IN FOCUS FARMING SUMMER 2022
TRUE VERSATILITY Matt Ward, Ward Wheatbelt Hire, WA
FARMING SMARTER Ian Clune, Hutton & Northey, Mukinbudin WA
YOUR FARM, OUR FOCUS
Speedtiller at Canowindra, NSW
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
Welcome to Summer 2022 and the last edition of Farming In Focus for the year! I have been granted the enviable task of contributing my thoughts each quarter in this fine publication. It has been a very busy year for K-Line Ag and the agricultural industry; with the harvest on full display and everyone feverishly supporting this effort, it is time to reflect and acknowledge the hard work that goes into each and every hectare of farming land in this great country. This busy time in farming is reflected in the activity that has been occurring within K-Line Ag. In recent months, we have been busily transforming our organisation, conducting R&D, improving manufacturing, refurbishing our facilities, and getting ready to launch our new Strategic Plan for 2022; all while
continuing to deliver tillage equipment and services, so critical to supporting the industry. This strategic plan is a cornerstone of our launch pad
individuals and organisations that have provided input, purchased our equipment and assisted in our activities throughout the year. Glenn Soper General Manager Seeding & Tillage CNH Industrial
into greater manufacturing capability, development of
export opportunities and further development of our product line up. Similarly, a key part of the new plan and our organisational model is the enhancement of our manufacturing footprint, additional shifts in our factory and an increase in our manpower. Some of you will have met some of new team members in person, but for those of you who haven’t, we will introduce them throughout the year in other editions of Farming in Focus. We would like to thank our dealers and followers for their continued support and thank all
stubble and lime, to creating firebreaks around chaff heaps, they really are very versatile. I also find that they’re great for weed control, and can effectively combat bog marks & wheel ruts. We work with the farmers on pricing for all these different types of jobs. The Speedtiller ® ’s are great for the heavy red country after summer rains, giving awesome results for weed control and good crop germination for the coming season. The machine can work all year, but our busiest times are from January through to June.” Matt finds the key to success in contracting is working with the farmers to determine the best applications and pricing, depending on what type of work the machines need to do to meet the farmer’s need. “Sometimes we use the Speedtiller ® for deep tilling, and other times we just need to rough the surface.” We deliver and pick up our machines from the farmer, trying to deliver when the farmer needs it, and supplying machines in good condition. I enjoy working and meeting all the farmers and discussing customer needs and successes over the phone. I’ve been able to make a lot of friends.” The major challenges Matt faces are common to all farmers, with rain fall and season conditions being among his primary concerns. However, he loves what he does, working with a lot of different people and machines. He’s also looking forward to growing the K-Line Ag side of his business in the coming years.
TRUE VERSATILITY
Matt Ward, Ward Wheatbelt Hire
from Coote Motors in Brookton, and Bill Larsen from K-Line Ag, to ensure the machine was right for their needs. “These guys have been a great help over the years, with service and advice regarding the K-Line Ag machines. We’ve owned four 9.5m Speedtiller ® ’s, and are now looking forward to taking delivery of a 12m in January. They are really great, reliable, Aussie- made machines. The durability and strength never fails to deliver, and the best thing is that the machines can be applied to so many different farming operations. The machines are popular with our customers for a range of different farming operations. From levelling rough paddocks and incorporating
Matt Ward and his wife, Michelle Ward, run a successful family owned and operated hiring business. Their son, Mark, helps out part-time, and their daughter, Demi, supports with accounting and bookkeeping. The family also employs casual labourers to help deliver their machines and services on time. The hire business started in 2002, when Matt began hiring out a super spreader and a chaser bin in the WA Wheatbelt. Since then, he and his family have grown the business significantly, and now hire about 25 machines to all grain growing areas throughout WA. The Ward family bought their first Speedtiller ® in 2017 after talking to both Bim White and Barry Coote
FARMING SMARTER
Ian Clune, Branch Manager & Sales Rep, Hutton & Northey, Mukinbudin
Ian Clune has worked as the Branch Manager & Salesman at Hutton & Northey for 11 years. His branch is located in Mukinbudin, about 300kms North East of Perth. The surrounding areas support a variety of farming operations, with the most popular being cereal crops of wheat, barley, canola and lupins. Other popular farming operations are sheep & hay. Ian’s role and experience allow him to build strong customer relationships. He enjoys being able to interact directly with the farmer, and to connect the right piece of equipment with the customer’s needs. “I like the K-Line Ag machines as they are stronger, heavier and more reliable than their competitors. The machines are suitable for our conditions, and we have the ability to adjust the discs and still get a full cut. The K-Line Ag team are also excellent to deal with. Despite the difficulties of Covid travel, Rob made it out here to WA this year to visit some of the customers. And Carolyn’s technical and sales support is outstanding! She always follows up promptly. Our customers are always very happy with their K-Line Ag machines. Just recently we started up a 50ft Speedtiller Powerflex ® and the farmer was impressed with the machines ability to incorporate lime at depth, kill chemical resistant weeds & leave a smooth finish with the crumble roller.”
Ian’s tip “Buy from someone you trust. Do your homework, and talk to your local dealer. It’s good to look at the cost of ownership, and the benefits between new and used machines.”
Coming off the back of an above average season, there is also great opportunities in agriculture to farm smarter, with many farmers utilising rainfall strategically to maximise the best possible yields from crops.
Following a wet winter, farmers are currently facing significant challenges in the form of chemical resistant weeds and high levels of stubble residue. There is also the added challenge of high input cost chemicals. Using a machine such as the K-Line Ag Speedtiller ® enables farmers to combat both of these challenges, with true dual purpose one-pass technology.
THE ANSWER TO YOUR SOIL COMPACTION ISSUES
K-Line Ag’s range of deep rippers are designed to shatter sub-soil compactions with minimal disturbance to the upper or surface layers of the soil, efficiently combatting your compaction issues. The rippers will benefit plant growth while creating excellent opportunities for an even crop and high yields.
NEW HOLLAND DURAVEE & DURAVEE PLUS Built for years of reliable service for Australian farmers and contractors, these rakes provide a cost-effective option for farmers requiring a heavy duty, durable and ‘maintenance free’ hay rake built for the harsh Australian conditions. With the latest and most advanced raking concept for quality hay producers and experts, DuraVee rakes minimize hay contamination, leave a uniform windrow and are gentle on the leaf and hay, allowing you to make the highest quality hay possible.
Horwood Bagshaw TVW Spreader Series The Horwood Bagshaw TVW Spreader Series is the industries first truly variable width, multi- material spreader with fully independent side control. With industry leading Twin Chain & ISOBUS Technology, these spreaders are optimized for a wide range of farming enterprises. VISIT: https://www.horwoodbagshaw.com.au/ product/true-variable-width-spreaders/
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A GREAT YEAR JUST GOT EVEN BETTER
1.99 % FINANCE OFFER
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COME AND JOIN OUR TEAM AT K-LINE AG
• Assembly Operator • Welders / Fabricators • Senior Agricultural Design Engineer • Marketing Coordinator HIRING NOW!
For more information or to apply for these positions, visit k-line.net.au/careers/
WHAT’S NEW WITH US?
Welcome to the team!
What an exciting end of the year it’s been! The team here have been busy preparing for and celebrating this time of year with our dealers and customers, and are excited to share the achievements from the last few months. Check them out below!
Lachlan Horne - Lachlan has recently joined our team at K-Line Ag as our new despatch worker. He will be working closely with the freight and sales teams to ensure all orders are dispatched with care to our dealers and customers on time.
2021 Achievements / Results Over the last 12 months the team at K-Line Ag has more than doubled production, manufacturing and delivering 618 machines to our loyal dealers and customers. That’s 5,500 tonnes of product sold, made up of 35,500 meters of 36mm round bar and 26,000 jump arms. All held together by 40,300kgs of welding wire and 1 million bolts! These machines are now operating with 3,300 hydraulic cylinders pumped by 44,000 meters of hydraulic hose, and will till Australian soil across the nation, helping farmers to sustain the world. Congratulations to our 1 powerful team, who have achieved above and beyond all expectations this year. We’re looking forward to supporting Aussie farmers for years to come.
Factory Updates Stocktake In the last weeks of November 2021, we conducted our annual stock take. Supported by the team from CNH Industrial (pictured above) in St Mary’s, we were able to take the opportunity to meet the team in person and share more about the products we sell and the K-Line Ag business. It was great to take a quick field trip out of town to see some machines in action! Thanks to all who were involved for the great effort and achievement. Solar Installation K-Line Ag is committed to sustainability through the use of renewable energy. We have recently completed a 147kW solar installation across our facilities, capable of producing an estimated 178,136kWh.
Time to Think Lime
Have you got a plan to address acid soils? Lime moves into the soil very slowly, and if it is not incorporated, it can lie inactive on the soil surface for a long time. There is no doubt that incorporation, where possible, is the best way of getting the full benefits from applying lime. Learn more on our blog now: k-line.net.au/news/time-to- think-lime
Managing Stubble after ‘The Wet’ This year’s winter crop in much of Eastern Australia was headed for a bumper year, but concluded with one of the wettest harvests for a long time. Now farmers are faced with the question of how to deal with the large bulk of stubble. The amount Watch for Summer Weeds With the winter crop harvested, attention now should turn to controlling weeds that have emerged in the stubble or are waiting to germinate when soil temperatures are high enough. The challenges with summer weed control lie in the fact that some weeds are showing increased resistance to commonly used herbicides. To deal with this problem, an integrated management approach should be adopted. This involves having a number of tools in your spraying and cultivation arsenal that you can use as the occasion and weed species demands. Learn more from our latest blog: k-line.net.au/news/watch-for- summer-weeds
Controlled Traffic Farming in the wet Controlled traffic farming (CTF) or tramline farming has been adopted in many cropping enterprises. The system has definite benefits, both agronomic and economic. The main feature of CTF is to limit traffic by agricultural machinery to defined areas, rather than across the whole paddock. Traffic is confined to permanent wheel tracks - limiting compaction to those tracks, while the rest of the seedbed remains undisturbed. The TrackAttack® is designed to maintain and renovate those tracks, levelling out the wheel tracks, ruts & uneven terrain. Learn about the benefits of CTF now: k-line.net.au/news/controlled- traffic-farming-in-the-wet of stubble left on the paddock, the nature of the stubble and the amount of stubble that the sowing machinery can handle, all determine how to manage stubble after harvest. To retain or incorporate stubble? Learn more here: k-line.net.au/ managing-stubble-after-the-wet
K-Line Ag is a leader in the tillage and seeding market. With a strong reputation for durability and quality of design. Engineering and manufacturing high-performing ag machinery in Australian for Australian farmers. FINANCE NOW AVAILABLE ON ALL K-LINE MACHINES
STAFF SPOTLIGHT Sashank Gulla Inventory Controller – K-Line Ag
I am lucky to get this wonderful opportunity, especially during the pandemic. The JOB itself is the best thing happened to me. To be more specific though, as an Inventory controller, I get a chance to work with every single person in the workplace, starting from the office staff through to the production team, so the best thing about my job is ‘My Team’! Though I was very excited to start working here at K-Line Ag, I had a very unclear vision of what my role would be. But every day, the team that I work with helped me and are still helping me to learn and grow.” “I think the machines we build are probably the best agriculture machines I have ever seen. The design and robust built is just unreal
Meet Sashank Gulla. Sashank started working here at K-Line Ag just over 17 months ago as our inventory controller. He has been a huge support to the team, and we love his friendly attitude and cheerful grin. After starting every day at 6:30am with a nice coffee, Sashank goes over his notes and determines his priorities for that day. While running his reports, he catches up with the team on any issues regarding inventory. “I walk around the warehouse every morning, investigating any inventory issues, talking to the team, and asking thousands of questions. I document everything that I learn, and I’m always preparing for our next annual stocktake, while working to develop a better inventory management system.
My joke of the season The hardest thing about a business is minding your own.
and seeing the machines in action is amazing. The demand of the K-Line Ag machines speaks for itself.” Sashank lives in town with his puppy and spends most of the weekend playing with her and driving around the countryside.
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DEALER NETWORK
K-Line Ag products are sold under the K-Line Ag name in Australia through our existing network of Case IH, New Holland and selected independent dealers. If unsure who your nearest dealer is check out https://k-line.net.au/find-a- dealer or call us on 1800 194 131
Ph: 1800 194 131 +61 (2) 6340 0400 www.k-line.net.au
A Division of CNH Industrial
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