Farming in Focus Winter 2021

IN FOCUS FARMING WINTER 2021

KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE Gavin Reade, Curramulka, SA

SAM RISBEY Ballarat Tractors, VIC

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Max Joliffe, Assembly Operator

YOUR FARM, OUR FOCUS

Rob attended Farmfest in Toowoomba with the local Case IH Dealer, Stag Machinery

EXCELLENT START TO THE 2021 CROPPING SEASON

most of the country, the above average soil-moisture places crops and pastures in a strong position heading into Spring. The team here at K-Line Ag are enjoying a buoyant market with both domestic and export demand for our products at an all time high. This has resulted in increased production at the K-Line plant giving exciting new employment opportunities for the surrounding Central West NSW region. Once again, on behalf of the entire K-Line team, I would extend my gratitude and thanks for all our loyal customers working the land. Bill Larsen Sales & Marketing Director K-Line Agriculture

The ag industry in Australia is extremely strong with a positive outlook for the new season. Throughout most districts in both Western Australia and the Eastern states, crops have gone in perfect timing with full profiles of subsoil

harvest, future wheat prices are expected to decrease, but will continue to remain favourable due to strong global dynamics. RaboResearch, an Australian local food and agribusiness research and insights team, forecast that local wheat prices will remain close to 330/mt throughout the next 12 months. Domestic growing conditions improved in June, with soil moisture ranging from average to above average across the country. Western Victoria & Southeastern South Australia are receiving much needed rainfall, and Western Australia & New South Wales are continuing to receive rain, with some regions at risk of waterlogging. Most major southern regions of Australia have received 50% of the median growing season rainfall. Though it will be a wet finish to winter for

moisture. Excellent planting conditions and exceptional

pricing opportunities predict that Australia is on track for another above average production year in 2021/22. However, some central west districts of New South Wales have had setbacks due to mice infestation. The destruction of planted seed has resulted in double seeding operations west of the Newell highway. Though we expect winter temperatures to reduce populations, the re- emergence of populations in the spring remains a real risk. Due to the above average grains

KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE

Gavin Reade, pictured with his 12m Speedtiller Powerflex ®

“We use the Speedtiller Powerflex ® on our pasture paddocks to incorporate trash. We found it to be very user friendly and easy to adjust as our topsoil is shallow with limestone underneath. It has helped with better seed germination in conjunction with running livestock and has helped with better trash flow when seeding as we are trying to maintain as much ground cover as possible.” He claims the key to success on the family farm is simplicity. “We keep things simple,” he says. “We currently operate a two-year rotation of cereal crop and pasture and are looking to make it a three-year rotation of wheat, barley and pasture in our better country. “We run a reasonably low risk operation and weed resistance is not a problem at present.”

Gavin Reade, Curramulka, SA

Gavin Reade and his family are 5th generation farmers who continue to farm at Mount Rat. Situated just 10km west of Curramulka on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, the family farm is currently operated by Gavin, his parents David and Pam, and his wife Emma and their two sons, Lachlan (16) and Christian (14). The Reade family run a mixed farming operation of cereal cropping and merino sheep, with their busiest times being May (seeding), August to September (weaning lambs and main shearing), and November to December (harvest). One of the major challenges faced on the farm is Rhizoctonia in the cereal crops. This is effectively combatted using the Speedtiller’s unique scalloped discs to help crack the hard pan. Another challenge

faced is snails, both round and conical. This is managed by cabling throughout the hot days in February and March to knock the snails off the vegetation and onto the hot ground. A bonus of the Speedtiller ® has enabled the family to have further control over these pests by burying and baiting them. Gavin saw the opportunity for ground prep in the Speedtiller ® , a machine that would be able to incorporate their medic-based pasture trash as well as level out sheep tracks to move away from burning. As well as running a 12m Morris concept 2000 with atom jet points, and a 7230 Case header with a 12m front, the family currently uses a 12m Speedtiller Powerflex ® , after upgrading from the 9m Speedtiller ® .

Sam Risbey (right) with long-time customer David Howard, after delivering a K-Line Speedbuster ®

SAM RISBEY Branch Manager, Ballarat Tractors & Construction Equipment, VIC

production, beef and dairy cattle, fine wool and fat lambs, potatoes, horticulture, and some viticulture. “I grew up on farms and wanted to stay connected to the industry – this job allows me to do that. The agricultural industry is like no other – generally good honest people working hard to produce food and fibre,” says Sam. “I love working with the people who are innovators and trying to maximise what is possible with farming – be that from a technological point of view with telematics, auto steer or variable rate application or just trying to get the best yield from the soil and rainfall you have available with tillage or seeding technology.”

Sam Risbey is the branch manager at Ballarat Tractors & Construction Equipment in Ballarat, VIC. He has been with Ballarat Tractors since 2005, working mainly as a salesperson or sales manager. He spent a short time of about 12 months working for New Holland as territory manager but has just celebrated his 10th anniversary of being back at Ballarat Tractors, combining a total of about 16 years working in the company. Ballarat and the surrounding areas support a broad range of farming operations, with broad acre farming being the most prevalent across the region. But this predominant enterprise is complimented by hay and fodder

Sam has been a strong advocate of K-Line Ag machinery over the years. “I love working with the K-Line products because they are market leaders. K-Line machines are built very well, and they do the job they say they will, better than the competition. The Powerflex ® is the only machine I know of that will dig almost like an offset and finish like a Multi Disc – all while covering the ground at over 10kph! I can’t fault the K-Line Sales team – they are always approachable, and you feel comfortable calling on any of them to answer a question, no matter how trivial it might be. It’s obvious dealing with them that they have a proper understanding of the industry

that we operate in and that they all have an overall understanding of the values and products that K-Line Ag stands for.” “I don’t think we have had a negative customer experience with the K-line Ag products to date! Customers who have brought the Speedtiller Powerflex ® always rave about what a great job it does. When we first started selling the Powerflex ® product Rob would fly down to do a run around and make sure all the machines were started up properly and adjusted just right – it’s hard to get that level of commitment from any manufacturer these days.” Sam’s tip: Buy off someone you trust – that’s the most important part. If you can’t find someone you

There is a shortage of labour from the most basic unskilled labour through to highly specialised field technicians to service the machinery. The shortage of workers is more prominent in the rural areas.” Sam states; “It’s a great time to be in Agriculture – during this time of such uncertainty in the world we have seen a return to focus on the importance of food security and peoples willingness to pay a premium for the high quality agricultural products that we produce in our region. We have had another good start to our season and as long as it doesn’t get too wet and we get those all- important spring rains we will look forward to another good year!”

trust, buy it from me. Also look at the cost of ownership over the life of the machine – repairs, resale and potential down time – these often can be more costly than the initial outlay.” Farmers in the Ballarat area have benefited from a couple of great seasons and are looking down the barrel of another good year. The major challenge that most of Sam’s customers face is not the seasonal or price challenges, but rather the cost to expand their operations in this time of prime agriculture. “The price of broad acre land is nudging $10k an acre in our area and leasing is pushing past $200 acre for quality ground. The ability to find labour is another key issue we face as an overall agricultural industry.

COME AND JOIN OUR TEAM AT K-LINE AG

HIRING NOW!

• R&D Manager • Welders / Fabricators • Despatch Worker

For more information or to apply for these positions, visit k-line.net.au/careers/

WHAT’S NEW WITH US?

What an exciting end to the financial year! Since the publication of the Autumn edition of Farming In Focus in early May, we have celebrated a number of exciting achievements, including:

SignManager A simple process providing our dealer network with an easy way to get professional K-line Ag signage. We’re looking forward to seeing the signage installed at our dealer sites across the country!

Website Launch We launched our brand-new website earlier this month! This one-stop destination now features an epic dealer locator, and is compatible with your mobile. If you haven’t already done so, check it out at https://k-line.net.au

Welcome to the team! Dylan Curtis – Dylan is joining our sales team from WA as the first ever Territory Sales Manager for CNH Industrial Seeding and Tillage!

Justin Bryant – Justin is the newest member of the K-Line Ag sales team! Working from the office in Cowra, Justin will be supporting Bill, Carolyn, Rob & Geoff in all areas of sales and support.

Dylan will be managing sales in WA for the K-Line Ag, Horwood Bagshaw and Flexi-Coil brands.

SMS Magic We have an exciting new

communication tool! Sharing important information with our customers has never been easier. Now, dealers can receive automated updates regarding the status of their orders, and work with the K-Line Ag team to organize freight and delivery. Have any feedback on this new service? Let us know what you think! https://k-line.net.au/support

Field Days Field days presented a great opportunity for the team to get back into the field, catching up with farmers & dealers across the country. K-Line Ag was represented at many field days in the last 3 months, including:

Rotary FNQ, 26th – 28th May, Mareeba, with QMAC Machinery

Farmfest, Toowoomba, Tuesday 8th – 10th June, with Stag Machinery