Video: Silage 2017 kicks into gear around the country

The silage cutting season has well and truly started, with many farmers arousing their mowers, balers, forage harvesters and silage trailers from their winter slumber.

Dunphys Agricultural Contractors, based in south Tipperary, bordering counties Kilkenny and Waterford, were asked about the early cutting.

They __have cut between 250ac and 300ac altogether so far, saying some farmers in their area are going for three cuts rather than two.

Asked about conditions, they commented that the ‘ground’ has been good, with everything very dry over the past week.

You don’t know what the year ahead will bring.

When asked why silage was being cut so early, Dunphys said that it was mainly about quality and grassland management.

They noted that farmers don’t __have as much time as they used to and are busier than ever, due to increasing cow numbers. Because of this, farmers need to manage paddocks tightly, ensuring grass is not too strong for grazing and that quality is good.

Dunphys Agricultural Contractors run a Claas Jaguar silage harvester and a Komatsu WA320 loading shovel, as well as a fleet of Case IH and New Holland tractors.

Met Eireann forecast for the coming days

Met Eireann is predicting a mainly dry day tomorrow, with a mixture of cloudy conditions and sunny spells.

The outlook expects temperatures to rise slightly for the bank holiday weekend, but with low pressure very gradually moving in across the country. Changeable weather is expected.

Field conditions are currently good and little change is expected in the coming few days. However, they are likely to deteriorate early next week due to more unsettled conditions.

Meanwhile, Mark Hoey, a dairy farmer from Co. Louth, also sent in some photos of first-cut activity this week.

As well as these pictures sent in from Hoey, a number of Snapchat users have been sending in their snaps of silage work during the month of April.

With the ‘grand stretch’ in the evenings, we’re sure there will be a few more farmers taking the cobwebs off their mowers over the coming weeks.

Surely, there’s no better feeling than when you split the field perfectly while mowing – as the sun sets and the radio is playing your favourite tunes; if you’re lucky enough to have a radio.

This snapper was making sure that the rig was squeaky clean, in preparation for the start of the silage season.

Global farm machinery ‘giant’ passes away

Robert J Ratliff, who founded agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO, has died. AGCO is the parent company which owns iconic brands such as Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Valtra and Challenger.

Ratliff guided the growth of AGCO from a small North American company into a global manufacturer of farm tractors and machinery.

He led the team that bought Deutz-Allis Corporation in 1990, in a move which was seen as the foundation of AGCO. In the years and decades that followed, the entity went on to acquire many well-known brands in the machinery sphere.

AGCO purchased what we know as Massey Ferguson in 1994. Fendt was acquired and added to the portfolio three years later. Ratliff led the acquisition of the Caterpillar agricultural tracked tractor business (and the Challenger brand) in the early 2000s. Valtra (formerly Valmet) was added to the fold in 2004.

21 acquisitions

In all, Ratliff guided the business through a total of 21 acquisitions. Revenues grew from just $200 million 27 years ago to over $5 billion in the mid 2000s. He retired as Chairman in 2006.

A US man, Ratliff was born in Kansas. Interestingly, at one point in his life, he had joined the US Air Force, intending to become a pilot. He later returned to college, when he completed a degree in mechanical engineering. His career in the agricultural machinery industry began in the late 1950s, when he joined International Harvester (IH) – as a management trainee.

Martin Richenhagen, AGCO’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said: “Bob Ratliff’s commitment to excellence and complete dedication to AGCO, our customers, dealers, employees and shareholders helped our company become what it is today.

“The board of directors, management team and our employees worldwide are very grateful for his vision, leadership and dedicated service.

“His approach to leadership was hands-on, with strong support for employees, their interests and goals. This also extended to the dealer network, soliciting feedback as a regular practice and encouraging frequent contact and engagement with senior management that today is part of AGCO’s culture.

IFA receives assurance from Department over BPS

The IFA has been given an assurance from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that blockages to Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications, due to issues with the GLAS scheme, will be removed next week, which will allow all farmers to make their applications.

Richard Kennedy, Deputy President of the IFA, said some farmers were not able to make their BPS application online as their GLAS payments were delayed or because they had not yet been approved for GLAS III. He said the IFA has received an assurance that this situation will be resolved early next week.

Kennedy added that, at present, over 55,000 farmers __have applied for BPS, with 90% of applications made online.

The scheme has been open since mid-March and will remain open for another two weeks. This year is the final year that paper applications are allowed, with all applications set to be completed online from next year on – in accordance with EU regulations.

Also Read: Farmers move to online BPS applications in their thousands

This move comes following confirmation that the Department has guaranteed to follow through on all cleared GLAS payments by the end of April. The promise was made at the Farmers’ Charter of Rights Monitoring Committee meeting in Portlaoise, Co. Laois on April 6.

The delay in GLAS payments was down to technical issues, the Department clarified. These __have now been resolved.

Farmers have until Monday, May 15, to apply for BPS, as well as the National Reserve, the transfer of entitlements and Young Farmer Scheme. The deadline for amending BPS applications is Wednesday, May 31.

Farmers who have yet to complete their applications and who are finding the process difficult can contact a dedicated helpline on 0761-064420 or view the the Department’s website for application guidance.

Pics: Deere fleet tackles into silage campaign in Kilkenny…in April

Multi-depot John Deere dealer TFM sent in these pictures, showing one of its customers tackling into the 2017 silage campaign in Co. Kilkenny.

Alan O’Shea, from TFM (Comerfords), noted that it is very unusual to see pit silage being harvested in April. Normally, he said, it would be mid-to-late May before self-propelled forage harvesters would be seen working in his area.

The pictures below show equipment belonging to Delaney Agri Services in action. The well-known firm offers services to farmers around Kilmanagh and Kilkenny.

Front and centre in the pictures is a John Deere 8600 forage harvester, which is entering its second season. The machine was delivered new to Delaney Agri Services in May 2016. Drawing away from the harvester is a team of R Series John Deere tractors – a 6140R, two 6150Rs and a 6210R. These __have Dooley trailers in tow; these range in size from 20ft versions right up to a newer 24ft unit.

There’s another John Deere tractor involved in the silage-harvesting operation; it’s a 7920 and it carries a set of Krone triple-mowers. It will shortly be replaced by a new 6215R, which has an especially high specification (including AutoTrac).

On the pit there’s a Volvo loading shovel, though TFM is understandably keen for the contracting firm to try out a new-generation Caterpillar machine.

According to O’Shea, Delaney Agri Services was taking time out from a busy tillage schedule to tackle into the first job of the 2017 silage campaign.

Interestingly, the firm is also well known for its significant fodder beet activities. In fact, the Dooley trailers were designed to be swapped quickly and easily from beet to silage work.

Commenting on the 8600 forage harvester, which features in these pictures, O’Shea said: “It’s performing well. A particularly noteworthy feature is the Active Fill Control system.

“There’s a camera on the spout. It detects the top rim or outline of the body of the trailer. The system automatically controls the spout, to ensure that the grass is directed into the trailer – rather than being blown out over the front, back or either side.

“You can set it to fill the trailer up to a given level – anywhere from 80% to 130%. The latter figure allows the system to heap up the grass well above the sides of the trailer, if conditions allow. You can also programme in offsets. For example, you can set the system so that the spout won’t blow grass any closer than within a foot of the front of the trailer – to avoid spillages.”

According to O’Shea, Active Fill Control typically adds about €8,000 to the price of a harvester, depending on the in-cab monitor specified. He said that the system is particularly useful when lifting grass at headland corners. “You can concentrate on watching the pick-up and keeping a safe distance from the tractor and trailer as it’s turning with you; the spout looks after itself – so you don’t need to slow down and worry about it,” he explained.

Farmer receives 150kph speeding fine…in his tractor

A French farmer received a speeding fine for allegedly clocking 150kph on a speed camera by police in Namur, Belgium – while on his 30-year-old tractor.

The farmer in question, Remi Gervais, a winegrower from Montagnac, Herault (a region in southern France), disputed this saying that his tractor “does not go faster than 30kph…even downhill”.

I think I’d __have more chance of winning the lottery than reaching that speed.

Gervais added: “You __have to laugh. Maybe my tractor can get into the record books.”

Gervais also said that he has never been to Belgium, which is over 1,000km from where he lives, and has contacted Belgian police to clarify the situation. He has provided photographic evidence to the police of his innocence and hopes to have the matter resolved quickly.

According to the French publication The Connexion, it is believed that the incident was either a case of mistaken identity or fake licence plates being used fraudulently.

In a somewhat related matter, the actual Guinness World Record for tractor speed was set in 2015 by four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen on an airfield in Finland driving a ‘specially-tuned’ Valtra T234. The tractor was fitted with special Nokian tyres and the feat can be viewed below.

Kankkunen clocked a top speed of just over 130kph. Unless, of course, we now have a new record – courtesy of Mr Gervais?

‘Intensive’ farm inspection campaign set to focus on tractors and farm machinery

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is set to begin a ‘month-long, intensive’ farm inspection campaign on Tuesday, May 2, focusing on tractors and farm machinery.

Approximately 500 inspections will be carried out; each year nearly half of all farm deaths, and many more serious accidents, are linked to tractors and machinery.

To date in 2017 there __have been six farm fatalities, with four involving tractors or machinery, according to the HSA.

In an effort to reduce these accidents, HSA inspectors will be encouraging farmers to plan work and __have systems in place that minimise risk, particularly during silage harvesting.

Many serious and fatal accidents on farms occur when someone is crushed or struck by machinery, Pat Griffin, Senior Inspector with the HSA, said.

The movement of machinery, whether in the yard or in a field, can be hazardous and farmers need to be aware of the risks – particularly if there are young children living on or visiting the farm.

“Incidents of crushing someone against a building, a wall, a gate or of farmers themselves being caught in crush zones are too common.

“Crush zones are generally between the tractor and an attachment or machine or, indeed, within the machine itself.

“Farmers need to identify these zones and ensure that the risk to themselves or others being crushed is eliminated,” Griffin said.

Guarding machinery

The guarding of machinery is also an important factor in preventing accidents; unguarded moving parts on a tractor or machine are ‘drawing-in hazards’, Griffin added.

“Wherever it is possible to install a guard, on a PTO shaft for example, you are required to do so.

It only takes a second to become entangled in an unguarded PTO shaft and the resulting injuries are devastating.

“Our inspectors will take enforcement action wherever they find tractors being operated with unguarded PTO shafts,” he said.

A range of information on tractor and machinery safety is available on the HSA’s website.

The HSA also carried out an extensive farm inspection campaign during the month of March, placing a particular focus on the safe handling of livestock.

Video: 190-hour MF 399 makes ‘strong’ price at major auction

Well-known global auction company Euro Auctions sold a Massey Ferguson 399 complete with a Massey Ferguson 885E front loader for an impressive £21,000 (€25,000) at its recent auction in Dromore, Co. Tyrone.

The tractor in question had an unbelievable 190 genuine hours on the clock. It is believed that the tractor was originally purchased new from local Massey Ferguson dealer William Bell Tractors. However, the owner sadly passed away soon after and the tractor sat in a shed for a number of years, until the family decided to engage Euro Auctions to find a new home for it.

Naturally, the tractor attracted a lot of attention from potential buyers – with strong bidding evident on the day. The final hammer price achieved was £21,000 (€25,000). It is now destined for a new home with a private collector in Aberdeen, Scotland – who is believed to be originally from Co. Donegal.

Also Read: Tractors, machinery and plant set to draw the crowds to major auction

The video (below) provides a sample of the atmosphere at the auction (Friday, April 21).

Euro Auctions history

So how did Euro Auctions get started?

Many years ago, the Keys brothers decided to hold an auction to sell used equipment they had in their yard. It was a one-day sale, in which they sold all the equipment on offer. Such was the success of the event that they decided that there was a business opportunity to be taken advantage of; that was essentially the birth of Euro Auctions.

Founded in Dromore, Northern Ireland, the first official sale took place in 1998, during which 371 lots went under the hammer in front of 1,500 bidders.

The year 2000 marked the company’s expansion into Britain, holding a sale in Wetherby. It featured Volvo dump trucks from the Far East. In 2002, a permanent site was purchased in Selby, Leeds. It played host to a successful inaugural auction consisting of 516 buyers, 83 sellers and 1,139 lots and a £7m (€8.3m) hammer total.

2006 was another milestone in the company’s history when it held its first auction outside the UK in Dormagen, Germany; it also achieved a €7m hammer total.

The headquarters in Dromore underwent a facelift with a new auction house, featuring a covered and seated auditorium, in 2009. It was closely followed in 2010 by a new auction site in Valencia, Spain.

In 2012 and 2013 Euro Auctions went global with a new auction site in Brisbane, Australia which hosts 4 auctions annually and Atlanta, USA which generated $4.3m (€3.9m) in its first sale. 2015 and 2016 were all about expansion yet again, with the sites in Spain and the UK growing – as well as the establishment of a new site in Houston, Texas.

Today, the business hosts over 35 sales around the globe, in six countries, on three continents and sells over 60,000 pieces of equipment each year.

The five Keys brothers are still very much involved in the business today and, most impressive of all, are renowned for knowing all their customers by name and always having time for a chat.

Buying at Euro Auctions

So how do you actually buy at Euro Auctions?

The first thing you will need to do is register in order to obtain a bidding number, which is essentially your ID.

To obtain a bidding number, you will need to complete a registration form and pay a deposit, which is either offset against the machine you purchase or refunded if you do not buy anything.

To bid on a machine you are interested in, you can simply make the ‘spotter’ aware by raising your hand when it is featured on the ramp and the bidding starts.

Beware; the auctioneer will try to obtain the highest price for the machine so will start at a high initial price. Sit back and wait to make a bid; don’t rush in.

Once you make a bid it is a binding contract and, in the event that someone else is also interested in the same machine, bidding will go up in increments until one person eventually wins out.

It should be noted that a buyer’s commission of 2.5% is added to all hammer prices, as well as the local VAT rate (dependent on the auction site), which is charged on the total price (hammer price and buyer’s commission).

Euro Auctions operates a no-reserve ‘American style’ auction, which means that whatever the machine makes on the day it will be sold at. Many potential bargains are to be had, as a result.

The next Euro Auctions sale is on in Dormagen, Germany on May 3 and 4.