THE importance of forward ordering has never been underscored as much as this year with COVID-19 causing supply disruptions.
For farmers who ordered early, they become the beneficiaries of any stock landed in Australia.
And that includes container shipments of hay gear that are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne during September and October.
Fortunately KUHN Australia has ordered a limited number of machines from factory production which will be available on a first-come, first served basis and Fred Hopkins Welshpool dealer principal Gary Johnson is keen to alert farmers to the selection of Kuhn mowers that are available for this hay season.
"Supply has been a bit of a headache this year," Mr Johnson said.
"But the guys who ordered in December through to March and also gained substantial discounts on pricing are sitting easy now knowing what they ordered will be here in time for them.
"That's how the system works these days with so-called just-in-time production which has obliterated the off-the-shelf system, which became unsustainable for dealers because they carried the finance cost until the machine was sold.
"Fortunately most farmers are aware of this and forward order programs are becoming the norm these days."
With the promise of a bumper hay season, Mr Johnson said mowers were in high demand but he stressed KUHN could only access limited extra stock on top of pre-ordered equipment.
"If there are farmers wanting mowers for this season, I would suggest they let their local KUHN dealer know this week," he said.
"Once you've got your name on a serial number, it's a done deal and you can be certain that the machine will be sent to the dealer concerned.
"But I have to stress there is only a limited number of mowers available."
Mr Johnson said KUHN catered for a wide range of crop conditions with its models to ensure mowers fit the right crop conditions.
"A regular mower will simply cut the crop, which is fine in some conditions, but it can lead to a longer drying time," Mr Johnson said.
"If conditions are wet, this can create issues with mould and that's when a disc mower conditioner can be invaluable.
"Using a pair of rubber or steel rollers that the fodder passes through, or a flail roller with steel fingers that crimps the fodder in the rollers, or bruises the stems with the steel fingers, enables fodder to dry faster and more evenly.
"It's so important to reduce dry-down time, due to harvest constraints.
"Dry-down is a lot faster and more even with a conditioner and it means better quality hay and silage feed tests."
KUHN offers various disc mowers that have been designed specifically with a top-quality end product in mind - including the FC 10030D and FC 3525DF FF Triple Mower Conditioner combination.
"This machine combination is not only better able to handle all types of fodder, but its greater speed and coverage creates higher volume, which is ideal for mass production," Mr Johnson said.
"This particular machine adapts perfectly to different types of terrain, preventing contamination by impurities and preserving plant cover, for better nutritional quality and higher quality forage.
"In addition, machines such as the GMD 10030FF and GMD 3525FF Triple Mower combination with a working width of 9.53 to 9.93 metres achieve exceptional work output.
"This combination features OPTIDISC cutter bar reliability and PROTECTADRIVE safety, for greater productivity, as well as a time-saving FAST-FIT quick knife attachment system."
- More information: phone 9351 9000 or email sales@ fredhopkinswa.com.au
