Positivity in the air

Agriculture machinery business leaders are recognising confidence in the industry as farmers approach cropping season and machinery delays shrink.

Business representatives had the opportunity to connect with farmers at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days and discuss sentiment for the upcoming season.

Horsham Hydraulics director Eddy Nagorcka said farmers appeared positive.

“I think everyone is happy with how the past few years have gone and there’s moisture in the ground, so they are pretty excited about the season,” he said.

Emmetts Horsham sales representative James Gardner said the coming months looked promising.

“All farmers seem happy – the past three years have averaged pretty well, so feedback has been good,” he said.

“There’s plenty of moisture around, so it could shape up to be a good year if we get follow-up rain later in the season.”

Mr Gardner said most machinery wait times were between eight to 12 months – a stark contrast with the 12 months to two-year wait in recent years.

“Machinery wait times are slowly getting better and we’re in the process of playing catch-up now,” he said.

“I think in the next 18 months to two years we will be back to where we should be, but that always depends on

The Bute Disc Chain was a collaborative project between Bute Discs and Horsham Hydraulics, where Brian Nagorcka is owner. Richard and Eddy Nagorcka are directors of Horsham Hydraulics.

Brian Nagorcka said the project was three years in the making.

“The team from Bute Discs designed the discs and got them made and we designed the frame for it,” he said.

“The machine cuts the stubble ready for cropping, which means farmers don’t have to burn stubble. It works well.

“It’s been a slow development, but the team at Horsham Hydraulics has worked hard.

“We have a draftsman who had the components cut out and we welded it together in one frame.”

Mr Nagorcka said the team had built the machine to sell and also had another for hire.

“Machinery these days is pretty costly and you have to have a certain amount of work for them to make it worthwhile to buy,” he said.

He said the award marked three generations of the family developing new machinery. “I have been a farmer for a fair part of my life,” he said.

“Dad developed a 10-bale handling machine, that meant farmers didn’t have to touch hay bales.

“All they had to do was drive the machine which put the hay in a form of 10 and someone could come along with the front-end loader to load it onto a truck and then take them off the truck to put on a stack.

“We sold quite a few of those, but machines and the industry progresses and now you have big bales that weigh about a tonne or more.”

Mr Nagorcka said to win the same award as his dad was very special.

“There are other good machines that are here, too. To win an award at the field days is no mean feat,” he said. He said after three years it was ‘almost strange’ to return to the field days.

“I have been connected with the field days for 40 years,” he said.

“We started here with the machine Dad built, we had a site here for several years and then have attended since we bought Horsham Hydraulics 28 years ago.” manufacturers, where parts and machines are coming from and shipping.

“Nearly everything we had on our field days site was sold – we had to use some of the customers’ machines, as well, to show it off.

“It was all new machinery waiting to go out to buyers.

“There are some machines available to buy right now, but it is minimal.”

Agrimac sales manager Justin Beugelaar said he could also see manufacturing catching up to demand for machines.

“The industry is playing catch-up and we are seeing in certain models, where we have been waiting 12 to 18 months, that the wait times are getting shorter,” he said.

“As with everything, there are models that are really sought after, so the lead times are still out to some degree.

“However, we are telling people who are looking at buying – get your name on what you want quickly and be next in line.”

Mr Beugelaar said after significant rain in spring last year that impacted some farming areas, there was a positive feeling in the air.

“I think it’s going to be a better year,” he said.

“Obviously, we had a successful year last year because of the rain, but we got hay off in the Wimmera and grades weren’t the best we’ve seen in all areas – but there’s always a market for that.

“I think this year farmers are looking forward to some slightly drier weather, so I do see a lot of machinery being purchased in hay and little tractors.”