Torque Talk - AFGRI hums a youthful tune

AFGRI Equipment Australia wants to be part of a new paradigm in the farm mechanisation industry.

It concerns education and the more than decade-long push by the Farm Machinery and Industry Association (FMIA) to provide aspirants to agriculture with career pathways.

Now with a Bachelor of Agriculture being offered at Muresk with the promise of job-ready graduates for machinery dealers, AFGRI has announced its vision.

It all happened at a "meet and greet" evening at the company's new Wagin branch last week - the final event of similar meetings at Pingelly, Lake Grace and Boyup Brook to introduce AFGRI as the new owner of the former Greenline franchises.

AFGRI Equipment Australia officially acquired Greenline Ag in August to bolster its WA dealership network to 11 branches and company operations director Gollie Coetzee was quick to tell last week's gathering how the company wanted to invest in youth.

"We want 11 apprentices for our January intake to match our 11 branches," he said. "And I expect we will continue to build apprentice numbers because we will offer career pathways to new and existing staff.

"And we want to get involved in our own training to ensure people are taught all the John Deere technology.

"Normally that would involve sending people to John Deere's Australian headquarters in Queensland but I want our training done in towns where we have branches.

"It will be localised training with local trainers because technology is a big driver of our future."

And AFGRI's plans will not be gender-biased.

"We see opportunities for everybody," Gollie said. "Females can work as service technicians, in sales or in precision ag because that's part of our career pathways program."

It also is AFGRI's intent to liaise with Muresk and agricultural district colleges to promote its apprenticeship program.

"We want to go back to grass roots sales and servicing so people see us as a strong and committed company providing quality products which we can back up with skilled people," Gollie said. "And now we have 11 branches we are in a position to pool our resources when required.

"We want people to know we are moving in the right direction in this industry."

Interestingly, Gollie signalled a return visit to all branches to listen to customers.

"We've made commitments to you and we will be back to listen to you about how we're performing," he said.

AFGRI's new branches are located at Perth, Boyup Brook, Witchcliffe, Wagin, Lake Grace and Pingelly, adding to Carnamah, Geraldton, Moora, Wongan Hills and Dalwallinu.

AFGRI is the largest John Deere dealer in the Southern Hemisphere

With 44 branches in South Africa, as well as international operations in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Botswana and Australia.

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