- New John Deere SP at Woolorama
AFGRI Equipment unveiled John Deere’s latest self-propelled boomsprayer at last week’s Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama.
Designated the R4045, the big feature is its carbon-fibre boom, which is a commonly-used material for yacht masts.
According to Deere, carbon fibre is about was 35 per cent lighter than equivalent steel models and has a low inertia, resulting in greater boom stability.
There already is talk that Deere might offer a 40.2 metre (132 foot) boom as an option because of the lower weight.
The boom tip has an 80 degree breakaway in the forward and reverse direction, while the inner arms have a 35o breakaway.
The new model also comes with Deere’s ExactApply nozzle control, giving improved spray quality, precision and speed ranges, allowing the operator to better manage drift.
ExactApply offers individual nozzle control and turn compensation.
It has air induction nozzle compatibility and features programmable rates by nozzle or selection, such as a higher range behind the rear tyres.
The new model boasts a 4500 litre tank, has a power rating of 258 kilowatts (346 horsepower) and has a direct injection product mixing option.
Maximum operating speed is 40 kilometres an hour.
- Staff changes at AFGRI
AFGRI Equipment is continuing its focus on promoting careers within its dealerships along with re-shaping its team.
John Schreurs is branch manager at AFGRI’s Moora branch, replacing Andrew Vernon who is group sales manager.
Campbell Aiken has moved from Quairading to become the regional sales manager (southern region) and Terry Macanas is in charge of new and used sales (southern region).
The company’s latest addition is former New Zealand machinery salesman Glenn O’Docherty, who started at the Lake Grace branch last week.
According to AFGRI marketing director Jacques Coetzee, the company is on track to train 25 new apprentices, who will be attending the AFGRI Apprentice Academy at the Central Regional TAFE Moora.
“We have an official opening of the Academy on Monday, March 19 at Moora and we plan to target 25 apprentices a year for the next four years,” Mr Coetzee said.
“We also are continuing with our internal parts traineeships under a TAFE mechanical parts program.
“We want to encourage male and female participants.”
Call your local AFGRI branch if you have a son or daughter who is interested in a career in the farm mechanisation industry.
- ‘Steeling’ for impact
WHO would be a United States farmer?
Just as the ag industry was looking upbeat with positive sentiment over the past few months, President Donald Trump has become the proverbial bull in a China shop.
Ironically his tirade against China and his threat to slap a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports (and 10pc on aluminium) must be a ‘What the?’ moment for the Chinese, because that country accounts for only 2pc of US steel imports.
But it does supply aluminium to the US.
Trying to give China a black eye is not good news for US soybean farmers who rely on China as their largest customer – representing nearly $18 billion in annual sales, or more than a third of total US soybean production (China’s retort could well be: Right back at you Mr Trump, or chump, we will deal with Brazil and Argentina).
Trump’s temper tantrum in wanting to start a trade war, has also become alarming news for US farm equipment industry organisations – let alone the general industry.
American Soybean Association president John Heisdorffer, an Iowa soybean grower, said retaliation by China could be devastating to US soy growers.
“Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina are all too happy to pick up supplying the Chinese market,” Mr Heisdorffer said.
“Retaliation from China would add significant injury to an already-hobbled farm economy.
“Prices are down 40pc and farm income is down 50pc and we simply can’t afford for those numbers to get worse.”
According to Association of Equipment Manufacturers president Dennis Slater, Trump’s tirade could not have come at a worse time.
“The first thing you hear, and it’s universal, is there’s total alarm out there in our industry,” Mr Slater said.
“What’s going to happen here is you put this tariff on and you raise the price of steel for manufacturers.
“You’re going to raise the cost of their equipment at a time, when especially in the ag economy, it’s pretty fragile out there.
“Sales are starting to improve a little bit, but not that much, and you’re at a time here where we’re going to raise costs – costs they probably couldn’t pass on to the farmer at this point – so that’s pretty alarming.”
Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association executive vice president Vernon Schmidt said costs were bound to increase.
“With equipment dealers’ holding very limited implement inventory, higher steel costs are likely to make their way through the distribution network quicker than some end users would expect,” Mr Schmidt said.
“It’s hard to think of a worse time to drive up the cost of equipment purchases for farmers and ranchers, but manufacturers will likely be forced to pass cost increases on very quickly.
“The equipment manufacturers depend so much on the export market and about 30 to 35pc of their manufacturing is going to go into exports, and now the machines are more expensive.
“So you undermine their competitiveness globally.
“While they face the higher-priced steel, their competitors overseas are with the lower-priced steel and will be able to basically undercut them on price for their machines.
“They get hit on the cost of production here and they get hit on trying to stay competitive world-wide.”
“It makes the US a more expensive manufacturing base at a time when you’re seeing this resurgence in manufacturing in the US.”
Australia is, of course, exempt from paying tariffs but there obviously will be a ripple effect affecting Australian farmers wanting to buy new US-made gear.
If you have forward ordered gear, you might be lucky if you signed a “no price increase” clause.
Good luck with getting that now.
Ah, Donald, you’ve done it again
