The recent Teagasc National Tillage Conference looked at the economics of the tillage sector and possible Brexit implications

Past and recent trends in relation to economic factors pertaining to the Irish tillage sector indicate a sector that has suffered from input costs rising faster than output costs over the past number of decades.

A decline in cereal area associated with relative economic performance has been particularly evident over the past number of years. Specialist tillage farms in Ireland continue to have high reliance on direct payments as a proportion of income.

Looking to the future, Teagasc economists using the Teagasc FAPRI-Ireland policy modelling tools which has focused on possible implications of Brexit for the Irish tillage sector. Two scenarios were specified: a baseline scenario and a ‘No Deal’ scenario.

The baseline scenario is based on the assumption of no change in trade relations between the UK and the EU (i.e. no Brexit). The ‘No Deal’ scenario is based on the assumption that the UK leaves the EU on 29th March 2019 without a trade deal with the EU.

In the ‘No Deal’ scenario, the UK imposes tariffs that are equivalent to those in the EU tariff schedule on all imports from the EU and the EU treats the UK as a third country and applies tariffs on imports into the EU that originate in the UK.

The likely economic implications of a ‘No deal’ Brexit outcome for Irish specialist tillage farms are relatively benign, compared to the other main sectors of Irish agriculture. Ireland is a net importer of cereals and a large proportion of these imports are from the UK. The imposition of tariffs on imports from the UK leads to the replacement of imports from the UK by imports from other EU markets.

These imports are more expensive than those imported under the Baseline, and this is reflected in somewhat higher Irish farm gate cereal prices (relative to the baseline). In addition, some inputs that are used in the Irish tillage sector are produced in Britain or sourced from there. As a result of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit, it would become necessary to source inputs from beyond Britain.

FAPRI-Ireland farm level model, after accounting for Brexit related inflationary pressures on farm gate cereal prices and input costs, indicates that average net margin on specialist tillage farms could increase by over 10 per cent per hectare.

In a ‘No Deal’ Brexit compared to the baseline, by the year 2026. There are key caveats which need to be considered when interpreting these results, such as the possible impact of exchange rate movements, CAP support payments post 2020, structural change and wider economy inflationary factors.

A good example of a large and successful tillage framer is John Cullen who with his brothers, Francis and Stephen, run a large tillage operation in south Wexford. John was awarded the Zurich Insurance Tillage Farmer of the Year in 2018.

John first started farming 38 years ago with his father and brothers. They farmed 161 hectares (400 acres) of which two thirds were rented. The tillage operation consisted of a mix of spring malting and feed barley. The business has grown over the years and now stands at a little over 850 hectares (2,100 acres).

Cropping has also changed on the farm with winter cereals forming the back bone of the production. John tries to focus on first wheats (5 year Av. yield 10t/ha) as much as possible with approximately one third of the tillage area dedicated to this crop. Winter barley (5 year Av. 9.1t/ha) takes up approx. one third of the sown area and is mainly sown as a 2nd cereal.

John is a huge advocate of break crops and has as close to one third of the farm sown to either winter oilseed rape, winter oats or beans. Labour steadily became a problem on the farm so John decided to change to a “Min-till” establishment system in 2018. Almost all crops were planted using this over the past 2 years but John recognises the system’s short comings in relation to grass weed pressure and utilisation of organic manures.

The farm runs a very efficient machinery outfit with only one combine completing the entire farms harvest each year. The total machinery cost across the farm in 2018 are €271/ha (€110/ac).

Low profitability from tillage crops is the most pressing issue for John. Consistency of yields from cereals but especially from break crops is challenging. John is working hard to improve soils by increasing soil indexes, applying organic manures and being more patient around field operations (partially forced by the conversion to min-till).

The potential loss of key chemistry is of particular concern and may adversely affect the viability of many crops on the farm. According to John Increased farmer co-operation is necessary to control machinery costs, which are too high on tillage farms, and this co-operation can help to cope with lack of available labour at peak times.

For larger farms, increased precision is needed, which is an area John intends to develop on the farm by utilising yield mapping and improving field recording/analysis. John is confident that tillage will remain an important part of the agriculture mix in Wexford. Tillage is profitable at the moment but farmers need to avail of and act on the latest information/research from Teagasc (and elsewhere) to remain profitable

JCB was recently granted a preliminary injunction by a French court against Manitou which orders the company to stop producing telehandlers featuring a patented JCB productivity device.

Following JCB issuing a statement on the ruling, Manitou quickly released their own statement saying they believed JCB "risked misleading the public" and they "felt a duty to set the record straight."

JCB's official statement said, "The ruling by the Judge at Court of the First Instance in Paris means that the company, based near Nantes, cannot manufacture, sell or lease telescopic handlers equipped with the patented feature."

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald was quoted, saying: ‘‘We invest many millions of pounds in developing and patenting innovative and sophisticated engineering solutions which benefit our customers all over the world. We will not tolerate any copying or infringement of our intellectual property rights wherever in the world they occur.’’

The official JCB statement continued, "During operation of Loadall telescopic handlers fitted with JCB’s patented Longitudinal Load Moment Control (LLMC) system, sensors monitor the weight being retained on the rear axle. If the sensors detect the rear axle weight is reducing past a pre-set threshold, then the system gradually locks out the hydraulics to prevent further weight being transferred from the rear axle to the front, therefore avoiding the machine tipping forward.

"To allow operators to drive continuously without any loss of productivity, JCB has a patented feature on its LLMC system that automatically disengages the device while the machine is moving (EP 2 263 965). This feature prevents JCB’s telehandlers unnecessarily locking out the hydraulics and giving false indications of instability when the machine is simply re-handling or travelling over rough ground. It is the use of this feature the French court has ordered Manitou to cease by March 13th. The court also ordered Manitou to pay costs in the case."

However following the publication of JCB's statement, Manitou issued their own, wanting they said, to make some "corrections and clarifications".

Manitou's statement read, "Firstly, the judge dismissed JCB's application for interim injunctive relief on the first patent.

"The decision of the court relating to the second patent, to which JCB’s press release refers has no impact on the business of Manitou BF, its dealers or equipment users.

"Indeed, this preliminary decision applies to control systems (LLMC) incorporated in certain models produced and sold before August 2017. These models were discontinued in August 2017 and are no longer produced by Manitou BF, a fact that was acknowledged by the decision, which does not constitute a definitive first instance judgment and is wholly preliminary in nature. It therefore does not in any way prejudge the final outcome of the proceedings on the merits.

"Manitou BF has appealed the preliminary injunction order to which JCB’s press release refers."

According to Patrick Hanley, director of grounds care sales and service at JF Hanley Groundcare which is based at Ballydooley, Co. Roscommon, they are now stocking the CFMOTO UFORCE 1000, which is a 1000cc UTV (T1 homologated road legal) with bench seat, which will arrives in the next two weeks.

CFMOTO UFORCE 1000

Also the Quadzilla 150cc 2x4 ATV, a 300cc 4x4 ATV - both of these being T3 homologated so are road legal.

JF Hanley has the diesel 800cc UTV in stock, which uses a 3 cylinder Perkins engine.

This has been an exciting addition to the Quadzilla range and has allowed entry to the agricultural market in a big way.

Their Irish website is now up and running - www.cfmoto.ie with an increasing following on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

JF Hanley have their demonstrator ATVs and UTVs so that any new customer can try the products and get a good feel for the performance.

CFMOTO & Quadzilla plan to do more in Ireland, with new dealerships and have already starting exhibiting at shows.

They have already booked a stand for the National Ploughing Championship next September after our success there last year, where they will be able to show the majority of the range.

QUADZILLA® | CFMOTO Claim to be Britain and Ireland's largest importer of road legal and off road Quadricycles, ATVs and Buggies.

From small beginnings with just the R100 kid’s quad, they now offer a range of over 20 quad bikes, including agricultural workhorses with four wheel drive as well as UTVs.

CFMOTO are the world-class quality ATV manufacturer with over 25 years’ experience in manufacturing quad bikes. CFMOTO have over 50% market share in the ATV world across Europe and are available in over 72 countries worldwide.

All the premium quad features come as standard, unlike any other manufacturer. What you see is what you get. The winch, selectable 2 & 4WD, tow hitch, trailer hookup, smooth Canadian made CVTech auto gears and road legal as standard.

CFMOTO and Quadzilla core values are about engineering excellence, value and quality products.

Irish Grass Machinery (IGM) Ltd will be showcasing its professional range of groundcare equipment on Wednesday, March 6, from 9.30am to 4pm, at the National Sports Campus (NSC) in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

The equipment being demonstrated include: Kubota tractors and ride-on mowers, Trimax fine-turf roller mowers, Charterhouse turf and Astro turf maintenance equipment,

BLEC landscaping equipment, Ferris commercial zero-turn mowers, Wright stand-on mowers, Vermeer chippers, Little Wonder vacuums, and IGM’s range of Dolmar hand tools.

The run will begin at Dublin Port on Good Friday and travel to Longford before finishing in Kilkelly, Co. Mayo, on Easter Saturday evening.

According to the organiser Tom Lavelle, “A few of us got together last year and decided to try and raise some money for families we know who have less fortunate children”.

Promoting the run at Johnston Farm Equipment

With 20 tractors starting off last year in Dublin, a further 70 tractors rowed in along the route, raising a massive €96,000 for charity.

They also raffled off a vintage Massy Ferguson, which gathered a lot of support.

The two lucky charities last year were Crumlin Hospital and the Special Care Unit in Castlebar.

Build on success

This year, the tractor run will be finishing in Kilkelly, kick-starting a weekend of festivities.

They have a great line-up of performers such as country and western artistes Richie Remo, the Kilkennys and Robert Mizzell.

They will also will be raffling off a Massey Ferguson 135 on the night.

All proceeds raised go towards the Special Care Baby Units in Castlebar and in Mullingar and also to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.

The sponsors include Communicare Healthcare and the Grassmen.

To get involved in the tractor run or enter the draw for the Massey Ferguson 135, contact Tom Lavelle on 087-426 7070.

For more information, visit the popular Dublin2Mayo Facebook page which has around 3,700 followers & likes.

Royal Reesink, the parent company of Reesink Turfcare, has formed a partnership with Vincent Achten to create TurfTroniq, a company that will develop and deliver the technology for automated steering of Toro mowers to the UK and Ireland.

Roon Hylkema of Reesink Turfcare B.V. on the right with Vincent Achten, representing TurfTroniq, the company developing automated steering technology for Toro mowers

The collaboration with Vincent, who has more than a decade of experience in robotising mowers, is in response to customer interest for automated steering for Toro.

TurfTroniq has developed two types of system, both have been supplied to customers in Europe and ongoing trials continue: the Assisted Mowing System (AMS) is an advanced mowing aid and the Robotic Mowing System (RMS) is a fully automatic system which enables the machine to mow independently.

David Cole, managing director of Reesink Turfcare UK, said, “We’ve watched with interest the progress of this technology so far and it’s ever-evolving. TurfTroniq has developed a real understanding for where GPS control technology is, how it works and what needs to happen to deliver a reliable, safe and quality product to our customers.”

AMS automatically lowers the mower units and follows the pre-programmed mowing lines. All the operator has to do is turn the machine in front of the cutting line and the system takes over. There are several potential benefits to this approach, says David, predominantly that it can be used for training operators and eliminating ‘fairway creep’, raising the standard of the operator, their productivity and enhancing course presentation.

“AMS can be set-up by an experienced operator for a junior member of the team to complete the mowing to an extremely high standard,” David explains. “It gives the operator mowing experience, allows for machine familiarisation and helps with training. The skills of the more experienced operator can then be redeployed to more challenging and technical work rather than time consuming wide area mowing. And because the machine can follow exactly the same route each time, it eliminates ‘fairway creep’ and ensures the definition of the fairway remains the same cut after cut.”

The RMS meanwhile is a fully automatic system to enable the machine to mow independently using 3D camera technology to quickly detect obstacles in its path. David says: “This is a technology some of our customers tell us they are interested in and want to understand more about in terms of its potential place within their own particular maintenance regimes. With a focus on increased productivity through minimal overlap and repetitive mowing results, there’s no doubt a role for it in the turfcare maintenance of tomorrow. We look forward to engaging with customer opinion to understand further what place this emerging technology has for them in a practical sense and that’s where TurfTroniq is right now.”

Over the past several years, the systems have been installed on Toro fairway mowers and have been extensively tested and, according to TurfTroniq, proved to be very reliable. Systems are working in the field and continue to undergo rigorous testing in daily maintenance operations. Both systems are easy to use, and the progress of the machines can be monitored live with any smartphone.

This collaboration to develop GPS mowing technology for Toro mowers with Vincent’s experience supported by Reesink’s distribution network for the UK and Ireland, will ensure that Toro customers will soon be able to benefit from assisted and automated steering.

Roon Hylkema, director of Royal Reesink B.V, concludes:” The market is ready for this innovative technology and we are delighted to be able to make it available in the UK and Ireland.”

Joining a major tractor manufacturer as it prepared to stage its most ambitious presence at the LAMMA show this year proved a challenging “baptism of fire” for Argo Tractors new recruit Rachael Groves.

Rachael Groves

Her appointment in the new role of marketing coordinator meant organising every aspect of the show stand from working on the build schedule and ensuring the social media technology was up and running to staging two dealer meetings during the event.

“It was absolutely non-stop in the weeks leading up to the show and no two days were the same,” says Rachael. “But it was also very exciting to be part of a team putting on such an ambitious, modern and stylish exhibit of Landini and McCormick tractors at the show.”

Having been an active and very much involved member of her local Young Farmers Club in Yorkshire, Rachael cut her teeth in marketing at Sumo, the cultivations and drilling equipment manufacturer.

As for joining Argo Tractors, whose UK and Ireland operation is based at Harworth near Doncaster, it has been a real eye-opener, Rachel says. “I’d heard of the Landini and McCormick tractor brands, of course, but wasn’t aware of the business behind them; it’s huge – the group operates five factories making components such as axles, transmissions and complete cabs, and assembling the finished products before they are shipped around the World.

“There are ambitious plans to grow the business, especially in the UK and Ireland but also internationally, and it’s very exciting to be part of the team working to achieve that goal.”

Adrian Winnett, UK and Ireland managing director for Argo Tractors, said: “Rachael brought her energy and enthusiasm to our business just at the right time to help make our presence at the LAMMA show a great success. It involved an enormous effort and she was in the thick of it!

“I’m now looking forward to working with Rachael on all aspects of our marketing effort, including the other shows, technical events and open days that we’ll be participating in to promote the Landini and McCormick products in support our network of sales, service and parts dealers in the UK and Ireland.”

The Toro Co. have reported net earnings of $59.5 million, or $0.55 per share, on a net sales increase of 10 percent to $603 million for its first quarter ended February 1, 2019.

In the comparable fiscal 2018 period, the company delivered net earnings of $22.6 million, or $0.21 per share, on net sales of $548.2 million.

Adjusted 2019 first quarter net earnings were $55.2 million, or $0.51 per share, compared to adjusted net earnings of $52.1 million, or $0.48 per share in the comparable 2018 period, an increase of 6.3 percent, including $0.03 of acquisition related expenses in the quarter.

"Our professional businesses delivered another good quarter, led by strength in landscape contractor sales, increased golf and grounds channel demand, and positive momentum in our BOSS business,” said Richard M. Olson, Toro’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“New products were again the key to success, as customers responded favorably to the latest lineup of our Exmark, Lazer, and Radius zero-turn riding mowers, and the BOSS Stainless Steel XT V-Plow, which offers enhanced productivity and maneuverability for operators. Recent snow events in key regions also helped bolster sales of both professional and residential snow and ice management products in the quarter."