhouses.

Based in Oldbury, Western Australia, less than 50km from Perth, Zalsman says the farm faces a unique climate and needs different features to compensate for it.

“In the summer, we get very extreme UV and extreme heat, and then when you come into winter, it gets quite cold and there’s not a heap of light hours,” he says.

“Capsicums are quite a delicate plant and, in the field, the growing window is quite limited.”

Originally, Zalsman accounted for the cold winters with high-tech greenhouses that incorporated liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to provide heating.

However, with rising gas prices taking up a large part of Zaldeesh Farms’ operating costs, Zalsman knew it was no longer viable.

He experimented with reduced heating for multiple seasons to try and save money, but it only led to a loss on quality and pro duction.

Zalsman was recognised as the 2024 Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year. Image: Corteva

Zalsman is the first grower in Australia to commercially adopt heat pump technology for greenhouse heating. Image: vegetablesWA/ Frances Andrijich

“We couldn’t go without heating, so I started researching different methods for the infrastructure we had,” he says.

“Our system circulated hot water through our pipes and then emitted hot air to our plants.”

Australian-first tech

Wanting to keep a similar system in place, Zalsman looked for alternative water heating systems and came across heat pumps being used in Europe.

These heat pumps are more commonly used in industrial hot water applications, such as heating swimming pools and providing hot water to hotels, but Zalsman was keen to see if this technology could solve his problem.

“We weren’t 100 per cent sure it would work, but we had done a lot of research and were willing to take the risk because it was a necessity,” he says.

“Looking down the track, if we hadn’t taken the risk our farm may not have been operating anymore.”

Since integrating the heat pumps, the young grower has been credited as the

first Australian to commercially adopt this type of technology for greenhouse heating and has seen substantial benefits.

Compared to LPG heating, Zalsman has been able to provide more heat at lower costs with his new European technology.

“Our crop quality and production has improved since we started using it,” he says.

Before adopting the heat pump technology, Zalsman limited his LPG heating to night hours, only focusing on the coldest time of the day – due to the increasing cost of LPG.

Now with his heat pump technology, he’s been able to provide heating to his greenhouses during the day to ensure a consistent temperature – while reducing energy costs by up to 75 per cent.

“Some gloomy winter days don’t get above 11 degrees, so we need to keep a consistent and optimal heating temperature, to make sure the plants are healthy and productive,” Zalsman says.

Award-winner

Recognising Zalsman’s commitment to sustainability and search for innovative

solutions, he was awarded as the 2024 Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year, which was announced at Horticulture Awards for Excellence at Hort Connections in Melbourne.

“It was a pretty cool experience to be recognised because we put in a lot of time and money into adopting the heat pump technology, so it was nice to see that others appreciate this and could benefit from our work,” he says.

“I was also really surprised to win the award, because when you’re working in your own bubble you don’t realise that other people have an interest in your business.”

T he young grower says it was also a great milestone for Zaldeesh Farms, as he believes his parents have shown innovative approaches over a long time, but have never been recognised for it.

“There’s many approaches my parents took that they could have been awarded for, so it was nice to share this with them and the farm,” Zalsman says.

“I got to meet lots of other young growers and learn their stories and it was great company to be in.”

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TO THE

max

Suitable for the biggest of jobs while boasting style and simplicity, Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10 telehandler is proving a winner

Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10 telehandler is a perfect example of the benefits a farmer can gain by thinking big.

Boasting a 7-tonne lift capacity, a 9.65m maximum reach and 12,100kg unladen weight, its raw numbers speak to a machine designed to handle the biggest jobs.

This telehandler is appealing to far more than just the top end of agricultural requirements though, as Dieci Australia is noticing t he Agri Max 70.10’s increasing local popularity across a range of sectors.

“ The market has changed because of the weight of what farmers are looking to do, whether it be cotton or hay bales or even just general work,” Dieci Australia business development manager Ivan Pearson says.

“The Agri Max 70.10’s specifications overcompensate for that application and do so easily, so it’s a real go-to unit now.

“I’m finding a lot of farmers are now asking for quotes on the 70.10 because it will do what they need to and more.

“It then becomes a much more versatile unit because you’ve got the full 7-tonne capacity, so they’re finding applications which they didn’t have before but where the versatility of a 7-tonne telehandler can fulfil that application.”

Style and substance

The machine’s size is the first area in which the Agri Max 70.10 excels, but this is only scratching the surface.

Like all Dieci telehandlers, it is manufac-

tured in the same region of Italy as high-end cars such as Ferrari and Maserati.

These same characteristics of power, performance and intelligent design feature heavily across the Dieci range, with the Agri Max 70.10 being no exception.

A 125hp (93kW) engine provides the necessary grunt to handle whatever application t he telehandler is used for.

Acknowledging that the Agri Max 70.10 will be used for multiple applications, with the need to either run multiple functions simultaneously or quickly switch between functions, Dieci has added carefully considered features to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency.

“ It offers a four-in-one proportional joystick, which means the operator doesn’t need to take their hand off the joystick to change into gear or boom in-out or do most of those functions,” Pearson says.

“Along with that, we run hydraulic flow shares so the operator can do multiple tasks at the same time. You can boom up and boom out, they can do any bucket work, and it is a significant feature for a farmer.

“If they can do multiple functions at the same time, it might save them half an hour a day in productivity, so the hydraulic flow share is definitely a key feature.”

Another clever design feature is a hydraulic reversing fan, which can be manually t urned on and blow away anything from the environment - such as cotton that would otherwise catch on the vents, helping to pre -

vent the engine bay from getting blocked up.

T he Agri Max 70.10’s reinforced high-resistance steel boom is also equipped with a side shifting carriage that allows the operators to tightly stack and pack loads.

T he boom is fully operated by the hydraulic control joystick, which also incorporates t he telehandler’s forward-reverse selector.

A fork swivelling angle with 134-degree dump rotation has been specifically designed to increase the operating arc, which Dieci says is particularly useful when emptying the bucket with the boom raised.

T he Agri Max 70.10 also offers an inching pedal, which allows travel speed to temporarily slow down – or even stop – while still maintaining maximum power to all boom functions.

Operator comfort has also been at the forefront of Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10.

It features an integrated electric driver’s window, heater and semi-automatic air conditioning system with six outlet vents, along with an adjustable steering wheel, air suspension seat and storage compartments.

The spacious cabin is also surrounded by large, cured windows which offer a 360-degree view and complete visibility.

Simplicity of design

To call Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10 a simple machine would be doing a disservice to its capabilities and design.

To say it has been built with simplicity for the owner at front of mind would be an

Dieci’s Agri Max 70.10 can handle a variety of on-farm jobs

accurate acknowledgement of Dieci’s design principles.

By reducing the number of breakable parts that eventually need replacing, Dieci is not only minimising downtime but also lowering the overall cost of ownership.

One example of this is through offering a single compensation cylinder.

Patented by Dieci, this compensation cylinder is located inside the lifting ram to ensure the load on the boom is balanced at all times, while Pearson explains that having this function in just one cylinder, rather than multiple, offers significant benefits.

“We run a single compensation cylinder which has a piston that runs up and down,” he says.

“If you have three cylinders to do that same function, naturally over the life of the machine this means more chance of something going wrong, more chance of breakdown, more chance of putting your hand in your pocket to pay for repairs.

“It just comes down to that cost of ownership being significantly better and our unit is really built for the user and for the ongoing 10 to 15 years of ownership.”

Pearson says Dieci’s desire when building the Agri Max 70.10 was to make it as user friendly as possible.

“We don’t supply a simple machine in any means, but we do simplify a lot of the electrics so when you’ve got anyone in the agricultural space working in remote locations, the units have proven to be very reliable,” Pearson says.

“In essence, there’s a lot less that can go wrong on our machines.

“There are no heavy electrics with diagnostic tools that need to be plugged in and for ongoing use of the machine it’s a perfect unit.”

Parts access

While Dieci has designed a reliable machine, even the best of machines needs spare parts occasionally, and any farmer knows the importance of getting access to these quickly.

To ensure Dieci customers can always access whatever they need – particularly at crucial times of the year – a heavy focus has been put into parts commonality across its range.

“We run market leading 85 per cent parts commonality across our range,” Pearson says.

“This means we don’t need to keep 40 filters on the shelf. Instead, we can just keep one and that services a lot of different models, so parts availability is significantly better.

As a result, downtime is significantly less and especially if someone in the agricultural sector is harvesting, downtime is absolutely critical to their application.

“Having a unit that has that parts commonality means we can get people out of trouble more often than not.”

With warehouses and spare parts around the country, Dieci is well equipped to help customers solve any challenges that arise – even if years of experience in design and manufacturing mean this scenario is rare.

Dieci Australia’s comprehensive range of telehandlers, mixers and dumpers is accessible nationwide through its flagship branches in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

The Agri Max 70.10 can also be viewed online at www.dieciaustralia.com.au.

Beyond just its size, the Agri Max 70.10 boasts refinement

The Agri Max 70.10 is the largest telehandler in Dieci’s range

Device check

A new web-based tool dubbed ‘Check my Device’ will help farmers determine if their mobile device will be supported after the 3G network closure

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) has released its Check my Device web-based tool, available to all Australians, on any mobile network.

Found on the website, www.3Gclosure. com.au, the tool can help farmers facing connectivity issues check if their mobile device w ill be supported after the fast-approaching 3G network shutdown.

Vodafone and TPG were the first to close their 3G networks in January 2024, while Telstra will complete its closure on August 31, and Optus will mark the final shutdown in September.

With AMTA’s website tool, farmers will be able to quickly find out if they need a replacement device or upgrade, in order to stay connected to the 4G and 5G networks.

The tool works by using a mobile phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, a unique 15-digit code which identifies the make and model of a mobile device, to see if it will be supported after the shutdown.

Check my Device provides steps on how to source the IMEI number of the mobile device by entering *#06# into the phone’s keypad. After entering their IMEI number, users receive one of two responses – ok or check.

If prompted with ‘ok’, no further action is required, as the mobile phone will be fully supported after the network closures. If users receive a ‘check’ response, AMTA says they should contact their service provider to see if they need a replacement or upgrade.

to a 3G network, and you have not already upgraded,” AMTA CEO Louise Hyland says.

“Devices that use the 3G network for voice services will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to triple zero, once Australia’s 3G networks are fully inactive.”

Hyland adds that there are also certain 4G-compatible devices that will be affected by the network shutdown, so the web-based tool will come in handy, acting as an extra check.

With Telstra and Optus’ 3G networks currently still in operation, devices affected by the shutdown will continue to work and make emergency calls, but Hyland says device owners must be careful not to forget that these devices will no longer be able to make calls after the shutdown.

“It is crucial to act now if you know you have an older mobile device and you haven’t already upgraded,” Hyland says.

Australian farmers are among those who are likely to be most affected by the 3G shutdown, due to safety issues such as not being able to make emergency calls from remote areas.

NSW Farmers rural affairs committee chair Deb Charlton adds that one of the biggest problems farmers are finding is identifying everything on their farm that relies on t he network.

“There are still a lot of things operating under this network that will be effected by the shutdown, including water monitoring systems, fuel systems and remote diagnostics in tractors,” she says.

W hile there is no quick and easy solution

for checking farm machinery’s compatibility, Hyland says Check my Device will allow farmers to take at least one necessary step to check if they will still be connected after the shutdown.

“We recognise that this transition may pose difficulties for some users, particularly in regional and remote communities,” she says.

“We urge Australians to act now to ensure they are taking the necessary steps to stay connected.”

Using Check my Device before making a new phone purchase is recommended by AMTA, as some ‘grey-import’ devices will not be able to make emergency calls after the shutdown.

“Ask the seller for the IMEI number of the device you are considering purchasing,” AMTA says.

“We also recommend that consumers check to ensure that the device isn’t blocked before purchasing.”

AMTA encourages those with affected or old devices to dispose of them through MobileMuster, the official recycling scheme of the Australian mobile industry.

To use the Check my Device tool, visit www.amta.org.au/3g-closure/ check-my-device/ Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and TPG users can also text ‘3’ to ‘3498’ to check if their device is supported after 3G closes.

For more information about the closure of the 3G networks, head to www.3Gclosure.com.au, or the website of your mobile network operator.

“It’s crucial to act now if you know you have an older mobile device that connects Check my Device can determine if a mobile device will be supported after the 3G network shutdown. Image: Budimir Jevtic/stock.adobe.com

Autonomous partnership

Industry groups partner in three-year program to progress an industry code for autonomous farm machinery in Australian agriculture

Grain Producers Australia (GPA), the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia (TMA) and the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia (SPAA) will work together on an industry-led initiative to navigate the arrival of autonomous farm machinery in Australia.

The three key industry groups have worked together since 2019, developing the national Code of Practice for Agricultural Mobile Field Machinery with Autonomous Functions in Australia.

The code of practice was developed as a practical guide for autonomous machinery users to follow to meet standards required under environmental, agricultural and health and safety legislation.

GPA southern grower director Andrew

Weidemann said the code was finalised in late 2020, and would now be promoted as an industry-led initiative.

“This partnership aims to take the Code forward and build on this momentum, to ensure it remains relevant to the pragmatic development and delivery of future initiatives and partnerships aimed at improving the adoption of this technology, and benefits for growers,” he says.

users were broadly on the same page.

“This partnership will involve a number of proactive activities including an annual survey of growers to understand how they’re thinking and feeling about this technology – and their awareness of the important role our Code plays in supporting its evolution and use,” he says.

Weidemann adds the partnership will help increase the level of awareness and knowledge about the development and use of autonomous machinery for the Australian grains industry and broader farm sector.

TMA executive director Gary Northover says the partnership will help ensure

SPAA President Phil Honey adds that farmers need to see the benefits autonomous machinery can bring to their business and why they should adopt it.

“This partnership will help to understand and analyse where growers are at with their knowledge and understanding – whilst also recognising the Code’s role in supporting better safety outcomes,” he says.

Fresh and fancy

Clark Equipment’s McCormick range has grown thanks to the arrival of a model from the award-winning X6 Series

The first models of an award-winning McCormick tractor have now arrived at local distributor Clark Equipment.

McCormick’s X6.414 P6-Drive was voted as Tractor of the Year 2023 for the utility category by European judges.

The X6.415 – which is an identical tractor but with slightly higher horsepower – landed in Australia last month and will be debuted to Clark customers at AgQuip.

The X6.415 offers a 155hp four-cylinder engine along with 40 x 40 P6 Drive power shift transmission.

Clark Equipment national product manager David Knoke says this transmission is one of the major drawcards of t he X6 Series, with other benefits that will also quickly become apparent to farmers.

“It offers a lot more gears and with that comes more versatility to do different jobs in particular applications,” he says.

“Other major features include the new cab, the visibility, the ergonomics, the layout, the front axle suspension and of course the new smart multi-function joystick which allows operators to power-

shift through gears, operate the front end loader, as well as raise and lower the rear linkage all from one controller without having to move their hand.

“The ergonomics in particular suit farmers’ requirements to get things done more efficiently with less stress on the body, which is definitely a benefit.”

The cabin has been designed with high-quality materials derived from the automotive industry, which was one area cited by judges when the X6 Series won Tractor of the Year.

“The same attention to design and functionality can be seen in the control instrumentation with its fully ergonomic design, a 12-inch touch screen monitor, and all-in-one multifunction joystick,” judges said at the time.

“McCormick has brought open field technology down to the utility segment, recognising the need for increased versatility for tractors of this size and a demand for precision farming technology.”

Clark Equipment describes the tractor as being an “ideal and irreplaceable”

companion for jobs such as hay making, loader activities, open field work and multi-utility work. Other features include integrated ISOBUS, three sets of rear hydraulics and a 114L/minute + 44L/minute hydraulic system.

Clark Equipment has appointed Aaron Becroft as the X Series specialist, and he will be at AgQuip later this month to reveal the new X6.415.

McCormick’s new X6.415 tractor has landed at Clark Equipment

The cabin was cited by judges when the X6 was named Tractor of the Year

Images: McCormick

Heavy duty

Claas has debuted its award-winning Xerion 12 tractor to the Australian market, which boasts high power and has already been proven in local conditions

More than 2,000 hours of work has been completed by Claas’ Xerion 12 tractor in Australian conditions prior to its local launch.

Boasting up to 653hp, the Xerion 12 comes to Australia much-anticipated having been named 2024 Tractor of the Year following its global launch at Agritechnica last year.

Landpower and Claas Harvest Centre unveiled the tractor in Melbourne last month, where Landpower founder and director Herby Whyte described it as “the only tractor manufactured today in the world that started from a clean sheet of paper”.

The result is a broadacre beast designed to impress with not only its size but also three areas which the manufacturer describes as crucial - productivity, efficiency a nd comfort.

The Xerion 12’s release comes after six years of research and development plus 10,000 hours of global testing – with the tractor also being put through its paces locally as part of this.

“We know that we are bringing in a superior product that is right for the farming conditions of our Australian customers because we have been running five evaluation units in Australia this seeding season, and they have completed over

2,000 hours of work,” Landpower CEO Richard Wilson says.

“We have had considerable interest in the Xerion 2 since its launch and have presold two units into Western Australia and one in eastern Australia.”

The Xerion 12 is available locally in three models – the 12.650, 12.590 and 12.540 – with 653hp, 585hp and 544hp respectively.

It is powered by the same 15.6L six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM473 engines a lready found in Claas’ combines and forage harvesters.

In addition to the 653hp capability, the engine produces 3,100Nm of torque at just 1,300rpm.

Variations are available to offer Claas’ Terra Trac triangular crawler units and 914mm or 762mm tracks, while the wheeled variants can be fitted with either 800/70 R42 dual tyres or 900/60 R42 single tyres.

Three hydraulic pumps and eight spool valves provide an impressive 537L/minute hydraulic flow, enabling the Xerion 1 2’s use with even the most demanding implements.

A dynamic steering function halves the number of turns required with the steering wheel, Claas says, while a 50-50 weight distribution balance is maintained

throughout all operating conditions, even when the fuel level drops during a day’s use.

A 1,400L fuel tank means this tractor is equipped for heavy usage, while 1,000 hour service intervals mean it can stay in the field for longer.

“[This tractor is] a specialist for heavy-duty pulling work in all speed ranges – whether in front of a cultivator, disc harrow, plough, airseeder or trailer,” Landpower tractor product business manager Kevin Walker says.

“ Despite its immense power and size, it is extremely nimble thanks to its precise twin-axle steering.”

Inside the spacious 4 cubic metre cabin, which will also be familiar to existing Claas users thanks to its similarity to Lexion harvester cabins, there is four-point suspension and excellent visibility.

This is complemented by a range of footrest options, powerful 360-degree lighting package and a fully-adjustable seat.

Technology is also at the forefront, with the Lexion 12 featuring the manufacturer’s touchscreen CEBIS terminal in the armrest to control key functions, a CEMIS 1200 terminal for automatic steering, ISOBUS control and task management, plus the CEMOS system for tractor and implement optimisation

The Claas Xerion 12.650 was launched in Melbourne last month. Images: Prime Creative Media

Tech savvy

Exclusive trials of international mechanised technology are being planned to help Australian vegetable growers reduce input costs and labour challenges

With the horticultural industry facing high input costs and labour challenges that are affecting growers’ profitability, a new $4.1 million initiative has been announced to increase the adoption of mechanisation technology.

Funded by vegetable growers through their research and development levy and delivered by Hort Innovation, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and the Global Organisation for Agricultural Robotics (GOFAR), the program seeks to improve the efficiency of

production systems by holding exclusive trials of new technology in the near future.

Looking to bolster its presence in emerging technology, Hort Innovation’s research and development manager Tom McCue says the program will scout to find technologies that will provide solutions to some of the biggest production challenges.

“We’re looking at everything to do with mechanisation and if automation is one of those mechanisms, we’ll certainly explore it,” he says.

“As part of this initiative, we are already

identifying gaps and opportunities in the farm production system so we can target specific technology.”

Gap analysis

Currently, the program is in the midst of a gap analysis – identifying opportunities and gaps in the market – then subsequently targeting technology based on an informed analysis.

“Throughout the project, we’re looking to firstly discover new technologies, but then also look at how we can ensure they are

The Stout AI mechanical cultivator was shown in Australia for the first time at the Gatton Smart Farm AgTech Showcase

The goal of the program is to assist growers in adopting technologies that can make a difference to input costs

Images: Hort Innovation

Hort Innovation and QDAF held the Gatton Smart Farm AgTech Showcase last year

tested in Australia,” McCue says.

Part of the program’s intent is to work with GOFAR in France – which has a large network of international agricultural machinery companies and leads t he International Forum of Agricultural Robotics (FIRA).

The program is also looking to conduct a study tour in the USA, in October, being organised by DAF, with the aim of shortlisting some technologies – and then look to bring them Down Under.

Trials

With the gap analysis still taking place and international tours still yet to occur, the program is aiming to run trials in Australia for next year.

“There’s been lots of interest from growers to conduct these trials on their farms,” McCue says.

In November last year, Hort Innovation and QDAF partnered to hold the Gatton Smart Farm AgTech Showcase – a field day that demonstrated some of the new technologies in the market.

Approximately 1,000 growers and industry representatives attended the event,

getting to see first-hand some of the new innovations, including in-field robotics, sensors, drones, protected cropping, postharvest, cover cropping and strip tillage – to name a few.

With a mixture of both static and interactive displays, McCue says that was the first time many vegetable producers had been exposed to these types of technologies.

It was also the first time that some of these technologies had ever been demonstrated in the field, DAF senior development horticulturist Julie O’Halloran adds.

“The Stout AI mechanical cultivator and FarmDroid, a solar-powered weeder and seeder, were first shown in Australia at the showcase,” O’Halloran says.

“Robotti, an autonomous implement carrier, was also shown in the Lockyer Valley for the first time, allowing people to see it working in the field.”

Most of the technology showcased focused on autonomous robotics, with Swarm Farm and Global Unmanned Spray System (GUSS) also making an appearance to show their autonomous sprayers.

McCue says attendees were excited by the technologies shown, as they could

help make farming systems easier, and also look at ways in which sustainability could be improved.

“This showcase was really pivotal in the determination of the suitability of the technology, because we got to see how it performed on-farm,” he says.

“We saw positive responses from the growers to the point where some purchased the equipment and are using it on an ongoing basis.”

Building upon the success of this event, McCue says he expects that new technologies will be shortlisted, and hopefully validated in Australia.

With the ultimate goal of the program to assist growers in adopting technologies that can make a difference to input costs, O’Halloran says she is keen to see some new solutions trialled next year.

“The grower demonstration sites we establish will provide qualitative and quantitative data to highlight the potential efficiency benefits from mechanised machinery solutions,” she says.

“We hope this will help growers make bolder decisions about the technology they invest in.

Robo push

An established European company, Sveaverken has recently entered the Australian market with its smart and robotic solutions making life easier for farmers

For over a century, Sveaverken has been a trusted name for European farmers and hardworking individuals across various sectors.

Its roots date back to 1911 in Sweden, where the business started off creating mechanical tools for dairy farmers, such as auger systems, ventilation systems and manure scrapers.

As the business grew, Sveaverken not only advanced its solutions for farmers, but also started creating innovations for sectors it hadn’t ventured into before.

Today, the business serves more than 30,000 customers in over 100 countries and focuses on four key sectors – including

precision agriculture, herd management, landscaping and commercial cleaning.

Robotic solutions

Since its customers endure tough labour-intensive work, Sveaverken has recently invested more of its resources into developing new robotic-related technologies to make life easier for its customers.

“Due to labour shortages, economic pressures and climate change, we believe one of the most effective ways to help our customers is by providing smart and robotic tools – not just the traditional mechanical ones,” Sveaverken vice president of global

operations Felix Tian says.

Not every farmer will be willing to make this change overnight and Sveaverken understands this – keeping its traditional products available on the market to cater for those that aren’t looking for automation.

“A lot of our customers have already invested lots of money into mechanical tools, so we don’t want them to feel that they have to make change straight away,” Tian says.

For customers who have moved to automated solutions, the technologies have been welcomed, with more farmers spreading the word, Tian says.

“Our customers have been happy to see

Images: Sveaverken

us move forward and make this transition because they’re directly informed of what’s being changed and what the challenges are,” he says.

Key products

Sveaverken has a diverse range of products for the agriculture sector, with its key solutions focusing on precision farming and herd management.

Suited for precision farming systems, the F100 Auto Steer System can be installed onto an existing tractor and uses real-time kinematics (RTK) with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology to enable auto steering and driving.

Accurate to within 2.5cm of its guidance, Tian says the system benefits farmers by enabling a tractor to follow straight lines, make U-turns and follow different paths –all by itself.

This can be combined with Sveaverken’s Farm Management System, which monitors progress and collects all the useful data that farmers can use to make better informed decisions.

For the herd management side of things, Sveaverken provides farmers with a smart collar for cows – MooCollar Bree – which offers monitoring 24/7, so farmers know if their cows are behaving abnormally, displaying signs of illness, or breeding.

Sveaverken is now moving into the Australian market, bringing with it new precision agriculture and cattle technologies

The automated Sveaverken Brush is another smart product for cows. It senses when the animals lean on it, and then automatically starts spinning to provide effective grooming.

Another automated product new to Australia is the feed-pushing RoboPusher Nimbo. Suited to barn environments, this robot eliminates the need to manually push feed back towards cows as they eat.

“We already have some Australian customers using our products and lots more interested in our products,” Tian says.

“We’re also looking to bring in some new products, including a manure robot for barns.”

Australian presence

As a Swedish company, Sveaverken already has a large distribution channel in Europe, but has recently made the move to enter the Australian market.

“Australia is one of the biggest countries for agriculture and is a very important market for us,” Tian says.

Although the company has just entered this space, it says it is already seeing strong interest with new customers in various

The vice president of global operations says Sveaverken is also in the process of discussing potential distribution partnerships and expects to make significant progress in this area very soon.

When asked why Sveaverken hadn’t tried its luck in Australia earlier, Tian said the company wanted to make sure its products would provide as many benefits as possible for Aussie farmers.

“Australia is a very important market to us, so we wanted to make sure all the products, solutions and services that we provide were ready,” he says.

“We have quite a long history and we take every new step seriously, so we wanted to take one step at a time – especially for the implementation of new products.”

With the company originating in Europe, Tian adds that Sveaverken first had to make sure if its products would be suitable Down Under – since the agricultural markets differ significantly from each other.

“For the rest of the year, our main goal is to start increasing our distribution channel development and build high-quality partnerships with the local distributors,”

“At Sveaverken, we want to understand and learn from local end customers to make sure that our products are what Australian farmers need.”

Sveaverken’s F100 Auto Steer System can be installed on existing tractors

The F100 can follow straight lines, make U-turns and follow different paths by itself

Tightly packed

Efficiency gains and heavier bales are promised with John Deere’s latest large square baler

John Deere has launched its new powerhouse baler that produces longer, heavier bales to save the contractor time, fuel and labour, and it comes with all the precision agriculture integration that the company is renowned for.

Completely designed and built by John Deere in the United States, the L341R High-Density Large Square Baler features a bigger build chamber, reinforced hoops and is 45.7cm longer than a standard unit.

The manufacturer says this enables the machine to compress hay into a 3-foot by

4-foot (90cm x 120cm) bale with 30 per cent more density.

Since fewer bales need to be removed from the field, farmers spend less time travelling across the crop and trucks are loaded with the maximum amount of hay for enhanced efficiency, creating savings on each trailer load.

Despite its increased power and compression ability, the L341R operates under the same PTO power requirements as its predecessor, negating the necessity to invest in new machinery to pull it.

The machine’s MegaWide pickup comes in two sizes on the L341R, a 2.2m wide pickup and a 2.5m wide pickup, which makes it easier to produce neatly shaped bales and improves crop pickup in wide, windblown or scattered windrows.

Other highlights are the low-profile pickup drum with a large-diameter roller baffle to efficiently pick crop up and compress it against the pickup tines, meaning more crop in the bale and less debris in the field. While the L341R High-Density Baler leverages product components, functions,

The L341R High-Density Large Square Baler comes with Bale Doc, which provides yield data while baling

Images: John Deere

field with dry down.

“This precision technology seamlessly integrates data in near real-time for record keeping in the John Deere Operations Center,” he says.

“It’s the same system being used in broadacre cropping machinery, but the hay industry can now benefit from these new efficiencies.”

The L341R has been trialled under Western Australian conditions and hit the ground running, Scheidt says, with excellent reliability.

“It allows operators to monitor bale characteristics such as weight and moisture as bales are made, so they can make more consistent, high-quality bales, and the moisture maps allow the operator to understand where there are issues in the and technology that John Deere customers are familiar with, it introduces the local hay industry to new levels of sophistication through the data acquisition system, Bale Doc.

“Bale Doc provides customers with yield data to inform decisions on whether to apply fertiliser to parts of the field, whether to let the hay re-grow for more cuts or plant a new crop,” he says.

John Deere’s Australia and New Zealand hay and forage product specialist Roberto Scheidt says Bale Doc is a standard feature on the L341R, providing customers with information they did not previously have to boost productivity and profitability.

“The farmer remarked on the ride and driveability of the new baler too, as the usual rocking motion of the tractor when baling was much smoother thanks to the Ride Control feature on the JD tractor,” Scheidt says.

“The new baler also features an integrated preservative applicator, to provide more precise application of innoculant to preserve the crop.”

The John Deere L341R High-Density Baler was on show at the Australian Fodder I ndustry Association conference in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales last month.

The L341R during testing in Western Australia

MOW MORE BALE BETTER

Enjoy the productivity gains that come with John Deere’s Mower Conditioners and Balers. With a broad range of equipment to suit your specific needs underpinned by John Deere’s trusted reliability and quality, you can confidently expect to maximise uptime, enhance performance, and drive efficiencies across your operation. So, if you want to get more done in a day and do it better, talk to your local John Deere dealer today.

Happy pairing

Prime Ag Machinery is a passionate Merlo dealer, with its relationship continuing to grow and succeed

When a dealer speaks about their “enthusiasm and passion” for a product they sell, it quickly becomes clear how much the relationship is thriving and succeeding.

For Prime Ag Machinery general manager Josh Primarano, this enthusiasm and passion is for the Merlo telehandler range which has been an evergrowing part of the dealership’s offering for about a decade.

“I love the opportunity to explain Merlo features to prospective customers and how these features can benefit their operations,” Primarano says.

“I feel that our customers can sense my level of enthusiasm and passion for the product, which I believe gives our customers confidence not only in the machine but in us as their dealer.”

Prime Ag Machinery – formerly known as Primtec Tractors – is based in the Victorian border town of Mildura and has been selling farm machinery for nearly 25 years.

Tractors were the initial focus of the dealership but when it came time to broaden the machinery types available, the relationship with Merlo began.

“Around about 10 years ago we were looking to broaden the range of products we could offer and also were fielding customer enquiries for a good quality telehandler,” Primarano says.

“We then started looking at various manufacturers and decided the Merlo product was the best option due to the high standard of build quality and operator comfort. That was the initial thing we appreciated.”

Broad popularity

Part of Merlo’s popularity around Australia can be attributed to its telehandlers not simply being a ‘one size fits all’ product, and suiting different agricultural sectors as a result.

For Prime Ag Machinery, its Merlo sales to farming customers are made up of a “fairly even mix of models” including the Turbofarmer and Multifarmer machines.

“Becoming a Merlo dealership has also opened up the door for us to the construction and materials handling industries in which the Panoramic model has been very popular,” Primarano says.

“For the agricultural market, I would definitely say the mid-range Turbofarmers are the most popular – the TF35.7 and TF42.7.

Prime Ag Machinery is part of Merlo’s dealer network. Image: Prime Ag

MACHINERY

“From what our sales tell us, these two models fulfil hay operations very well and are also good performers in the almond industry.”

The Turbofarmer is designed to suit a variety of agricultural needs, including the likes of hay and almonds as cited by Primarano.

Around Australia, it has also found popularity in industries such as cotton and fruit – thanks to features such as its low profile, boom side shift, impressive cabin width, and hydrostatic transmission.

Of the two models referenced by Primarano, the TF35.7 provides a 3,500kg maximum lift capacity, 6.5m maximum lift height and 3.5m maximum reach.

The TF42.7 gives farmers a larger 4,000kg maximum lift capacity, 7m maximum lift height and 3.9m maximum reach,

while the unit itself also weighs one tonne more than the TF35.7.

Specifications only tell part of the story though, as it is the refinement and finishing touches borne out of Merlo’s broader philosophy that create machines which Primarano is proud to sell.

“Merlo telehandlers offer premium quality and finish, and they have exclusive functions that make them stand out from the competition,” he says.

“Some of Merlo’s core principles when they build a machine are that they want excellent manoeuvrability and excellent visibility – those are two things I think are very important.

“The Merlo is a nice size, not too small and not too large, and that also assists with the manoeuvrability of the machine.

“Merlo really put a high emphasis on

safety - they’re brought in with a factory integrated load management system and obviously in with all of this is reliability and operator comfort.”

Another standout model in the Merlo range is its Multifarmer, an innovative machine which which combines a telehandler w ith the features of a tractor such as rear PTO and three-point linkage.

Two models – the MF44.7 and MF44.9 – are imported to Australia.

Relationship building

For any dealership, its relationship with the manufacturer can either make or break the success of a product.

For Prime Ag Machinery, its relationship with Merlo Australia is certainly in the ‘make’ category, with Primarano describing the brand as being “integral” to the dealership.

Prime Ag Machinery general manager Josh Primarano. Image: Prime Ag

“Our relationship with Merlo Australia is very strong and it’s of significant importance to our business,” he says.

“The fact Merlo has become a really respected and trusted brand with our customers makes it integral to our dealership – it’s very important.

“Merlo Australia offer us excellent parts and service backup which is crucial for our day-to-day operations.

“Merlo are still a family owned and operated company despite the size of the organisation, so this aligned with our values as a family dealership ourselves.

“Also the fact Merlo Group Australia are a factory-owned subsidiary of the Merlo factory means we have a really strong link to the actual factory where these machines are built in Italy. That’s really important as well for us as a dealer.”

Merlo Australia’s head office is at 120-124 Toongabbie Road in the Sydney suburb of Girraween and its full product range is online at www.merlo.com/aus/en/ Prime Ag Machinery is located at 698 Benetook Avenue, Mildura.

• German Deutz 4-cylinder diesel engine

• Rated power at only 2200 RPM

• Electronic RPM shuttle

• Power Shuttle with de-clutch

• Auto PTO

• Bosch electronic 3 point linkage

• Bucket with Euro hitch

• Hydraulic 3rd function

• Integrated loader joystick

• Tied to rear axle

Merlo’s Turbofarmer TF42.7 telehandler. Image: Merlo

High impact

For crops facing a nitrogen deficiency, Maximum N-Pact is a foliar-applied product that provides a nitrogen boost – available from Loveland Agri Products

Nitrogen is critical to optimising yield and is therefore the most commonly applied fertiliser to crops globally.

Urea is a nitrogen-based granular fertiliser, which requires an incorporating rainfall event to be effectively recovered by the crop.

At certain times during the growing season, conditions may not allow for effective use of granular urea. An effective a lternative to deliver fast nitrogen to the crop is with a foliar application of Maximum N-Pact.

A popular product from Loveland, this urea-triazone based liquid fertiliser is designed for foliar nitrogen applications.

Bill Adams, plant nutrition technical services manager at Nutrien Ag Solutions, explains that Maximum N-Pact is best applied when plants are struggling to access soil nitrogen.

“When growers apply urea, they typically spread it on the soil surface and then rainfall is needed to incorporate it into the plants root zone,” he says.

“Plants will struggle to access soil based

nitrogen when conditions are too wet (water logged) or conversely when conditions are too dry.”

If plants can’t access soil-applied nitrogen, this can lead to crop stress, impacting plant health and reducing yield potential.

Maximum N-Pact is a useful tool to provide the crop with a timely boost of nitrogen, that is fast acting and highly compatible with tank mix partners.

Compared to other liquid nitrogen fertilisers than can cause leaf burn to plants (phytotoxicity), Maximum N-Pact is a safe

Maximum N-Pact can provide a nitrogen boost

Images: Nutrien Ag Solutions

alternative that will not burn foliage.

“This provides flexibility under a wide range of scenarios and environmental conditions for growers,” Adams says.

Adams has recommended growers apply Maximum N-Pact in cold soils

Maximum N-Pact is a urea-triazone based liquid fertiliser

Fantastic forty

Inlon celebrates 40 years in business with new brands and a commemorative logo

Australian family business Inlon Pty Ltd is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Established in 1984 by Joe and Lolita Jardim, 40 years later, Inlon is a major importer and distributor of 15 brands of farm machinery from across Europe, Korea, India and Japan.

Although Joe’s legacy is Inlon, it was founded on the back of a career in the farm machinery business from the 1950s – with Joe’s own business in what was then British Guiana, South America, today known as Guyana.

I mmigrating to Australia with his family in 1970, he worked for Massey Ferguson and Dalgety before starting the Inlon company.

A real family business built on people

Like many of its dealers and farming customers, Inlon is very much a family business built on people.

Joe’s son Jim Jardim is the current managing director and third generation Levi Jardim heads up business development, while other family members hold critical positions in the company.

General manager Andrew Cheong has served the company in this role for 32 years, and sales and marketing manager Gary Surman has done so for 28 years.

At the recent company function celebrating the 40-year milestone, three more employees were recognised for over 20 years’ service, and another 14 employees

for over 10 years’ service.

“It is this enduring commitment of key people with many years of service to this business that has given it the capacity to survive through the difficult periods, grow and succeed in good times, and be stable and sustainable,” Jim says.

From humble beginnings

“Inlon started from humble beginnings in 1984 with the Universal Farmliner tractors from Romania,” Jim says, reflecting on the company’s history.

“Romania was a communist country with all the complications of travel and access when Joe started working with the UTB (Universal Tractors Brasov) factory.”

Inlon’s history can be traced back to 1950s British Guiana

For many of those early years, the Universal Farmliner was the best-selling 45hp tractor in the Australian market, according to Tractor and Machinery Association (TMA) reports. “Thousands of these tractors were sold in Australia,” Jim says.

“Through the 1990s, Inlon expanded into several categories of tractor attachments and machinery, including hay tools, rotary hoes, power harrows, mulchers, transplanters, feed mixers, spreaders and tractors for specialist applications.

“This year sees the launch of Ferrari tractors from Italy plus Tulip speed tillers from the Netherlands as we continue to grow our complementary portfolio of products,” Jim says.

“We are delighted to bring our 15 quality brands, primarily from Korea and Europe, to Australian farmers.

“We never lose sight of our customers’ needs for higher productivity and efficiency plus the tough conditions our products must withstand.”

Working closely with suppliers

Inlon has worked with Korean companies for over 20 years, including TYM tractors.

Inlon and TYM delegates visit each oth-

er regularly to discuss future product development – a close working relationship has led to Korean-made tractor products that are well-suited to Australian farmers.

TYM has proven to be a great fit for lifestyle and farming applications with its tractor strength, features, performance and quality.

Family synergies

Inlon works with many family-owned businesses, with the Strautmann company from Germany being an inspirational family-owned and led business.

Wolfgang Strautmann is the classic hands-on business owner and leader who has formed the company into one that enjoys a reputation for quality, durability, performance and leadership in its product segments.

“The family connections to many of our suppliers are key to the relationships we form,” Jim says.

“Whether it is the Yu family from Taesung, Korea, the Zama family from Falc, Signorelli from Sitrex, Checchi from Checchi e Magli in Italy or the Turkay family from Minos Agri in Turkey, the founding families have continued to build and work

in them, create enduring relationships and enjoy mutual success.”

Italy is famous for its food, wine and style, so it is no surprise that Landini tractors are renowned for their vineyard and orchard tractors.

Inlon first introduced Landini to Australia in the early 1990s and recommenced distribution in 2016.

This year, the Landini company celebrates 140 years, with the last 30 years being owned and led by the Morra family.

Diamond Run

In 2006, Lubimor Dvorak introduced Inlon to his innovative Spider remote-controlled mower from Czechia.

This led to Inlon selling the first commercial remote-controlled slope mower in Australia and a journey in understanding how innovative technology can improve safety and productivity in commercial mowing tasks.

The result was the emergence of the Civiline brand with quality innovative mowing products from several leading suppliers.

The Agria remote-controlled track mowers from Germany, and Hymach from Italy,

In 1984, Inlon started importing Universal Farmliner tractors from Romania

MACHINERY

extend the envelope of what can be safely and productively maintained.

The Civiline range of clearing, mowing and grounds-care machinery includes brushcutters, verge mowers, wheeled and tracked slope mowers, as well as hybrid and electric mowers for commercial applications. This specialist range is well suited to contractors, councils, public works and defence applications, as well as complex or niche private applications such as solar

panel farm maintenance.

Commemorative logo

The 40-year anniversary logo features the Farmliner tractor design. Inlon’s marketing coordinator Rachelle Stewart came from a graphic design background and saw the potential to blend old and new.

“The logo reflects our business perfectly with the blend of traditional and modern,” Jim says. “We offer a range of tradi-

Inlon mechanic Wayne Hutchinson with the first Strautmann loader wagon in 2009

Inlon’s special 40 year logo

tional easy-to-use mechanical tractors as well as modern auto throttle/power shuttle/power shift tractors.

“Similarly, our commercial mower range covers everything from tractor-mounted mulchers to the latest remote-control slope mowers.”

The next 40 years

“We will continue to embrace new farm machinery products, innovations and technology that improve the lives of our employees, dealers and customers.”

“With so many loyal members of the Inlon family, our established suppliers and those yet to be discovered, I am confident the next 40 years will be exciting for Inlon,” Jim says.

Distributed by dealers Australia wide, Inlon’s full range of farm machinery can be viewed at www.inlon.ag/739 or call Inlon on 1800 945 090 for more information.

Lolita Jardim, Jim Jardim, Aidon Jardim, Levi Jardim, Andrew Cheong and Gary Surman at Inlon in 2024

The Largest Range of Australian Made Farm Machinery

Australia’s No1 locally built mulcher for the last 25 years. Available in Low Body or High Body models in various sizes. Great for clearing up paddocks and bush blocks.

The best value for money Front End Loader mounted post hole digger on the market. Standard with Eurohitch connection with other styles available. Various augers sizes and types available

Large range of linkage and trailing disc ploughs to suit all tractors and applications.

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Australian Made slashers with 5 year gearbox warranty. Various sizes and models in single and twin rotor set-up. Great value and strength. Also available in galvanised.

10 ‘ & 12’ Trailing Grader Blades. 2000kg in weight Best value for money blade of its type

Huge range of linkage models available also.

Extra hands

A Victorian farmer has found Rata Equipment’s Power Claw to be a labour saver for clearing loose sticks and rocks around his property

Rata Equipment’s Power Claw continues to prove its worth for Australian farmers, playing a variety of roles and helping to complete many otherwise challenging tasks.

At its essence, the Power Claw is designed as a replacement for four-in-one buckets on tractors and other machinery such as skid steers, with its biggest advantage over the bucket being the ability to grip loose material.

One customer experiencing the benefits as Rata intended is Victorian farmer Brad Ingram.

Based in Bonang in far east Gippsland, Brad and his family run about 300 beef cattle across their property.

Brad purchased a 2.2m Power Claw, which is one of the largest in the manufacturer’s range, from his nearest Rata dealer – Donalda Motors in Bairnsdale.

“We bought the Power Claw because we’ve got a bit of country that’s scrubbed up, plus a few fence lines we’ve got to clear to put new fences up,” Brad says.

“We’ve got a bit of country that got burned in 2014 which we haven’t had a chance to do anything with, and now it’s got a bit of scrub coming back on it.

“The plan is to start using the Power Claw to run through regrowth, clean it up and getting it back to usable farmland which will increase the number of cattle we can run.”

Rata’s Power Claw offering can be broadly split into three sections – compact, mid-range and standard.

The compact models are designed for tractors between 25-45hp, while the midrange suits tractors between 45-75hp along with small loaders.

The standard range, of which Brad’s unit is part, is designed for tractors above 75hp plus telehandlers.

Rata offers the standard Power Claw in five different models between 1.6m and 2.6m widths, ensuring all customers can get a model perfectly suited to their specific requirements and tractor’s power.

It was a visit to last year’s Farm World in Warragul which first introduced Brad to

Brad Ingram’s Rata Equipment Power Claw

Images: Brad Ingram

MACHINERY

Rata’s Power Claw and as he approaches 12 months of ownership, his initial positive impression of the unit has continued.

were very impressed with the design, how it was shaped and also the build quality,” he says.

compared to other ones that we’ve seen.

“We’re coming up to 12 months with it now and it’s a very handy bit of gear.

“It’s a very useful attachment for a tractor and it cuts down on a lot of manual labour.”

Brad’s experience shows the additional benefits offered by the Power Claw.

“I’ve got an excavator so I can clear the fence line with the excavator and then just

bucket on the tractor you get a lot of dirt with it though.

“With the Power Claw, you can just run it through with the teeth an inch into the

Brad uses the Power Claw for tasks such as cleaning up loose material

ground and it just picks up all the sticks and leaves all the dirt behind.”

The dealership which Brad bought his Power Claw from – Donalda Motors in Bairnsdale – has found considerable success with the Rata product in the past 18 months.

“When I was talking to the salesman Warren Kennedy, he says the Power Claws are so popular now that he tries to always keep one there to show, because they just sell so quickly,” Brad says.

“We’ve dealt a bit with Donalda Motors over the years and they are very goodWarren is very good to deal with.”

Rata Equipment’s full range and national dealer network can be viewed online at www.rataequipment.com

Donalda Motors is located at 672-678 Princes Highway, Bairnsdale and its website is www.donaldamotors.com.au/ Donalda-Bairnsdale

The Power Claw easily attaches to Brad’s tractor

Pasture protection

With facial eczema incidences in livestock increasing, a research team has found a solution that is environmentally friendly and could save the Australian agriculture industry hundreds of millions of dollars. Jackson Haddad caught up with the research leader to find out more

While eczema may be a largely harmless skin condition for humans, it could be deadly to livestock.

In livestock the condition is caused by a fungus that resides in pasture, known as Pseudopithomyces chartarum, which releases a toxin into the bloodstream of animals when they feed on affected pasture.

Known as sporidesmin, the toxin can severely affect animal livers and can cause photosensitisation of skin when hit by UV.

Senior scientist at AgResearch New Zealand, Tanushree B Gupta, says it can cause skin peeling and the development of red patches on the animals’ bodies.

“This is much more severe than facial eczema in humans and is very painful for the animals,” she says.

Affecting both sheep and cattle, Gupta says this disease already causes a substantial economic burden on New Zealand farmers, with estimated losses of more than $300 million per year and is becoming more prevalent in Australia.

“The high prevalent areas are currently New Zealand and parts of Australia, but it has also been identified across the globe in South Africa, South America and some parts of Europe and China,” Gupta says.

According to the senior scientist, current

treatments include harmful substances that are toxic to the environment and can cause other issues for livestock.

To combat this, Gupta has been assigned as the leader of a research team that aims to reduce the germination of fungal spores in pasture, by developing an environmentally friendly antifungal product.

Increased prevalence

Due to global warming and temperature shifts, Gupta believes the incidences of facial eczema are increasing – presenting challenges for farmers and painful side effects for livestock.

Tanushree B Gupta’s solution aims to be a safe alternative for preventing facial eczema in livestock

The disease is dependent on moisture and a warm temperature of approximately 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, she says, meaning its prevalence increases in summer.

With global warming causing heat periods to last longer, Gupta says there could be an increase in the number of months that the fungus – Pseudopithomyces chartarum – can grow in.

“In the past, there would be two to three months of high heat, but now in New Zealand we have seen high heat into March, April and sometimes even May,” the research leader says.

“This means the incidences of facial eczema could increase from three-month periods to five or six-month periods.”

With the disease affecting livestock over a longer period, farmers have to decide between applying harmful treatments – such as putting zinc in the animals’ food and spraying antifungal products onto pasture – or see their animals suffer.

Treatments and issues

Although zinc and antifungal sprays are the most common treatments to facial eczema in livestock, Gupta says they can both also have detrimental effects.

She says zinc, a heavy metal, can be toxic to animals if not measured properly prior to feeding, and the presence of it in our food system isn’t acceptable. Current antifungal sprays on pasture can kill or stop the germination of fungal spores however, they can also cause infertility in the animals and damage the soil and pasture system.

One of the main issues that farmers are finding is that their animals may die without showing any symptoms of the facial eczema – only to be revealed after a biopsy as liver damage from the sporidesmin toxin.

This can also occur vice versa, where the symptoms are present on the skin of the animals, but their liver is still functioning normally – which Gupta explains can create a treatment decision issue for farmers.

“Farmers can’t feed zinc to their animals if they don’t have symptoms because it will intoxicate them,” she says.

“However, their liver may already be damaged, even though they are not showing symptoms, so it’s a real problem.”

This means there is no timeframe on when to look for symptoms because by the time symptoms show up on the animals, their liver could already be severely damaged.

Depending on liver functionality, Gupta says some animals will die, or live with the painful side effects of skin peeling and rashes – even if their liver isn’t damaged.

Due to the deaths and the regulations of exporting animals with the side effects, Gupta says the disease can cause economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, with Gupta’s eco-friendly and safe antifungal product, farmers would be able to easily spray it on their pasture, potentially saving the health and welfare of the animals, as well as saving money.

Product progress

As part of her research, Gupta has tested the safe antifungal product on leaves, which she says has worked well in combatting the fungus that causes the facial eczema disease.

In light of this, she was chosen as one of seven women to be part of AgriFutures’ inaugural ‘growAg’ program, that aims to be a

The compound is water soluble, facilitating easy application through spraying

platform for advancing women’s research or technological innovations in agritech, and other agriculture-related sectors, to the next phase of development.

Through this program, a mentor was paired with Gupta to help understand her needs for the antifungal product, whilst also preparing her for a pitch in front of potential investors and stakeholders.

“This was a fantastic experience, and I was so grateful to be the only person involved that wasn’t from Australia,” she says.

“The program helped put my team’s research in front of investors and stakeholders, and I would like to see them uptake our product because we need their help to test the product in the field.”

FARMING

These tests would involve extensive field trials in New Zealand as well in Australia to prove that Gupta’s antifungal product is a viable solution for farmers to prevent the disease that is plaguing livestock in both countries.

Although the research is mainly focused on developing a safe solution to the germination of fungal spores, Gupta says her research has revealed that the biomolecules used in the solution could also be used as a biopesticide.

“The biomolecules have been found to be effective against a range of pest and pathogens, and they can also be used to fight other fungal diseases that affect crops,” she says.

“We can use products manufactured with these biomolecules to spray on the crops and reduce those crop diseases.

“I would like to see if there’s interest from investors or agrichemical companies to see if we can provide them with safe and natural solutions.”

Gupta presenting her pitch in front of investors and stakeholders

Gupta is leading a research team to develop an eco-friendly antifungal product for livestock

Slower sales

Tractor sales continued their decline in June, however a more realistic comparison should emerge from next month, the TMA says

Sales of agricultural tractors were off considerably in the month of June with just over 1,300 units sold across Australia.

This was 48 per cent less than the same month last year and brings the year-todate position to a level which is 30 per cent behind the corresponding period in 2023.

As flagged last month, June 2023 was the last month of the Federal Government’s temporary full expensing program which saw last minute sales at unprecedented levels.

The TMA expects a more realistic month-to-month comparison to appear from July onwards as the impact of this incentive disappears.

Overall, the association is still forecasting a reasonably healthy 2024 for sales as w inter rains across the country deliver ideal growing conditions for the foreseeable future, although with each month the outlook continues to soften as farmers play it safe.

Looking at the state-by-state picture, Queensland was down 47 per cent against the same month last year to be 27 per cent behind year to date.

New South Wales was down 56 per cent in June and is now 38 per cent behind for the year while Victoria was also down, dropping by 43 per cent this month to be 28 per cent below last year.

Western Australia reported a drop of 41 per cent to be down 16 per cent compared with the same time last year.

South Australia had another big drop of 49 per cent and is now down 32 per cent for the year to date.

Tasmania was down 38 per cent for the month with sales in the Northern Territory also finishing 38 per cent down.

Sales in each of the reporting categories were well off this month with t he small, under 40hp (under 30kw) category down by 33 per cent to be 27

Gary Northover is executive director of the Tractor & Machinery Association of Australia (TMA). He can be contacted on (03) 9813 8011 or at gary@tma.asn.au

per cent behind for the year to date. The 40hp to 100hp (30-75kw) range was also down again, this time by 53 per cent, and is now behind 41 per cent year to date.

The 100hp to 200hp (75-150 kw) category was down by 50 per cent to be 31 per cent off for the year.

Finally, the 200hp plus (150kw plus) range, which has been largely positive all year, continues its drop off. This category was 41 per cent down compared to t he same month last year and is now 16 per cent behind for the year to date.

Sales of combine harvesters are off to a slow start with about 15 per cent of this year’s expected number sold so far.

Baler sales were again down, due to difficult growing conditions for hay, and are now 20 per cent behind for the year to date.

Sales of out-front mowers were again up, this time by around 7 per cent for the month

A more accurate picture of the current tractor sales market is expected from July. Image: Johan Larson/stock.adobe.com

Costly benefits

The numbers must add up for farmers to consider investing in alternative energy sources, WAFarmers CEO Trevor Whittington says

In June, I attended the AgZeroWAFarmers Power Shift Forum, where we got the good oil on the exciting future that awaits us as we turn off coal and gas and turn on renewables.

The keynote speaker was New Zealand cherry farmer Mike Casey, who has made a global name for himself by taking his entire farming operation all-electric, leading the way in the race to save the planet before the world goes into irreversible meltdown.

As a climate advocate, he is putting his money where his mouth is, which is a refreshing change from all those who like to beat the climate drum but demand others pay for it, starting with the world’s energy-poor.

His enthusiasm was quite infectious in a room of people that were obviously pro-renewable, albeit the room seemed to instantly drop a few degrees when the word ‘nuclear’ was ever mentioned, Obviously, saving the planet for that lot did not include going as far as splitting the atom is concened, despite the fact 60 nuclear power plants are currently under construction globally and another 110 are in the planning stage.

Clearly, there must be a lot of clueless economists in the 30 countries running, building, and planning nuclear power plants as we are constantly told that they are not a viable option for Australia.

Still, it got me thinking about the cost-benefit of taking our farms across to the green side of the electricity equation and cashing in on all this free sunlight we have.

Putting aside the obvious fact that without subsidies there would be virtually no wind or solar farms or rooftop solar anywhere in Australia, which puts to bed the great big lie that renewables are cheaper 24/7 than the old faithful coal operations down at Collie that puffs away keeping the lights on and the cold at bay on winter nights.

I have taken some time to delve into the cost benefit of lashing out on a solar battery unit and taking the farm partially or fully off-grid. To get to the real numbers, you have to dig deep and have some idea of your energy usage.

The fact that small businesses in Western Australia, particularly high-energy users like vineyards, dairies, and other intensive farming operations which run cool rooms and tractors small enough to be electric, are not rushing to follow Mike’s cherry farm example is the first sign that even at current power rates, farmers are doing the maths and the dollars don’t add up as Mike claims they do in NZ.

In his example, after rewiring solar and battery panels and moving to electrify 21 petrol and diesel engines, his operation now saves an average of $40,000 a year on operational costs through the electrification of its “fossil fuel machines”.

He quotes a payback period of 13 years, but there is no detail on the interest, tax, or depreciation impacts or government rebates, which is where an independent audit would help prove his case.

The first thing to note is that New Zealand offers government rebates at up to double what’s on offer in Australia.

Under the WA state government’s Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme for Synergy customers as of 1 July 2024, electricity exported back into the grid between 3 pm to 9 pm earns 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh); but for the rest of the day this falls to 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) or 3 cents for those in the bush under Horizon Power.

These rebates are limited to a residential customer who consumes not more than 50MWh of electricity per annum with a generating capacity of no more than 5kW, which is not a big system.

On top of this, the federal government offers the Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which offers rebates ranging in size, from $1,456 for a small 3.9kW system to $4,852 for a 13.2kW unit.

The larger 13kW unit would be what most Wheatbelt farms would look at, which is what’s recommended for a five-person household living in an older style, less energy-efficient home with someone home all the time.

On average, that sort of household would consume around 30kWh a day in winter and 60kWh in summer. As a comparison, a small system for two people working would be 5kW.

But like trying to develop a formula for what size tractor suits the average farm, it all depends on what sort of work you are doing and when.

In the case of solar battery systems - is the house smart-wired with LEDs, and five-star energy efficient appliances and do you mind tapping into the grid on hot days, or do you want to be fully off-grid but you have an energy-hungry old air conditioning unit and a big chest freezer?

Assuming you buy a 13kW unit, installed after the rebate, you would be up for $13,000 for the panels and inverter, which would produce around 50kW a dayplenty for winter but just short for a hot summer’s day.

Assuming you want to store energy for overcast days or to pump back into the system then you will be up for a separate battery system which will set you back another $13,000 for a Tesla Power Wall unit of 13.5kW.

All up, you are up for $26,000.

A outlay of $26,000 might not be enough to leave you with enough energy to run the farm workshop, plus the farmhouse and fill the new electric car and ute with enough electrons for a day’s work, plus a trip to Perth without tapping into

Trevor Whittington is CEO of WAFarmers

Solar panels need to make economic sense for farmers to invest in, Trevor Whittington says. Image: jeson/ stock.adobe.com

Collie, so you will probably need to double the whole system unless you are happy to accepting coal-fired electrons on those cold winter nights.

Double that $52,000 to $104,000 and double it again to $208,000, and the South West farmers will have enough to run the orchard irrigation pumps and cool room on the berry farm or the dairy.

But now we are talking big dollars, and this may explain why very few intensive operations have filled the shed roofs with panels as the dollars quickly add up.

This is without mentioning the future cost of power which, despite the Prime Minister’s promise, is not coming down.

In fact, at the rate power prices have been climbing for the past 24 years at just on 10 per cent a year, as electricity prices have increased by 238 per cent since 2000.

As a result, all farms should be considering putting in systems, even more so if t he Chinese keep subsidising their panel and battery manufacturing industry and prices keep coming down.

The alternative is to wait for Western Power to come along and install one of

The expense has stopped many farmers from covering roofs in solar panels. Image: fotografiecor/stock. adobe.com

their $300,000 standalone solar battery diesel units, which is the plan for 9,000 farms across the South West network.

In the meantime, there is nothing holding you back from investing in a biodiesel plant to run the farm machinery.

But beware, if you thought a household solar battery unit was line ball, try doing the numbers on turning your canola into biodiesel.

There are no end of papers on the cost of small-scale biodiesel plants and the cost of production, but good luck getting it below $3 per litre, and don’t even think about putting it into your new diesel tractor as it voids the warranty.

What’s the takeaway? There is a reason few of the orchards, vineyards, or dairies in Australia have gone completely offgrid: the numbers just don’t add up.

If they did, every farming property across the South West would have panels hanging off every inch of the shed roofs.

If you are looking at a system, first get an advanced smart meter installed by Synergy for $101.30 then give the data to an energy storage consultant and spend $1,000 to design a fit-for-purpose system for you.

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Weed whacker

Family-owned Tripod Farmers has recently integrated an AI-powered and camera-based weed killer from Carbon Robotics – only the second unit of its kind in Australia

Located in Bacchus Marsh, north west of Melbourne, Tripod Farmers is a family-owned and run salad vegetable growing business – supplying to major supermarkets and fresh markets across Australia.

The business farms across 1,000 acres (405 hectares) currently, but that wasn’t always the case, with its story dating back to 1989 – on a 15-acre farm.

Working across such a large area requires efficiency, and Tripod’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered weed-killing

technology has become a key staple of its operation.

Artificial Intelligence

AI is increasingly becoming familiar in our lives and for Tripod Farmers, it’s an everyday essential.

For the last few months, the company has been running its Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder for almost 12 hours, every day.

Imported from the United States, this machine uses AI and a camera-based system to identify weeds from crops and kill the

weeds with high-powered lasers.

Seeing the machine up close and personal, one could smell the weeds burning and see the smoke coming off them.

Having only owned the machine for a few months, fourth-generation farmer and Tripod farm production manager Frankie Ruffo says the machine has substantially reduced manual labour costs in the 800 hours of work it has completed.

“Before acquiring this machine, we’d usually have 20 people manually weeding our lettuces, but the LaserWeeder has

This LaserWeeder is only the second unit of its brand working in Australia.

FARMING

reduced that down to 10,” he says.

Using 30 carbon dioxide lasers, each 150W, to kill weeds, Tripod has managed to reduce its herbicide use – further reducing input costs.

“Herbicides can be quite expensive and can damage the soil’s health, so reducing this has been a serious benefit for us,” Ruffo says.

Unlike tillage equipment, the LaserWeeder leaves soil undisturbed, which t he farm production manager says can lead to healthier crops and higher yields.

Attached to the back of a tractor, Ruffo says the LaserWeeder has also increased efficiency in the business, as only one person is needed to drive a tractor around while the machine does what it does best – zapping weeds.

Up to 300,000 weeds can be eliminated per hour with precise accuracy, Ruffo

says, covering 2 acres per hour at 1km/h.

Whether it’s day or night, rain or shine, the LaserWeeder can work through all conditions ensuring Tripod’s crops are always in tip-top condition.

Instead of getting its staff to manually count how many lettuces are growing, Tripod uses the AI-powered machine to do this as it moves around the farm.

Initial approach

Only a couple of months ago, 20 Tripod Farmers employees would manually weed its crops with herbicides, but for the management team today, that seems an eternity ago.

“We were incurring huge expenses of hand weeding, so we decided to research some potential solutions,” Ruffo says.

“When we came across the LaserWeeder, we realised it could combat our weed

issue and reduce costs at the same time.”

As a US-based company, Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder is still very new to the Australian market, with Ruffo saying Tripod’s unit was only the second to be working Down Under.

With over 100 units sold worldwide, farmers are increasingly showing interest in the machines – thanks to the numerous benefits it provides.

D espite coming with a significant initial outlay, Ruffo says the investment was well worth it for Tripod.

Supplying vegetables both pre-packaged and as bulk-produce, Ruffo says T ripod uses the machine on nearly all its crops including lettuce, wild rocket and spinach – to name a few.

Using AI-based deep-learning models, Tripod has trained the LaserWeeder to learn from the images it captures.

Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder is being used to kill weeds at Tripod Farmers

“When the machine takes high resolution photos of crops and weeds, we can program it to identify a weed from a crop,” Ruffo says.

“It can then learn off this information, so it knows what to zap and what to leave for us.”

Admiring the LaserWeeder’s work, the farm production manager says sometimes he takes for granted how useful it has been for Tripod and how far technology has come.

“ I wouldn’t have imagined we would have this type of technology two years ago, I can’t wait to see what else will be available in the coming years.”

Farms & Farm Machinery visited Tripod Farmers in an on-farm tour that formed part of this year’s Hort Connections exhibition in Melbourne in June.

High-powered carbon dioxide lasers burn the weeds, using a camera-based system

Tripod Farmers supplies fresh vegetables to markets and leading supermarkets

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Safety minded

This year’s theme for National Farm Safety Week was ‘In Safe Hands’, which emphasised the importance of keeping farmers and their families safe

Australia marked National Farm Safety Week between July 14 and 20, with the event serving as an important reminder to follow safe practices on-farm.

This year’s ‘In Safe Hands’ campaign emphasised the importance of keeping farmers and their families safe.

Farmsafe Australia executive officer

Stevi Howdle says this year’s theme gave farmers involved in the campaign scope to personalise what ‘safe’ meant to them.

While different types of farms have different challenges and equipment, the overarching theme of farm safety aligns with the broader agricultural value of community.

“Embracing farm safety is an act of responsibility and ownership,” Howdle says.

“When farmers take the time to understand the information that is available to them and then customise it for their operations, they are actively protecting their most valuable assets—their health, the wellbeing of their workers, and the sustainability of their farm.

“This proactive approach minimises

risks and fosters a safer working environment, ultimately contributing to more stable and resilient farm businesses.”

A Farmsafe Australia report, which was released to coincide with Farm Safety Week, says there was a significant decrease in on-farm fatalities in 2023, with the overall figure of 32 down from 55 in 2022.

Data for this year shows an alarming increase however.

In the first six months of 2024, Farmsafe Australia says there have already been 30 fatalities and 74 non-fatal on-farm injuries nationally.

The report also detailed a number of other statistics related to these fatal and non-fatal incidents.

Last year, 91 per cent of the fatalities were male, with 63 per cent also being over 45 years of age and 44 per cent being aged over 60.

Quad bikes and tractors were each responsible for 16 per cent of fatalities, with quad bikes also contributing to 29 per cent of injuries.

New South Wales and Queensland were over-represented in injuries, accounting for a combined 86 per cent of the nation’s incidents.

Farmsafe Australia partnered with WFI Insurance for the report’s publication, and WFI’s executive general manager Andrew Beer says several factors have been identified that have contributed to these incidents.

“In regard to machinery incidents, omitting important safety steps in order to execute tasks more rapidly has been a major contributing factor to incidents, with fatigue and loss of concentration also playing an ongoing role,” he says.

“Self-managed repairs to broken down machinery is a leading cause of injuries, for example, when machinery has not been properly disengaged prior to repairs commencing.

“When interviewing injured claimants, remote locations, delayed productivity and costs were reasons why self-repair work was undertaken versus engaging machine specialists to carry out works.”

Quad bikes are a leading cause of farm deaths and injuries, according to a Farmsafe Australia report.

Image: William/stock.adobe.com

FARMING

During Farm Safety Week, Farmsafe Australia shared practical safety tips from farmers to increase the safety of everyday tasks and foster a more safety focused farming culture.

Each day of the week, Farmsafe Australia highlighted specific topics, with farmers sharing their own practices that help keep them safer in their day-to-day tasks and how their on-farm safety culture has made a difference in their farm business.

The daily themes were support and wellbeing, active supervision of children on farms, lone and remote working: the importance of first aid training, livestock handling, ageing on farm, and vehicle and machinery safety.

The first four months of the year has also seen 14 crashes of livestock, according to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, which is urging all parties to practice safer transport practices.

“Farm safety is a shared responsibility, and preventing crashes requires attention from all stakeholders in the agricultural and livestock sector,” NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says.

“During National Farm Safety Week, we aim to raise awareness and promote best practices for safe livestock transport.”

Around the country, the Victorian government announced a $100,000 grant to the National Centre for Farmer Health, to support the delivery of farm safety education i n schools, teaching young people about the risks they are exposed to when visiting, living and working on farms.

Although agriculture only makes up 2 per cent of Victoria’s workforce, the state government says it account for 14 per cent of workplace fatalities.

From January 2025 a new teaching resource dubbed ‘Shifting Gears’ will provide educators with materials to facilitate

meaningful discussions about farm safety to classrooms.

“Through the National Centre for Farmer Health and Shifting Gears, we are empowering the next generation of farmers and ag ricultural professionals to prioritise safety in all aspects of their work,” Victorian acting agriculture minister Steve Dimopoulos says.

T he Shifting Gears investment follows the $900,000 provided to the National Centre for Farmer Health in the state’s 2024-25 budget for the delivery of agriculture-focused health and medical services, research, and education.

Safework NSW also used Farm Safety Week to remind farmers of a free advisory service,

This can help farmers to create an action plan to cover safety issues while also qualifying them for a $1,000 safety rebate which can be used to make farm improvements

Each day of National Farm Safety Week focused on different key topics. Image: oticki/stock.adobe.com

Events Calendar

Here are upcoming field day and agricultural events for 2024. Information was current as of going to press.

Royal Queensland ShowBrisbane, Qld

The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) is Queensland’s largest annual event, attracting on average 400,000 people. The Ekka showcases the best of Queensland, attracting more than 21,000 competition entries from woodchop to giant vegetables, 10,000 animals from beef cattle to cats and dogs, world-class live entertainment, award-winning food and wine, carnival rides and showbags, family shopping, educational activities and much more.

When: August 10-18, 2024

More info: www.ekka.com.au

AgQuip Field Days - Gunnedah, NSW

Arguably one of the biggest field days on the Australian calendar, AgQuip has been supporting the agriculture world from its permanent, purpose-built site just outside of Gunnedah, NSW since 1973. Attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year and showcasing over 3,000 products, AgQuip has proven to be a much-anticipated event for exhibitors and attendees alike.

When: August 20-22, 2024

More info: acmruralevents.com.au/ agquip

Dowerin Machinery Field Days - Dowerin, WA

Dowerin Machinery Field Days is the largest field day in Western Australia, attracting more than 25,000 visitors each year. Around 7,000 broadacre farmers attend the event each year and over half of all visitors stated their reason for attending was a strong interest in agricultural products and services. The Field Days has

also won several tourism awards at a state and national level.

When: August 28-29, 2024

More info: dowerinfielddays.com.au

Agrishow Small Farms and Field Day Expo - Moss Vale, NSW

More than a line-up of products for sale, the AgriShow Small Farms & Field Day Expo is a space for people involved in all aspects of farming to get together in a community atmosphere. The event features education and demonstrations of farming machinery, tools, equipment and supplies from tractors and other vehicles, to equipment and technology, so that visitors can get more from the event.

When: August 30-31, 2024

More info: www.agrishow.com.au

Royal Adelaide ShowWayville, SA

Established in 1839, the Royal Adelaide Show is now South Australia’s largest ticketed event. Attracting on average around 500,000 people, the Royal Adelaide Show hosts more than 450 exhibitor stands and offers businesses a once-a-year opportunity to expand into new markets, boost revenue and significantly increase brand awareness.

When: August 31-September 8, 2024

More info: www.theshow.com.au

Newdegate Machinery Field Days - Newdegate, WA

The Newdegate Machinery Field Days is one of Western Australia’s premier

agricultural events. Machinery, technology and research, animals and livestock, outdoor and camping exhibits, art and photography, fashion, show bags, food and wine, local produce, live entertainment and more make this a two day event not to missed.

When: September 4-5, 2024

More info: newdegatemachineryfielddays.com

Berry Small Farm Field Days –Berry, NSW

Held at one of the most attractive showgrounds in NSW, the Berry Small Farm Field Days is one of the cutest field days on the Australian calendar. With equipment and machinery displays, demonstrations and farm animals galore, this is an event for everyone.

When: September 6-7, 2024

More info: berryrotary.org.au/ small-farm-field-day

Henty Machinery Field DaysHenty, NSW

Located in the heart of southern NSW, Henty attracts the best of the best when it comes to farm machinery, agribusiness and rural living. More than 60,000 people flock to Henty Machinery Field Days each year and for good reason –book this one in your calendar.

When: September 17-19, 2024

More info: hmfd.com.au

Riverland Field DaysBarmera, SA

Held over a two day period, the Riverland Field Days are a staple in the region. With over 350 exhibitors and approximately 30

Images:

caterers, there is something for the whole family. The field days include the latest in agricultural machinery, equipment and services, demonstrations, information sessions, activities, entertainment, tastings, trade exhibits and much more.

When: September 13-14, 2024

More info: riverlandfielddays.com.au

Agrotrend - Bundaberg, Qld

Agrotrend provides two days of farming and lifestyle-focused activities for the whole family to enjoy, whether you are keen to check out and invest in the latest farming technologies or after a great afternoon out with the family. Events include an alpaca competition, agility dog display, poultry show, vehicle displays and the Rum City Vintage Machinery Display.

When: September 20-21, 2024

More info: agrotrend.com.au

Crowds will again flock to AgQuip in New South Wales later this month

Deep in thought

More than 200 delegates were at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last month for the Tractor & Machinery Association’s annual conference

The agricultural industry continued to strive to the future at the Tractor & Machinery Association’s annual conference, with presentations based around the theme of “towards 2030: gearing up”.

Held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue which last hosted the TMA conference in 2017, the topics covered included everything from artificial intelligence to shipping.

Several of the speakers were TMA conference regulars, including Westpac senior economist Justin Smirk who gave an economic update, Kynetec senior manager Melinda Haley who discussed the machinery industry’s trends, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen senior vice-president logistics services Kym Buoy who provided a shipping update.

T MA executive director Gary Northover ended the day by outlining some of the areas and issues on which the association is advocating on behalf of its members.

These issues include the right to repair, non-road diesel emissions, shipping and quarantine, the autonomous vehicle code of practice, and the Australian Consumer Guarantee Guide.

Another of the day’s highlights was a panel discussion, facilitated by CNH agriculture director Aaron Bett.

The panel featured Godings director and owner Adrian Williams, Traction Ag general manager Vince Carbone, AEH Group director and owner David Thompson and Brandt director of precision technology Siobhan Lynch.

There was an agreement from all panel members regarding the shifting market from supply shortages during the Covid period to high stock levels being experienced.

“A couple of years ago maybe we held the cards a little but more, and I think now the market is definitely being driven by the consumer and you need to be agile,” Williams said.

The changing agricultural landscape was also a major discussion point, firstly around the uptake of artificial intelligence and other technologies.

Acknowledging some early adopters in both Australia and New Zealand have seen the value of advanced technology, Lynch said one challenge was to help customers across the farming spectrum to make progressive changes.

“[The challenge is] how we get the knowledge to our customers that ease them into it so they can uptake it before autonomy or AI really hits us in the face,” she said.

This conversation flowed into the topic of how increased technology would

change staffing at dealership level.

Acknowledging the ongoing challenges with attracting new talent, the panel a greed that looking towards new staff members who were experts in technology will stand dealerships in good stead.

I think you need to be open to the idea that you need to attract a different type of staff member than historically we have,” Williams said.

“All of a sudden you’re talking to electrical engineers and that sort of person which historically we wouldn’t have been targeting in our sort of business, but making sure you’re open to that is a big thing.”

Attracting staff to the agricultural industry also formed a standalone session at t he TMA conference.

This was led by AgriFutures Australia’s general manager of workforce, communications and adoption Belinda Allitt.

She spoke about plans to attract new talent to the agricultural industry through an upcoming advertising campaign which aims to change misconceptions about the jobs available and perceived barriers to entering the industry.

Other presentations during the conference focused on WorkSafe Victoria’s ongoing safety goals, along with insights from t he Motor Traders Association of Australia about an industry in transition.

CNH agriculture director Aaron Bett led a panel discussion

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1896, 4690, 4890, 4894, 5120, 5130, 5140, 5150, 7120, 7130, 7140, 7150, 7220, 7230, 7240, 7250, 8910, 8920, 8930, 8940, 8950, 9130, 9150, 9170, 9180, 9250, 9260, 9280, 9350, 9370 QUADTRACK, 9380 QUADTRACK, 9390, MX90, MX130, MX135, MX150, MX230, MX240, MX200, MX220, MXM175, MX270, MXM190, STX375, STX440, STX480

CATERPILLAR

CHALLENGER SERIES – 35, 45, 55, 65, 65C, 75, 75C, 75E, 85C, 85D, 95E, 65E TRACK MACHINE, MT765D, MT765C, MT865C

FORD

3000, 3610, 4000, 4600, 4610, 5000, 5610, 5640, 6000, 6600, 6610, 6700, 6810, 7000, 7600, 7700, 7710, 7840, 8000, 8210, 8230, 8340, 8401, 8600, 8700, 9000, 9600, 9700,, TW5, TW10, TW15, TW20, TW25, TW30

INTERNATIONAL

385, 414, 434, 444, 484, 514, 554, 564, 574, 585, 624, 660, 674, 686, 696, 706, 756,766, 786, 856, 866, 885, 886, 956, 976, 986, 1056, 1066, 1086, 1256, 1466, 1468, 1486, 1566, 1568, 1586, 3288, 3388, 3588, 3688, 3788, 4166, 4186, 4366, 4386, 4568, 4586, 4786, 5088, 5288, 5488, 6388, 6588, 6788, 844S, AW6, AW7, AWD6, AWD7, B250, B275, W6, W7,

JOHN DEERE

950, 1050, 1130, 1140, 1640, 1750, 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, 2120, 2130, 2140, 2250, 2450, 2650, 2850, 3010, 3020, 3120, 3130, 3140, 3350, 3640, 3650, 4010, 4020, 4030, 4040, 4050, 4055, 4230, 4240, 4250, 4255, 4430, 4440, 4450, 4455, 4555, 4560, 4620, 4630, 4640, 4650, 4755, 4760, 4840, 4850, 4955, 4960, 5010, 5020, 5310, 5515, 5300, 6030, 6110, 6170R, 6200, 6220, 6300, 6310, 6320, 6330, 6400, 6410, 6620, 6630 Premium, 6810, 6820, 7210, 7330, 7510, 7520, 7600, 7610, 7700, 7800, 7810, 7920, 7930, 8100, 8200, 8230, 8285R, 8300, 8310, 8320R, 8330, 8345RT, 8360RT, 8370RT, 8400, 8400 TRACK, 8410, 8430, 8440, 8450, 8520, 8520T, 8530, 8630, 8640, 8650, 8760, 8770, 8850, 8960, 8970, 9400, 9410R, 9420T, 9430T

NEW HOLLAND

7840, 8430, 8560, 8870, 8970, 9482, 9682, 9860, 9880, 9882, 9482, 9484, G210, G240, L85, L95, T6020, T7030, TG230, TG235, TG255, TG285, TJ375, TJ425, TJ450, TL70, TL90, TM125, TM135, TM195, TN55D, TN95F, TS100, TS100A, TS110A, TS125A, T9060

STEIGER

KP525, KP 1350, KP1325, KP1400, BEARCAT 3 & 4, COUGAR 2 & 4 CM250, PANTHER 2, PANTHER 3 ST310 & ST325, PANTHER 4 CM325, TIGER ST470,

VERSATILE

500, 700, 800, 835, 836, 855, 875, 895, 900, 935, 945, 946, 950, 956, 975, 976, 1150, 1156

Industry minds

This year’s Hort Connections event allowed the industry to discuss topical issues while sharing innovations under way to help horticulture thrive

One highlight of this year’s Hort Connections in Melbourne was an industry breakfast, during which many of horticulture’s challenges were outlined.

The event also featured a host of plenary sessions through its two days, which enabled experts to delve into

specific issues and innovations relevant to particular areas of horticulture.

This was in addition to the trade show, which allowed a record figure of more than 4,000 delegates to browse a host of machinery and technology being displayed at Melbourne Convention and

Exhibition Centre.

At the breakfast, Perfection Fresh CEO Michael Simonetta spoke about economic factors such as higher inflation plus increasing production costs and energy expenses leading to reduced or nonexistent profit margins for the horticulture industry.

“Many of our friends and colleagues in the industry are experiencing tough times and we feel for them,” he said.

“We must be resolute, however, tough times never last, but tough people do.

“What

Delegates browsed through an extensive trade show. Images: Prime Creative Media

“Worryingly, another issue is that Australians are eating less fruit and vegetables. This perhaps is our biggest challenge as an industry.

“In April this year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that Australians from financial year 2018-19 to financial year 2022-23 went from eating 200 grams of fresh vegetables a day to 186 grams. Fruit consumption dropped from 150 grams to 138 grams.

“These 14 and 12 grams respectively might not seem like much but doing some simple maths, and when you extrapolate these numbers across 27 million Australians, it’s a staggering 256 million kilograms less of fruit and vegetables being consumed.”

Describing the horticulture industry as an “infinite game”, Simonetta also said it would require a collective approach to bring positive momentum back to the industry.

“Amongst our many challenges, we must all sharing the inherent responsibility of helping to increase consumption,” he said.

“It must be at the core of everything

we do. Tackling this challenge requires collaboration with our industry bodies, government, all stakeholders and business partners.

“Whether it’s experimenting with new varieties or adopting innovative packaging, it’s a trust in each other’s expertise and the shared vision of success that will propel us forward.”

Another of the speakers was Victorian MP and the state’s parliamentary secretary for agriculture Michaela Settle.

Describing Victoria as having “one of the most modern and productive agricultural systems in the world”, Settle spoke about some of the Victoria government’s investments into agriculture and horticulture.

These include $20 million in emissions reduction activities, $10 million for the Digital Agricultural Investment Scheme, $12 million for the on-farm Internet of Things trial, and $15 million for the Agtech Regional Innovation Network.

“We also know that the agriculture and particularly the horticulture industry are really driven these days by advancements

in ag technology and we know the farmers and businesses who have these new skills, technologies and systems are able to deliver an even higher quality product,” Settle said.

“What we’re really keen to do is to maintain that competitive advantage and we’re continually innovating, investing in technology, science and skills.

Settle also highlighted that Victoria has been running a horticultural netting program on behalf of the federal government, which provides funding to eligible businesses for the purchase and installation of new netting over established production areas.

She also emphasised that horticulture’s reputation would remain important when expanding into new markets.

“Ensuring that our products maintain its excellent reputation is a key measure when endeavouring to establish new markets, which is why $4 million was announced in the most recent Victorian government budget towards implementing new nationally-agreed food safety standards for the berry, leafy vegetable and melon industries,” Settle said.

150XC

10000LTR

45maluminiumboom isobus,oneowner,in excellentcondition,will beworkshopserviced. S47. TA1174680. POA

150XCcombination roundbalerwrapper,one owner,lowbalecount.In excellentcondition.S45. TA1103402. POA HARDICOMMANDER

Master of ceremonies at the breakfast was television host and former Olympic swimmer Giaan Rooney, who also introduced speakers at many of the plenary sessions.

One of these sessions was called ‘agtech innovation – transforming horticulture for global growth’.

It featured Hort Innovation’s GM industry service and delivery Andrew Francey alongside R&D manager production Tom McCue, plus Vertical Oceans co-founder and CFO Patrick Vizzone.

McCue discussed a Hort Innovations research project which aims to find solutions to horticulture labour shortages by identifying and partnering with startups around the world using automation or other methods to increase efficiency.

“Our focus in this project is to find innovative technologies for startups and scaleups and address labour production challenges and shortages in Australian horticulture,” he said.

“Our goal is to attract global talent for R&D and create opportunities for partnerships and collaborations.

“We aim to discover new technologies that tackle these labour challenges. To support this, we recruited international startups and scaleups with outcomes to accelerate investment potential

“In order to do this, we actually segmented the landscape from a labour perspective into subverticals.

“We segmented into eleven key areas which included mechanised planting and seeding, robotic harvesting systems, smart irrigation, remote monitoring and control, precision ag, and training and skills development to name a few.”

This scouting process initially led to 1,600 companies being identified as potential candidates, McCue said, which was narrowed down to 100 and then 40 promising companies.

Ten of these are going through due diligence processes, with the next stage to embed these companies into Hort Innovation’s research and development programs.

Projected labour savings of up to 15 per cent have been identified, McCue said, along with significant efficiencies in water

Connections also included extensive machineryand technology displays at its trade show, which was featured in the previous edition of Farms & Farm Machinery.

Hort

The plenary sessions and breakfast were introduced by Giaan Rooney

Combine showcase

In the lead up to Dowerin Machinery Field Days, five combine harvesters were showcased in Perth’s CBD to highlight how the industry positively contributes to the state

Celebrating its 60th year of showcasing the latest international farm machinery and locally-made innovations, Dowerin Machinery Field Days (DMFD) has brought its innovations to downtown Perth in the lead up to the highlyanticipated event.

A procession of five combine harvesters from five different manufacturers - Case IH,

New Holland, Claas, Fendt and John Deere - were transported to Langley Park in June.

This procession was highlighting the significance of the sector to the everyday lives of Western Australians, as well as highlighting the technology that is powering the state’s grain belt.

“What better way to start the celebrations in our milestone year than with this

magnificent display of mighty machines,” DMFD general manager Danielle Green says.

“The display represents the tools and technologies driving the future of farming.”

Key industry groups were invited to experience the machines first-hand, with the showcase then being opened up to the public for a ‘soft launch’, Green says.

“This showcase helped raise public awareness and shed a light on the Western Australia grains industry, DMFD and the machinery that has transformed how growers farm,” she says.

“We want to connect the wheatbelt to the city.”

Event partner CBH’s group chief executive officer Ben Macnamara says showcasing the scale and innovation of the agricultural sector is vital to ensuring the general public has a good understanding of the industry and what it contributes to the state of WA.

“Western Australia’s grain industry is one of the country’s most important agricultural sectors, and we are proud to operate a world class efficient grain supply chain for the benefit of Western Australia’s grain growers,” Macnamara says.

Rocky River Ag Services

“Unlocking and promoting new technologies – like those on display in the harvesters – is vital to achieving the ambitious treasury target for the Australian agricultural sector to reach $100 billion by 2030.”

Green says the five DMFD exhibitors and dealerships were all happy to be part of the event and were pleased with how their combines were showcased.

“Our initial Instagram reel of the showcase has already amassed 75,000 views, so we’re hoping it’s helped raise awareness,” she says.

MASSEYFERGUSON 8S.225

2022,AgcoPower6Cyl/7Litre

225HPEngineHours:360 Dyna-7Semi-Powershift RearBarAxle-250KGeach wheelweights 3PL-4remotes-PowerBeyond Frontweights-12@55kgeach MFGuide-AutoSteering System.102875. TA1220373. $264,000

CLAASLEXION770TT 2013,EngHours:3241.47-Sep Hours:2313.88 AutoContourcutterbarcontrol Contour,Chain,CruisePilot Graintank-12,500L Graintankunloadingtube3XL TerraTracDiveaxleL Cemosautomatic-selfcleaning 2011MacdonFD7045'Front. 102826-102827.TA1220367. $352,000

NEWHOLLANDCR7090 2018,HEADERONLY TwinRotorHeader FPTCursor,449MaxHPEngine EngHours:1198-SepHours:878 4speedhydrostatictransmission StrawChopperspreader 11,500Lgraintank Dual620/70R42Fronttyres80% 620/70R26Reartyres80% .102880.TA1220371. $454,960

The showcase was followed by an invitational ‘Sundowner’ event, which Green says brought industry leaders, exhibitors, growers, government representatives and sponsors together to celebrate DMFD, along with the machinery and grains industries.

“It was fantastic to see industry insiders come together – a rare and invaluable opportunity to foster connections and celebrate the agricultural industry,” she says.

HARDIALPHA4100PLUS

Deutz210HPTurbo charged/intercooledengine 30mtwinforceboom,60L Grannipot,4wd-tyres380/90 R46-90% HydrostaticTransmission,130cc SaurrHydroPump,120amp alternator .102850. TA1178602. $105,050

HARDICOMMANDER 7036 2008,FTZforceboom8section EFCwithtripletnozzles,2year old464hydraulicdrivepump, 35litrechemicalhopperwith directchemicalsuction,3" banjofreshwaterfill,HC5500 controller,102837.0406001437. TA1164910. $49,500

HARDI7036COMMANDER 7000LTank 36mForceBoomw/-Boom wheels,60LGranniPotw/-Direct ChemicalSuction,6SectionFTZ ForceBoom,EFC6Sectionswith JohnDeereRateController HydraulicDrivePump 3"BanjoFreshWaterFill. 102847.TA1220366. $49,500

Many more agricultural innovations are set to be on display at this year’s event in Dowerin, taking place on August 28 and 29.

“Today’s farm machinery combines advanced engineering and sophisticated ag tech to drive efficiency and productivity to levels even recently thought to be unachievable,” Green says.

“As you can imagine, organising five colossal combine harvesters to get to the centre of Perth was no easy feat, so we’re grateful to our exhibitors that made this happen.”

NEWHOLLANDT8.435

2017,6cyl8.7Lengine-380hp

Hours:3010,Dual Tyres: Insiderear480/80R/50-20% Outsiderear480/80R/50-40% Front480/70R/34-20% 540PTO-6Spline(372.4HP) Front3PLwithweightat850KG (approx),Rear3PLwithquick hitch,Cat4drawbar,.102869. TA1220375. $330,000

CLAASLEXION8800TT

2021, 620/75R30RearTyres75% Mercedes657HPEngine EngHours:1109 SepHours:870 JetStreamcleaning system 180litres/secunloadingrate 18000Graintanklitres CemosAuto.C8600670. TA1228814. $781,000

GLEANERR75

6CylinderCummins330HP

EngHours:3375 SepHours:2288 330bushelgraintank Transverserotor Dual16-9R26DriveTyres Macdon974FlexDraper& Trailer .102834-102835. TA1220372. $192,500

SIMPLICITY304TERRITORYPLANTERAND30SERIES 12m53tyres,230mmspacings,fittedwithWS-80rootbootpoints 2021Simplicity30seriestowbetween2binaircartX35control,10'auger 5000lliquidtowbehindcart,liquidsystemcontrol.102746-102747-102856. TA1126262. $495,000

Openpumpimpeller,chopper device,stainlesssteelplates, heavydutyjockeyjacks,hand primeroneffluentpumps,pto shaft,heavydutyframe

AIRCLEANERSHEAVYDUTY

From10hptoto 200hp. VEL14307. TA10926. Pricesstartingfrom$130

TACHOMETERSFORDIESEL

ENGINES

Tinytach for dieselenginesgives adigitalRPMreadingregardless ofthenumberofcylinders.A transducertakesapulsereading fromtheinjectorlineSimplybolt thetransducertotheinjectorline, supplya12-24VDCsupplyand awayyougo!Itevenhasa built-inhourmeter,service functionandmaxrpmrange. S22. DPLIn27532. $264

INDUSTRIALRADIATORS 20hp$275 40hp$360 60hp$585 120hp$820 S11. DPLIn27501. From$275

PERKINSGENERATORS 6,8,10,13,15,20and30KVA generators,singleand3-phase, poweredbywater-cooledPerkins heavydutydieselengines,keyor remotestart,fueltankbase,full engineprotection,500hours serviceintervalsIdealbackupor primepowerCall for yourspecial price!.AW54939-ST190912. DPLIn27583. POA

JAPANESEDIESELS

Partsavailable for small Japanesediesels. AW54939-FM077-060-07. DPLIn27496. POA

BLADES

To fit smallJapanesetractors. From$8.80eachincGST. AW54939-FM077-060-08. DPLIn27497. $9

andhandprimingpumpThe Pluttoexhaustprimer automaticallyprimesupyour pumpwhenyousarttheengine Primingkit.S18. DPLIn27578. $490

IRRIGATIONHOSEHOSE SuctionanddeliveryhoseCall for yourspecialprice!. AW54939-FM077-043-01. DPLIn27516. POA

SELFPRIMING4PUMP 4selfpriming,beltdrive. AW54939-FM077-043-02. DPLIn27541. $654

CASEIHOPTUM300CaseihOptum300 2021,UsedCaseih Optum300, Pro 700and372Receiver 600/70R30FrontWheels,800/70R38RearWheels. TA1229696. $308,000

CASEIHUNKNOWN2130 2021,CASEIH213012 row Stacker PrecisionPlanter,12 row on30or40inchspacing,Pneumatic downforce,pneumaticclosingwheels,Vset2seedmeter electricdrive,ResidueManagers,Liquidinjection.Onlydone 190hectares,Updatingtobulkfillhopperunit.Contact IntersalesGriffith. $176,000

CASEIH4430 2015,CaseIHPatriot4430,2015 yr, approx 4850enghrs,7000lttank,Aimcommandpro,620wheelsand wideguardsPro700,372rec,NavcontrollerRTXsteering,36m tri foldboom,5heightsensors,autofold,Bluelights.. TA1219561. $319,000

CASEIHADX3360 ADX3360,CBJ0005019,8 run aircart,set upfor7,30.5l-32RearTyres,21.5L-16.5FrontTyres,Ground Drive,TwinFan,3Bins,FlexicoilMonitor12000LitreTow Behind. TA1219153. $74,800

KUHNAXIS50.1W 2014,3pointlinkage,PTOdrive,Home madehopperextension,manualfoldingcover,KUHNQuantron E-2monitorwithRauchsectioncontrol,newvanes,ladder, onespinnerhasbeenreplaced,319hrsoninspec.... TA1213075. $30,800

CASEIH8240Header 2018,1840EngineHoursand1470 RotorHours,DualIF580/85R42FrontTyres,750/75R26Rear Tyres,PoweredRearAxle,CropscanProteinMonitor,UHF Radio,FullGuidance(RTX)2018MacdonD145DraperFront, UpperCrossAugerandIntersales4Axle. TA1208556. $660,000incGST

CASEIH4430 2018,2018yr,CaseIhPatriot4430,appox 3400Hrs.aimflexnozzlecontrol,36.5Mtboom,approx.7000l tank,5autoheightsensors,autofold,blueboomlights, rev camera,ledlightbar, pro 700,navcontrol,372receiver,nav controlautosteer,Boomprime,engreversefan,electronic tankgauge,cropdividermountsandairkit,620/70r38tyres 30%,autogreaser. TA1219560.

$451,000

CASEIHMAGNUM340 2011,2011CaseIH340Magnum, approx8600hours,pro700/372/navIII,Fronttyres540/65R34 &Reartyres710/70R42s.. TA1219149. $110,000

CASEIHPUMA225PumaCVT225 2017,UsedCaseihPuma 225CVTTractor,frontlinkage, Pro 700Screenandwith372 receiver. 600/65R28FrontWheels,710/70R38RearWheels. TA1229695. $187,000

GRAINLINE8X41 2014Grainline8x41grainauger,HondaGX motorwithelectricstart.. TA1219123. $15,400

CASEIH7240 2020,2017CaseIH7240Boughtnewin2020, Approx1095enginehours880rotorhours,Dual620/70R42 drivetyres,600/70R42steertyres, Pro 700,NavII,372, Chopper.. TA1206064. $522,500

SIMPLICITY9000TQ2 2012,9000Litre,2 Bin,Auger,CastorQuadCart..700266. TA1221666. $97,900

DIECIDEDALUS28.7 2005,PoultryPro, hydro,aircond',6.3metrex2.8tonne,3676 hours..AS1477. TA970216. $65,450

SIMPLICITY12000TQS2 2003,12000Litre, 2Bin,Auger,SteerableQuadCart..700272. TA1221665. $125,950

4WD TRACTORS

JCB 155-65 FASTRAC, 150hp, 3PL, 5500hrs

JCB 155-65 FASTRAC, 150hp, 3PL, 7300hrs

JCB 155-65 FASTRAC, 150hp, 3PL, 8000hrs

JCB 185-65 FASTRAC, 185hp, 3PL, 4900hrs

JCB 185-65 FASTRAC, 185hp, 8000hrs

JCB 3185-65 FASTRAC, 185hp, 3PL, 8700hrs

JCB 3220-80 FASTRAC/SPREADER, 220hp, 11200hrs

JCB 3230-65 FASTRAC/SPREADER, 230hp, 5825hrs

JCB 3230-80 FASTRAC/SPREADER, 230hp, 11000hrs

2WD TRACTORS

IHC 5088, 150hp, 4750hrs

FWA TRACTORS

CASE IH MX170, 161hp, Fr & Rr 3PL – pto, 9500hrs

CASE IH MX200, 200hp, 3PL, 8750hrs

FORD 6640SLE, 85hp, 3PL, 5100hrs

FORD 7710, 100hp, 3PL, 8650hrs

JOHN DEERE 6210 / FEL, 90hp, 3PL, 6700hrs

MISCELLANEOUS

BLIGHTY ENG’ 30’ Rubber tyre Roller

BROONS Combination Roller

BURDER 9000 FEL Kit – JCB 8250

CASE 480E Loader, a/c, 10000hrs

CASE 580E Backhoe Loader

CIH MX 460/85R42 dual kit (80% tyres)

JCB 3CX-2WD Backhoe Loader 7900hrs

JCB 3CX-2WD Backhoe Loader, 12745hrs

JCB 4CX Sitemaster Backhoe Loader, a/c, srs, 5600hrs

NEWHOLLANDSC180 1998,180Bushel/ 6343Litre,2bin,castorquad,auger.. AS1355. TA739946. $53,900 EZEE-ON3550 2003,40'@10"..AS822. TADPLIn107338. $53,900

HORWOODBAGSHAWSCARIBAR 1999, 36'@12",presswheels..AS1599. TA1168171. $44,000

SIMPLICITY 4000DTR

JCB 8018CTS Excavator, 1.6T, 1100hrs

JCB 8025ZTS Excavator, 2.6T, 705hrs

JCB 55Z-1 Excavator, a/c, 5.5T, 2150hrs

KOMATSU PC78MR-6 Excavator, 7T, 3600hrs

KOMATSU WA300-3E Wheeled Loader, 16000hrs

SIMPLICITY Small Seeds Box suit 8200TB3

VICTORY VL200 Wheeled Loader, 1385hrs

WCM 30 Wheeled Loader, 2800hrs

COMBINES

CONNOR SHEA 14 Row Pasture Drill, coulters, roller BARS

EEZE-ON 3350 40’@10”

GASON 50’@10” Scaritill, Kelly rotary harrows

HORWOOD 36’ Scaribar, 12”, p/wheels

JANKE F500 UDD Planter, 40’@12”, coulters, p/wheels

JOHN DEERE 735, 40’@10”, p/wheels

MORRIS 2000 CONCEPT 35’@9”, 400lb, p/wheels

AIR SEEDERS

BOURGAULT 8810 / 5295, 40’@12”, 3 bin, 10500 Li, auger

CIH PTX600 / ADX2230, 48’@9”, 8100 Li, SSB, auger

FLEXICOIL 2640, 260Bu/9000Li, 3 bin, castor quad, auger

GASON SWRP / 1890RT, 52’@12”, auger, p/wheels, banding

HORWOOD 4000 STREAMLINE, 2 bin trailed, spur gear

NH SC180, 180 Bu/6343 Li, castor quad, auger

SHEARER (EEZE ON) 2175, 5T Trike, SSB, auger

SIMPLICITY 4000TB

SIMPLICITY 4000DTR

SIMPLICITY 6000TR2

SIMPLICITY 6000TQC2, SSB, auger

SIMPLICITY 9000TQC2, auger

SIMPLICITY 12000TQS2, auger

TELEHANDLERS

DIECI DEDALUS 28.7, a/c, 315hrs, 6.3m x 2.8t

DIECI DEDALUS 28.7, a/c, 3700hrs, 6.3m x 2.8t

DIECI 30.9 AGRI, a/c, 3200hrs, 9m x 3t

JCB 525-58FS, 6000hrs, 5.8m x 2.5t

JCB 525-67FS, a/c, 7000hrs, 6.7m x 2.5t

JCB 526-55, a/c, 2950hrs, 5.5m x 2.6t JCB 526-55, a/c, 10675hrs, 5.5m x 2.6t JCB 527-58 AGRI, a/c, 1800hrs, 5.8m x 2.7t JCB 527-58 AGRI, a/c, 5650hrs, 5.8m x 2.7t

JCB 527-58 AGRI, a/c, 6775hrs, 5.8m x 2.7t

JCB 527-58 T4i AGRI PLUS, a/c, 1000hrs, 5.8m x 2.7t

JCB 527-58 T4i AGRI PLUS, a/c, 2525hrs, 5.8m x 2.7t JCB 530-70, a/c, 6000hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70, a/c, 6200hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70FS, a/c, srs, 3000hrs, 7m x 3t JCB 530-70FS, a/c, 6250hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70FS, a/c, 7500hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70FS, a/c, srs 7000hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70FS, a/c, srs, 10000hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 530-70FS SUPER, a/c, srs, 5500hrs, 7m x 3t JCB 530-70FS SUPER, a/c, srs, 6000hrs, 7m x 3t

JCB 531-70CE, a/c, 5900hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70CE, a/c, 7200hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70CS, a/c, 6850hrs, 7m x 3.1t

FLEXICOIL2640 2009,Quadcastor,260 Bu/9000Li,auger.AS1564. TA1168172. $55,000

MORRISCONCEPT2000 2002,Concept, 35'@9",p/wheels..AS1248. TA509568. $44,000

SIMPLICITY4000DTR 1991,5700Litre,2 bin,towbehind.AS1382. TA984613. $20,900

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 3350hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 3800hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 4200hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 4500hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 4900hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 4900hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 5600hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 6300hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 7400hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 8300hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, 11600hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI, a/c, srs, 6300hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 6000hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 6940hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 7000hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 7100hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 7160hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 9800hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 T4f AGRI PRO, a/c, srs, 3200hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 T4i AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 1300hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 T4i AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 4750hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 T4i AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 6800hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 531-70 T4i AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 7200hrs, 7m x 3.1t

JCB 532-70 AGRI-FS, a/c, srs, 3100hrs, 7m x 3.2t

JCB 532-70 AGRI-FS, a/c, srs, 4600hrs, 7m x 3.2t

JCB 532-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 1380hrs, 7m x 3.2t

JCB 532-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 2750hrs, 7m x 3.2t

JCB 532-70 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 3700hrs, 7m x 3.2t

JCB 535-95, a/c, 4500hrs, 9.5m x 3.5t

JCB 535-95C, a/c, 3850hrs, 9.5m x 3.5t

JCB 535-95 AGRI SUPER, a/c, srs, 6700hrs, 9.5m x 3.5t

TOSCANOMULCHERH/D 2023,H/Dconstruction,doubleorsinglesidelinkage, optionalhydraulicsideshift,sizesfrom1.5to4mtr

SAMMUTTRUCKTRAYS H/DAustralianmade.3mmor5mmfloor.Custombuild. Chassismodifications.Newandusedtrucksavailable. S360. TA1025472.

SAMMUTHARDOXTIPPERBODIES H/Dbuild. Onepiecesides,2waygate.Optionalwell hoistortwinunderbody.Optionaldropsides.Custom build.Colourofchoice.Sandblastedandfinishedin

UNITEDIMPLEMENTS(USA)NEWTRAILINGBOX GRADERMADEINUSA 2022,MadeinUSA,heavydutybuild Hydraulicliftwheels,hydraulicangleadjustment 1800mmto3600mm.S363. TA1025493. Pricefrom$6,900+GST

GEARMASTERTRAILINGTURFMOWER 2020,Buydirectfromthemanufacturerandsave.We havebeenmanufacturingmowersinAustralia for over 25years!Australianmade,onepiecestainlessdeck, fullgeardrive,stainlessdeck,75HPgearboxes,3plor trailing,sizesfrom1.5mtrto12mtr,suitable for Turf farms,golfcourses,councils,contractorsandmore. S364. TA1025498.

Pricefrom$17,000+GST

SAMMUTSPREADKING5000ORCHARD/VINEYARD SPREADER 2020,H/DAustralianbuild,frontorreardelivery.Sizes from2m3to18m3,optionaltelescopicconveyor, optionalendrotororendspinner,custombuilttosuit

SAMMUTMILLMUDSPREADERS,AUSTRALIAN MADE 2020,H/DAustralianmade Fullhydraulicdrive,singleor3row Frontfeed,Singleordoubleaxle,optionalrear spinners Sizesfrom8m3to30m3.S365. TA1025500.

Pricefrom$28,000+GST

TOSCANOSTONEBURIEREXTRAHEAVYDUTY

2020,Extraheavyduty Hydraulicliftroller,geardrive Anti-panblades 2200mmto3200mm.S369. TA1025532. Pricefrom$17,900+GST

SAMMUTSPREADERS

2020,H/DAustralianmade,fullhydraulicdrive Wecancustombuild.Optionalfrontfeed Optionalsidedelivery.Chainorbeltfloor Sizesfrom2m3to30m3.S367. TA1025524.

Pricefrom$18,000+GST

TOSCANOSPEEDDISC

FIMAKSVERTICALFEEDMIXERS

2020,Hardenedbinandfloor,H/DComerItalian gearboxes,sizesfrom3m3to30m3,scales,incab controls,ptionalfoldingconveyorwithoptionallength, reductionbox.S371. TA1025537. From$25,000+GST

2022,Buydirectfromtheimporterandsave! Heavyduty,Hydraulicliftcrumbleroller,560mmdiscs ,3plandtrailing,2.5mtrto6mtr(trailing).S368. TA1025525.

Pricefrom$13,900+GST

FIMAKS18TONE,TWINVERTICLEBEATER,MULCH /MUCKSPREADERS

2022,BuyDirectfromtheimporterandsave!From5 toneto30tone,heavyDutyconveyorchain,slurrydoor, incabcontrols,twinverticalbeaterswithbottom spinner,suitable for allyourhardtospreadproducts etcWetcowmanure,mulch,greenwasteetc,18TONE MACHINE(ASPICTURED).S373. TA1025543. From$69,000+GST

For more info please visit us at www.sammut.com.au

$37,000

LoaderwithForks,Rops,Roof,Windscreen,72 horsepower approximately,immaculate,approximately5,280 hours. 7122. TA1155052.

Ford5610Tractor,4x4,FrontEnd

FORD5610TRACTOR

$82,850INCLGST

Tractor,4wheeldrive,withVision-Lift50FrontEndLoader,3 pointlinkage,with4pronghayfork&bucket,approximately 115horsepower,2,900hoursapproximately.7355. TA1227784.

CaseIHMaxxum115

CASEIHMAXXUM115TRACTOR

$32,000INCLGST

$11,900INCLGST

KUBOTAL405TRACTOR diesel,4wheeldrive, power steering,3pointlinkage,rollframe&roof,double clutch, approximately38horsepower,goodworkingorder,as traded,asis.7301. TA1200484.

$98,000INCLGST

2,589genuinehoursindicated,rearextenderboom,3x buckets,nooilleaks.7135. TA1159450.

JCB3CXBACKHOELOADER,4CYLINDERDIESEL approx.

$88,000INCLGST

$39,000INCL GST

NEWHOLLANDTN55DTRACTORWITHBURDERFRONTEND LOADER 4in1bucket,4wheeldrive,3cylinderdiesel, with remotes,aircab,approx.1,466hours,newlugtyres all round,60horsepowerapprox.7249. TA1182872.

wheeldrive,3pointlinkage,approximately35 horsepower. 7281. TA1193905. $12,850INCL GST

SAMEDELFINO35TRACTOR SameDelfino35Tractor,4

$24,850INCL GST

JohnDeere5820Tractor,4 wheel drive,3pointlinkage,9,000hoursapproximately,air conditioning,PTO,approximately88horsepower,hasbeen throughworkshop&readytogo.7365. TA1228908.

Tractor,FrontEndLoader,withforks&bucket,4 wheel drive,98horsepowerapproximately,3pointlinkage,1 owner,airconcab,varispeed.7354. TA1227758.

JOHNDEERE5820TRACTOR

NOBILINOBILI/SILVANVKD230FLAILMOWER sideshiftto therightwithhydraulicsideshift&heightcontrolisbyan adjustablefullwidthroller,withnewspareblades&bolts,3 pointlinkage.7250. TA1184478. $11,650INCLGST

$18,250INCLGST

cylinderdiesel,2xbuckets:-450mmGP,900mmtilting mud bucket,SWL65kg,folddownrollframe,hydraulictrack adjustment,newrubbertracks,excellentcondition.7062. TA1121629.

KUBOTAK008-3MINIEXCAVATOR 1,800 hrs approx,3

FENDT210VARIOTMSTRACTOR Fendt210VarioTMS

$28,850INCLGST

FrontForkAttachmentwithForks,4wheeldrive,60 horsepowerapproximately,3pointlinkage,rollframe&roof, withSideMountFullyHydraulicFabroPlough.7351. TA1227753.

CaseInternational3230TractorwithBenWyeKBF3000

CASEIH3230TRACTORWITHFRONTFORKATTACHMENT

$34,000INCLGST

CASE3230TRACTORFRONTENDLOADERFORKS& BUCKET 4wheeldrive,QuickReleasefrontendloader,forks &bucket,rollframe&roof,approximately1,600hours/60 horsepower,immaculate,withbooks.7262. TA1190218.

JOHNDEEREZ997RZTRAKRIDEONMOWER John Deere Z99RZTrakRideonMower,diesel,approximately6'deck sidedelivery,withcopyofmanual,1,671hoursasindicated, year2021approximately,likenew.7353. TA1227757.

JOHNDEERE315CBACKHOE JohnDeere315CBackhoe,4 cylinderdiesel.7314. TA1217240. $22,000INCL GST

$47,000INCL GST

JOHNDEERE5525FWATRACTOR yearapprox2005-2008,4 wheeldrive,frontendloader,ROPS&roof,91 horsepower approximately,PTO,withfrontweightframe(no weights), approx.1,900hoursindicated.7089. TA1133372.

2TONNE

FARM MASTER HAMMERMILL MIXER

COACHLAND

HARDI

TORO5010H 2016,Hybrid Technology/Powermatch System,2270Hours, ExcellentCondition, 03674-316001271. VIC. DIY1229047. 0418 971 999. $35,200

KUBOTAL3800HD 2022, Hydrostaticdrive 169hrs

ChallengeFrontendloader4 in1

LandPrideGraderplane 3point tow hitch

Industrialtyres

Excellentcondition Nopay ID, 1234567890.NSW. DIY1222134. 0414 750 841. $37,500

JOHNDEERE6410 1998 model.3950hrs.105hp.2nd owner.Sellingdueto upgrade.Mechanicallyok, 1.06410V220502.QLD. DIY1223934. 0413 120 212. $35,000

KLIMAKLIMAGEN2PRUNING SYSTEM 2019,forsustainable spurandcanepruning. Suitableforsmalltractors,

OTHERROTOWIPER 3.2mtr, TrailingWeedwiper.50mm standardballhitch.Excellent workingcondition,7368. NSW. DIY1222546. 0414 862 377. $5,800

JOHNSHEARERCOULTER

TYNEDRILL 16run,verygood condition,convertedfrom3PL totrailing,newflutedrollers, newsetofcoulter'sfrom JohnShearerendof23 seasonstillinpallet(6Kfor coultersalone)3640mmwide (wheeltowheel)185mmtyne spacingbakerboots,164000. NSW. DIY1221917. 0488 909 085. $19,800

JOHNDEERE5075E CAB 2022,Ingreatcondition,193 hours,2ndowner,air conditionedcabin.Also includesXSSloader,Cosmo bullymulcher,palletforks, assortedbracketsand manuals., 1PY5075ETNE615956.QLD. DIY1221446. 0414 692 806. $75,000

ABBEYVF2000SD 2023, 22m3AbbeyCattleFeed Mixer.Includes3.2mPVCBelt Elevator. H/D8mmthickHardoxwall Lining.H/D20mmthick flooring.HydCabcontrolsfor dischargedoors,INSTOCK. QLD. DIY1216104. 1300 230 492. $148,500

DAKENSL4051.5 2021, slasher.approximately10 hoursuse.Excellent condition,926.NSW. DIY1209701. 0458 173 525. $2,500ONO

KINGHITTERSERIES2I This Sidemountedpostdriver makesfencingquickand easyinallconditions. www.au.kinghitter.com, S2i360. VIC. DIY1206314. 03 7044 1940. $25,602

KUBOTAM7171 2020,170Hp.Excellentcondition CallRudi,3HL0231.QLD. DIY1222544. 0427 032 845. $165,000

JOHNDEERE9570R 2019,Hours:889.3,HP570.Excellentcondition withLowHours.GreenStarGPSequipped. Rearwheels1374K/g,Front1800K/g,Rear611 K/g,5Slice rear hydraulics, 1RW9570RTKP062530. OV. DIY1222368. 02 1318 450. $700,000

HYSTERH16.00XM-6 2010,lowhoursandin greatconditionwithMichelinXZMradialtyres, forkpositioningsideshiftand2,440mmForks. R3525. TA730601.

ForSaleorHirePOAPh:1800688788to Inspect

HYSTERH12.00XM 200811,740kg4500mm lift,sideshiftcarriageand2440mmforks.Hire orBuyFreeCall1800688788.R3405. TA369982. POA

HYSTERH18.00XM-12 withforkpositioning sideshiftcarriage,2440mmforks,Cummins engine,fullyenclosedairconditionedcabOption20x40sideliftcont.frame.R3632. TA1124211. POAForSaleorHirePh:1800688788

KALMARDRT450-65S 2013,Stacksladen 20x40containers5high.CumminsQSM11 dieselengine.Dana15.5HR36000XMSN. H10300280. TA1153805.

ForSaleorHirePOAFreeCall1800688788

OMEGA16-12W Idealfurnitureremovalist solutionRated12,000kgwithELME558 sidesliftabletostackuptofourhigh20and40 footcontainers..353AUFL443. TA1154000. ForSaleorHirePOAFreeCall1800688788

ISOLOADER21RubberTyreStraddleCarrier LoadUnloadandTravelwith32t20'andor27t 40'containers.Lowcostlightweight containerhandlerideal for lessrobust pavementorgoodhardstand.S113. TA1222701. POA

HYSTERH18.00XM-12 2008,stacks12,000kg highcube20'&40'3high.ELME55820x40 spreaderwithtopentrytwistlocks.Frontline unitreadynow.R3547. TA829125.

ForSaleorHirePOAFreeCall1800688788

ISOLOADERHL-PC-35 2006,Two(2) ISOLOADERPrecastConcreteHandling RubberTyreGantriesbuyoneorboth for tandemliftandtraveleachwithSWL 35,000kg.R3696R3697. TA1222670. POA

HYSTERH650C 6newContinentaltyres, Cummins6CTenginethisbudgetpriced forkliftisready for work.Option20'or20x40 toppickcontainerspreaders..R3712. TA1216675. ForSaleorHirePh1800688788POA

HYSTERH10.00XM 2006,Cumminsengine. WideForkPositioningSideshiftCarriage wouldsuitlongloadse.g.pipe.R3689. TA1216676. POAForSaleorHirePh:1800688788

KALMARDRT450 2014,SOLD-Another Available.Only11081hourswithoriginal Cumminsengine.Stack45,000kg1strow 31,000kg2ndrow.ReadyNow.R3603. TA998021. POAForSaleorHirePh:1800688788

PRENTICE7,000KGSWL forklifttruckramps (8)topickfrom.Ideal for shippingcontainers. Forsaleorhire.R3274. TA96974. $12,000+GST=$13,200ForSaleorHire

Beyond benchtops

Lungs are the new frontier in Australia’s work health safety planning – a report reveals what may be in store

Australian regulators are looking at new ways to protect workers from respiratory diseases, including education programs and a safety framework.

Released by Safe Work Australia, the Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023-2033 spells out a 10 year workplace health and safety plan, endorsed by every Australian state and territory government, unions and industry bodies.

Among the targets are two uniquely focused on respiratory health – no new accelerated silicosis cases and a 20 per cent reduction of work-related respiratory diseases by 2033.

Accelerated silicosis can develop after exposure to moderate to high levels of silica dust over a three to 10 year period. It causes severe shortness of breath and may result in complications including respiratory failure and death.

In Safe Work Australia’s Baseline Report on Targets, released in July this year, the statutory agency said it and WHS regulators were concerned by the rapid re-emergence of accelerated silicosis, particularly among people who work with engineered stone.

“For these workers, silicosis is associated with a shorter duration of exposure to silica, faster disease progression and higher mortality. This is due to the nature of engineered stone and the dust it produces,” the report says.

Today the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone is banned, but the new challenge for authorities is ensuring the wellbeing of those working with it into the future.

“This includes a range of communication activities, guidance to support workers and PCBUs in managing chang-

es to engineered stone products, and a national framework to ensure anyone working with engineered stone products installed prior to the ban can do so safely,” the report says.

Since May this year, doctors across Australia have been required to report new cases of silicosis to a new body, the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (NORDR), run by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

“Physicians may also provide voluntary notification of other occupational respiratory diseases to the NORDR to help identify emerging workplace risks,” the report says.

Authorities will also rely on data from health and safety claims to map trends in respiratory diseases contracted while at work.

Broader action is needed to protect workers from dust, vapours and fumes and to cut the rate of other respiratory diseases incurred at work by 20 per cent. Australia would have to reduce the rate from one compensation claim for every 0.04 million hours worked to one for every 0.032 million hours worked to reach the benchmark.

Earlier this year, governments changed workplace exposure standards for welding fumes to a time-weighted average of 1 milligram per cubic metre – cut from the previous average of 5 milligrams per cubic metre – over an eighthour working day in a five-day week.

Weld Australia recommends local exhaust ventilation systems and personal respiratory protection, such as air purifying respirators or air-fed helmets for welders, as some ways of mitigating workplace risk.

Leading light

Global recognition for Weld Australia’s training package

A training package developed by welding industry peak body Weld Australia and local TAFEs has been recognised at a global awards showcase.

The Manufacturing and Engineering (MEM) training package of leaning resources, developed to deliver 12 welding and fabrication units of competency, won the Andre Leroy Prize at the 2024 International Institute of Welding (IIW) Awards, handed out in July.

The Prize recognises a contribution to scientific and technical training or teaching of either welding or allied processes, weld quality control, the results of the application of allied processes, or problems raised by the behaviour of materials and welded construction.

Winnng the prize is an honour, Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden says.

“This prestigious recognition highlights our commitment to advancing technical training in the welding and fabrication industry,” he says.

Developing the units was a collaborative effort with the TAFE colleges, he adds, with the TAFE consortium working to develop more engaging, up to date resources regularly.

Entirely available online and able to be completed by phone, the resources have a user-friendly interface, diversified delivery methods and audited and accurate material.

“Our goal was to reimagine the learning process by providing a user-friendly interface and diversified delivery methods that cater to the varied needs of our students,” he says.

“The completely online and accessible nature of the MEM Resources ensures that learning can happen anytime, anywhere, and at a pace that suits each individual,” Crittenden says.

Find out more at : weldaustralia.com. au/mem-resources

Weld Australia executive general manager, education & training Michael Pitt (middle) and general manager training operations Guy Brooks (right) accept the Andre Leroy Prize at the 2024 International Institute of Welding (IIW) Awards. Image: Weld Australia

Dust, vapours, fumes and other irritants can lead to respiratory diseases for some workers. Image: Alison Hancock/Shutterstock

SKYJACKSJ12 2012, 12'ElectricManlifts,plentytochoosefrom.227kglift capacity,allingoodcondition.LocatedinMelbourne, Sydney,Brisbane&NorthQueensland.Allmachines are nowoutoftest.Various.M1217-M12104. TA1085279

$2,000+GST=$2,200

SKYJACKSJ3219 2014, 19'ElectricScissorlifts,severalmachinesoffered. 227kgliftcapacityallingoodcondition.Locatedin Brisbane,Melbourne&SydneyandintestfromJune untilOctober2024.Various. TA1019568

$5,000+GST=$5,500

SKYJACKSJ4632E'S 2014, 32'ElectricScissorlifts,2014models,5machines offered.317kgliftcapacity,allingoodcondition. LocatedinBrisbaneandMelbourne.Allmachinesnow outoftest.Various.S32113E-S32119E. TA1160080

$7,500+GST=$8,250

SKYJACKSJ4626E'S 2014, 26'ElectricScissorlifts,3machinesoffered.All machinesingoodconditionand are alllocatedin Brisbane.MachinesintestuntilOctober.Various. S26284E-S26287E. TA1160079

GENIEGS2669BE HybridDiesel/ElectricScissorlifts,10 machinesavailable,allintestuntil2027.These are RoughTerrainelectricmachinesrunningwithan additionaldieselgeneratortoprovidepowerwhen required.Ithasa680kgSWLanda1.5metreextension deck,locatedinBrisbaneandSydney. S26357BEN-S26366BEN. TA1204796

JLG600AJ'S 2012, 60' JLG4WDDieselKnuckleBooms.4machinesoffered andallmachines are nowoutoftest.Machines are locatedinBrisbaneandSydney.Various. KB6070G7-KB6083G7. TA1160083

$38,000+GST=$41,800

SKYJACKSJ45T 2014, 45'DieselStickBooms.4unitsavailableandallintest untilJuly/August.Equippedwith7kVaon-board generatorsandOEMSecondaryGuarding,aswellas drivesensingsteering,allowingtheOperatortoalways steeranddriveforwards.LocatedinBrisbaneand Newcastle.B45136G7P-B45139G7P. TA1216664

$35,000+GST=$38,500

SKYJACKSJ46AJ 46'4WDDieselKnuckleBooms.4 unitsavailable,allwitha227kgliftcapacityandin goodcondition.MachineslocatedinMelbourne, NewcastleandBrisbane.Allmachines are nowoutof test.KB4639-KB4647. TA1160082

$25,000+GST=$27,500

CTETRACCESS230E 2017, TRACCESS230E-23mElectricSpiderLift.Equipped withnon-markingtracks,outriggersandanextremely lowgroundbearingpressure,greatforhardtogetto areas. Ithasitsownbatterypowerorcanbepluggedin. 3machinesavailable(1withaLithiumBattery). SP6901P-SP6903PL. TA1228156

$75,000+GST=$82,500

2.5TonneLPGForkliftwith4.3MetreLift ContainerMast.P003. TA1206087. $13,200

1.2tonneelectricwalkiereachtruckwith4.27 metrelift.N054. TA1178245. $13,200

19-29 Curlew Cresc

Tamworth NSW 2340

www.philhuntparts.com.au brendan@philhuntparts.com.au

ALLISCHALMERSHD16DP JustinforDismantling,Semi UBullBlade,SwivelTynePacificRippers,Good Undercarriage,SweetRunning16,000HEngine, PowershiftTransmissionandConverter,AllParts Available,PhoneBrendan-0267624466.S181.

ALLISCHALMERSHD11EP JustinforDismantling, SweetRunningTurboed11,000SeriesEngine, PowershiftTransandConverter,FinalDrivesinGood Order,SwivelTynePacificRippers,AllPartsAvailable, PhoneBrendan-0267624466.S184. TA1221914. POA

PHIL HUNT PARTS PHIL HUNT PARTS

The HUNT stops here

NEW AND S/H PARTS

ALLIS-CHALMERS/HANOMAG/MASSEY

JOHN DEERE INDUSTRIAL

PARTS FOR Dozers, Loaders, Drotts, Graders, Scrapers

WRECKING DOZERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: Model “M”, HD5, HD6B,E, HD7W, HD7G, HDIIB, EP, HD15-16, HD16DC, HD16DP, HD19-21, HD41B FIAT: 451C, 555, 605, 50CI, 70CI, AT7C, 8B, BD10B, FD10E, BD20

HANOMAG/MASSEY: 2244, 200, 300, 3366, 400, 500, L400C, L600C, D600D Super, D700C

JOHN DEERE : 1010C, 850 LOADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: TL12D, TL14, TL20, 545, 605B, 645, 745B,C FIAT: FR20B

LD3, LD5, LD7 & LD9 Scoopmobile

HANOMAG/MASSEY 22,33C,44, 55, CL55C,66C-D, 77 GRADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: D, DD, M65, 65B, AD30-40, 45, 145, M100A, B, FG95 DRMCO/CHAMPION 562, 600, 720, 740 JOHN DEERE 570, 570A, 670A, 770, 770A, 772A

ALLIS WHEEL TRACTORS

AC D17, D19, D21, XT190, 7000, 7010, 7020, 7040, 7060, 7080, 8010, 8050, 8070, 7580, 8550, 440

ALSO AVAILABLE

Track Chains, Rollers, Idlers, Sprockets Various 4-1 Buckets, POA

FIATALLISAD10 JustinforDismantling,2500Original Hours,AngleTiltBlade,ExcellentSwivelTyneRippers, AllPartsAvailable,PhoneBrendan-0267624466.S182. TA1221911. POA

ALLISCHALMERSHD11B JustinforDismantling, ExcellentUndercarriageAllRound,SweetStartingand RunningHD516Engine,AllPartsAvailable,Phone Brendan-0267624466.S183. TA1221913. POA

Allis Chalmers • Fiat Allis • Hanomag • Massey • JD Industrial

KUBOTA BE READY

PRIVATE Advertising tradeplantequipment.com.au/sell

MGEH420E 1998,4RollHydraulicPlateBending/Rolling Machine.4100mmwidex410mmdiametertoproll. Variable side&bottomrollaxisforconingcapabilities. Moveablecontrolpanelwithdigitalreadouts.Overhead andsidesupportsincluded,98080.QLD. DIY1213434. 0417 730 130. $110,000

MGEH420E 1998,4RollHydraulicPlateBending/Rolling Machine.4100mmwidex410mmdiametertoproll. Variable side&bottomrollaxisforconingcapabilities. Moveablecontrolpanelwithdigitalreadouts.Overhead andsidesupportsincluded,98080.QLD. DIY1213434. 0417 730 130. $110,000

STEVESTRANSPORTABLES12MX12M 2019,12mx12mofficeblock(4modules)featuringtwolarge offices,areceptionarea,aboardroom,andakitchen.Thisunitis 5yearsoldandinexcellentcondition.Itisfully air-conditioned andheatedwithfourreversecyclewall-mountedunits.Theoffice iscompletelywiredforelectricityanddata,withnumerous electricaloutlets.Itincludesaroof-mountedsatelliteinternetdish andsecuritybarsonallwindows.ManufacturedbySteve's TransportablesinOctober2019.Lessthanhalfthepriceof new., ST19194 ABCD. WA. DIY1227073. 0427 802 530. $90,000incGST

CROWNCD35C 2011,Heataffectedrunsgreat,serviced machine Ph0432078672,00000000000000000.QLD. DIY1223357. 0432 078 672. $10,00010000

OTHERS20B 2022,Commercialsizecrushingand grindingmachine.Willhandlealldryfoodgoodsat50kg perhour.It was custommadeatHenanGelgoog Machinery,whoprovideexcellentpostsalescare.It was importedin2022.Itisnewandstillinits shippingbox.Willhandlenuts,coffee,hardspices,dried herbs,driedfruitetc,11111111.QLD. DIY1221219. 0467 048 852. $7,0007000

DIY1229033.

NEED A TOUGH, RELIABLE MACHINE TO LIFT, REACH OR MOVE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ON YOUR FARM?

Max Capacity: 7,000kg

Max Lifting Height: 9.65m

Max Power: 125hp

Powerful and robust, the Agri Max 70.10 telehandler is ideal for heavy-duty applications and work environments where there is a need to handle large volumes and reduce work cycles.

Equipped with hydrostatic transmission, 6 speed manual / automatic gearbox, inching pedal control, which guarantees maximum power at all operating speeds, as well as a zero-shock system, which ensures a high degree of operator comfort. It’s easy to see why the Agri Max is the ideal machine for your agricultural application.

Contact Dieci on 1300 888 479

Max Speed: 40km/h or visit www.dieciaustralia.com.au