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Brian and Chris Hughes with their two new Case IH Optum 300s.
Having worked as a diesel mechanic, often on Case IH machinery, Brian Hughes was familiar with the agricultural industry and looking around the Invercargill region where he was based, saw an opportunity for contracting in the sector.
In 1986, a change in direction saw Hughes Contracting established with one Case IH tractor. Fourty years later the business is still going strong, with a staff of around fifty and a fleet of thirty tractors. It also runs a host of other equipment including trucks, excavators, harvesters, balers and loaders.
Hughes Contracting is one of the larger agricultural contracting businesses in Southland, with depots at Waimatua and Browns, providing a range of services including cultivation, planting and harvesting baleage and silage, providing feed supplies, cartage and excavating and all types of effluent disposal.
With Brian’s son Chris now at the helm, the operation has recently taken delivery of two new Case IH Optum 300s to complement other Optums and Pumas in the fleet. Having used Case IH tractors since Brian started his business, the brand has delivered the performance and reliability that their busy operation requires, while also helping establish an enduring relationship with local dealer, Agricentre South, in Invercargill.
“The Optums are such a versatile tractor and although we had used bigger models previously, the Optums have enough power to manage all our heavier tasks while still being flexible enough to manage everything else we need. The new duo will predominately be used for grass mowing with 10m mowers, so there’s plenty of work ahead of them,” says Brian.
After a favourable winter for agriculture in his region, they we’re looking forward to a good season ahead, meaning the new tractors should soon be earning their keep.
In the 40 years the business has been running, Brian has had a frontrow seat to the evolution of agricultural machinery, so he and Chris welcome the benefits the increasingly sophisticated technology of today provides.
“There’s been big changes with the tractors over the years, so it’s hard to see where they’re going next. Every time a new one arrives, we say, ‘how are they going to improve on this?’ but they always do,” Brian says.
“Over the years, the improvements that stand out for me, are the standard of the cabs, particularly the levels of comfort and noise, for operators who work long hours. We have also seen huge improvements in efficiency with things like the arrival of CVT transmissions delivering improved fuel economy, which is a big thing for operations like ours, where you’re running so much machinery at any one time.”
Precision agriculture features are also rated highly by Chris, who credits the likes of GPS optimisation and guidance with greater accuracy and fuel savings. Currently, around half of the tractor fleet now runs AccuGuide to provide hands-free automated steering.
Dealer Agricentre is also working with the business on greater traceability and insights around the tractor fleet, currently in the process of connecting the entire fleet to Case IH FieldOps. This seamlessly connects and integrates agronomic insights and machine performance data, providing users with a comprehensive overview of their operations and fleet, from anywhere with a mobile or Wi-Fi connection.
Richard Clapperton of Agricentre South says this will provide the business with real-time machine location, machine parameters, alongside provide proof of placement for fertiliser and slurry application. “Their fleet will also be visible to Agricentre, giving us the ability to plan scheduled servicing as well as monitoring tractor alerts.”
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