The results of the December 2017 CSO Livestock Survey show that the number of cattle was 6,673,600 an increase of 60,200 (+0.9%) on December 2016. The number of Dairy cows increased by 48,100 (+3.7%), while other cows fell by 23,700 (-2.3%).

Cattle two years and over (excluding cows and bulls) increased by 18,400 (+4.6%) The CSO also reported that in June last total sheep numbers were up by 73,700 (+1.4%) to 5,252,900.

The early winter in 2017 and late spring this year has again highlighted the need for adequate forage stocks of good quality to cater for our increasing livestock numbers.
Farmers short of forage had to purchase expensive fodder and concentrates often of mediocre quality and also suffered from reduced milk yield and poor liveweight gains.

Farmers who had surplus silage during this period literally did cash in on their spare forage stocks whether it was bales of silage, haylage, grass or maize silage in clamps. Conserving extra silage is a good investment as any silage will last another year if it is safely stored.

It appears that an increasing number of livestock farmers are investing in smaller balers to handle their surplus grass as an aid to good grassland management. Agri contractors can expect to receive a lot more work this year as farmers attempt to conserve more silage and attempt to build up forage reserves.

John Sheehy, National Chairman of the Association of Farm Contractors of Ireland (FCI) told the association’s conference recently that their members employ close to 10,000 skilled operators and used more than 500m litres of diesel annually.

The number of tractors, he said, used by contractors is about one-third of the national tractor fleet or more than 20,000 to carry out their work.

According to the FCI their machines harvest more than 5 million bales of silage each year along with spreading more than 20 billion litres of slurry, as well as establishing and harvesting many different food crops.

However there is a major skill shortage in contracting. Since the downturn younger workers have been emigrating to Australia and elsewhere with their friends who were electricians and plumbers.

Since the economy has improved more young rural people are working in the construction sector in Ireland where they can earn more money and are guaranteed work all year round. So no wonder the trend is to higher HP tractors, bigger slurry tankers and mixer wagons which can get more work done quicker with the available labour.

During 2017, more than 84% of all new tractors registered here in the Republic had more than 100hp. Just over 50% had more than 120hp. The main manufacturers and importers of self-propelled silage harvesters say it has been a good year for them despite the long winter. Last year it was reported that 38 machines were sold here, a 26% rise on the 2016 figure of 30. It is expected that the 2018 number could be over 40.

Forage wagons and over the past number of years there has been an increased interest in the concept of zero grazing. This machine allows farmers to graze distant fields or soft ground and bring the valuable grass home to their hungry livestock. 90% of customers are dairy farmers and according to Teagasc National Farm Survey their average incomes were €86,115 last year.

Reesink Turfcare has announced the amalgamation of the Nurney-based Professional Machinery Services (PMS) business into Reesink Turfcare IRE Ltd, as part of its investment plans for its Ireland business structure.

Reesink reached an agreement with the directors of PMS, Michael and Michelle Fleming, which sees them both join the Reesink customer service team at Reesink’s Ireland premises, also in Nurney, Co Kildare.

Reesink managing director in Ireland, Richard Harris, centre, welcomes Michael and Michelle Fleming to Reesink’s customer service team at Reesink’s Ireland premises, in Nurney, Co Kildare

PMS was an independent authorised Toro service centre for 13 years, and Michael has been technically involved with the Toro brand for almost 20 years. He joins Reesink in the role of operations manager to oversee technical support services directly to customers in the South Leinster area, and to the broader network of existing authorised Toro service centres. Michelle provides a similar focus, taking up the role of service and parts administrator.

Michael comments: “Both Michelle and I are looking forward to combining dealership, technical and customer relations experience with the resource of Reesink to help further strengthen and grow the brand in Ireland.”

This is just the start of Reesink’s investment in the brand in Ireland as Reesink managing director in Ireland, Richard Harris, explains: “The addition of Michael and Michelle to the team is a great step forward for our plans to invest in experience and it won’t stop there. We expect to recruit additional technical roles, and also add a demonstrator to the team this year to enhance both our customer service and enquiry response times.

“Our investment plans for business growth has customer support at its foundation. Therefore, we are very pleased to have been able to recruit two experienced people with a strong reputation for customer service and extensive experience with the Toro brand built up over many years. Growing the team like this enhances our support for Toro fine turf and grounds customers in Ireland.”

Roon Hylkema, managing director of the Reesink Turfcare parent company in The Netherlands, concludes: “We see a long-term opportunity for Reesink and the Toro brand going hand-in-hand with an improving economic and investment outlook in Ireland. With parts and equipment on site and highly qualified service technicians, we will be in a position to maintain customer satisfaction levels on a par with all our European operations.”

Figures published by the CSO (Central Statistics Office) reveal that 2,453 second-hand tractors were licensed in the Republic of Ireland last year. Most or all of these 2,453 used tractors were imported during 2017.

This increase in used tractor imports has been the case since the Brexit referendum in the UK caused the value of sterling to plunge, making used tractors from Britain and Northern Ireland cheaper to buy for Irish farmers.

This situation contrasts with the scenario seen in 2016 (and previous years), whereby sales of new tractors outstripped imports of second-hand units. Between 2016 and 2017 there was a rise of nearly 30% in the number of second-hand tractors licensed for the first time.

From a dealer perspective second tractor sales are attractive as there are no trade-ins involved. These tractors can also be hired out during the winter to work mixer wagons and during the summer to contractors making silage and short of HP.

Another reason in my opinion why these imports are popular is that these tractors often come off large farms in Britain where they are well maintained by Irish standards and are working in a drier climate.

In 2016 New Holland (21%) topped the market for new tractor sales, followed by Massey Ferguson (20%) and John Deere (19%) in that order. However the opinion from the machinery trade indicates that Massey Ferguson was the market leader last year (2017) in the new tractor sales league.

Most new tractors were sold in Co. Cork last year-a total of 206 units. Next was Co. Tipperary, with a tally of 151. The trend over recent years has seen a switch to higher HP tractors. The most popular is the 101-120hp segment, with 34pc of all new tractors. Next is the 121-150hp segment, with 30pc of all new tractors.

One sales man I spoke to at the FTMTA Grass & Muck event told me that it was easier to sell the more expensive tractors as farmers and contractors like the higher spec and are prepared to pay for same.

According to the Teagasc national farm survey for 2017 the average dairy farmer earned a record €86,115 last year on foot of a strong upturn in dairy prices globally. Writing off a new tractor against tax is an attractive option for them.

Tillage farmer incomes were along way behind as were beef and sheep farmers earnings. So the top customers for new tractors tend to be dairy farmers and Agri contractors doing silage and other work for them. Other farmers have to settle mainly for used tractors.

The first issue of Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland was sent on Monday last week - and was met with excellent open rates.

The inaugural issue, specifically targeted for independent specialist dealers in the Republic, was opened by around 43% of recipients - which for a business-to-business newsletter are great numbers.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We were very pleased at the reception given to Service Dealer in Ireland by our colleagues here.

"The UK version averages just over a 50% open rate (which is very high) - so I think that this is a great start for the Irish edition. It certainly looks like the concept has gone down fairly positively, proving as we suspected, there is the demand for a title dedicated to the independent dealer sector.

"The most read story in the first issue was about how demand for mulchers and robot mowers is growing in Ireland - so it seems like groundscare matters will prove popular with the readership."

Major Equipment Intl Ltd have announced that they have been shortlisted in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) awards.

The finalists represent a broad spectrum of Irish industries including manufacturing and life sciences sectors. The awards are now in their 21st year with 24 companies selected to compete across three categories.

The company has been shortlisted in the International category in recognition of their growth over the past ten years. Exports account for over 70% of Major Equipment’s revenues and markets for the Major range of equipment include mainland Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Commenting on the announcement Áine Lecky, Financial Director, Major Equipment Intl Ltd said, "This is a huge honour and a fantastic boost for the team at Major. This nomination is an acknowledgment of our staff's commitment and hard work over the years. We look forward to participating in the judging process and meeting the other companies involved.”

The category winners and the overall 2018 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award winner will be announced in Dublin in October.

For the full announcement and list of 24 finalists click here.

John Deere has announced a new official supplier agreement with the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), to further support the association’s vision of being the leading organisation for club management educational programmes.

The CMAE is a non-profit professional association for club manager education.

“We are delighted to partner with the CMAE and so make ourselves available to its membership for advice and support,” says Carlos Aragones, John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager. “Continued education is a core pillar of the John Deere philosophy and we look forward to supporting the CMAE in its quest to increase club manager education across Europe.”

The CMAE’s director of education Torbjorn Johansson adds: “As the CMAE continues to grow and evolve we are always pleased to welcome industry leading brands such as John Deere. Our stated aim is to continue with our evolution and execution of educational programmes.”

Under the terms of the agreement, both organisations will begin working together on the lead up to the CMAE’s annual conference, which will take place in November this year in Marbella, Spain.

After being selected as the official mower at the two most recent FIFA World Cup’s in South Africa and Brazil, the 2018 tournament in Russia is the third successive World Cup that the Dennis G860 machine has been selected as the mower of choice.

88 Dennis mowers will have the task of preparing stadium and training complex pitches for the world’s greatest football players throughout the tournament while some venues will also utilise the Dennis Premier in conjunction with the G860 for matchday preparation.

7 of the 11 stadiums will use Dennis mowers, including those hosting the quarter finals, the semi-finals and the final, and 70% of the training camps will also be maintained by Dennis.

Steven Rienks, managing director of Queens Grass, who are the official Dennis dealer in Russia, has orchestrated proceedings and admits it is a proud moment for himself and his company.

“This is the greatest show on earth and is not just another contract. Yes, it is fantastic to be a part of it but it is also a responsibility,” he says. “After all, the quality of play depends on the quality of the pitch. But this is why the G860 has been chosen - due to the quality and the presentation it offers. They all want that perfect stripe which the G860 provides because they know it will be watched by a worldwide audience.”

However, the task of preparing the pitches is made slightly more difficult by unfavourable weather conditions, as Steven remarks: “In Russia, the weather is not ideal - for instance, in one area we only have around 60 days of sunlight over the course of a year. The interchangeable cassette system really helps with maintenance procedures in a difficult climate. Also, the mowing height may differ and the sandy materials on the pitches are different.”

While the games will no doubt attract billions of viewers worldwide, many will be oblivious to actually what goes into ensuring the pitch is up to the standards expected for a tournament as prestigious as the World Cup. Even before the pitch is prepared, contracts must be concluded and signed and Steven admits that it can be somewhat of a rigorous process.

“Russia is a whole different ball game and one of the attractions of working with companies such as ourselves is the fact that we have been working with the groundsmen at the stadiums since 2001. Russian clubs prefer to be supported by local companies that supply European machines but quick, straightforward contracts are hard to make.”

“Every offer was made specifically for each stadium and training complex and all were tendered by the Russian Government. Then of course there are the complications of dealing with an eastern European country - let us say that the customs and borders in Russia are an interesting challenge.

“It is not easy but of course it is fantastic to work at such a tournament. We love our profession and it is a nice challenge to have!”

Polaris Industries Inc. has been named for the first time to the Fortune 500. Making its debut on this prestigious list, the company ranked No. 496.

“Being named to the Fortune 500 is a tremendous honor and a true testament to the integrity, passion, and commitment to excellence of every Polaris employee,” said Scott Wine, chairman and CEO, Polaris.

“Building on the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders and with an eye towards strategic growth, Polaris has spent the last six decades leading the industry in innovation, shaping new markets, and working hard each day to create enjoyable experiences for our customers across the globe. Thanks to the hard work of our employees, the support of our riders and a strong partnership with our dealers, we have achieved this notable milestone, but this is just the beginning, and we are continuing our drive towards an incredibly bright future.”

In its 64th year, the Fortune 500 ranks U.S. companies by total revenues for their respective fiscal years. For more information about the list, please visit 

The most powerful version of a new three-model mid-range line of McCormick tractors made its debut on the H Fulton Tractors stand at the Balmoral Show recently.

The 126hp X6.55 is powered by a compact Deutz four-cylinder engine that has already proven itself in McCormick X4 tractors with 90-107hp outputs.

X6.55

In its new role, however, the 3.6-litre engine is tuned for 110hp, 119hp and 126hp, with exhaust gas after-treatment equipment installed to meet the latest ‘green’ emissions rules.

“These new models provide an attractive option for operators wanting extra power and performance over our X5 Series tractors but who are not ready for the jump to the X6.4 range,” explained Bob Bain, area sales manager for Northern Ireland with McCormick distributor AgriArgo UK & Ireland.

“With up to 126hp, a choice of transmission and pto packages, and a spacious but relatively low profile cab, the new models make an especially interesting proposition for small to medium size livestock farms,” he added.

Cab suspension will be available for the first time on a McCormick of this size and drivers get to enjoy an air suspension seat, a high-spec sound system with Bluetooth wireless connection, window wash/wipe front and rear, and a cab interior layout designed to place all frequently used controls within easy reach.

The smooth-acting power shuttle operated by a lever beneath the steering wheel can be adjusted for the way it responds to suit contrasting situations - such as field headland turns and repetitive loader work - and the regular transmission has 36 forward speeds, including three powershift steps for fingertip shifts under load.

Creep gears can be added if ultra-slow speeds are needed for specialist equipment and implements, and a simple 12x12 transmission with optional creep is also available for operators who do not need the full complement of gears.

With a 6 tonne capacity rear linkage, optional 2.25 tonne front linkage and pto, and a choice of regular and economy main pto configurations, the new company says the new X6.35, X6.45 and X6.55 tractors are well equipped for handling a range of livestock and tillage implements.