Friday, 29 January 2021 08:55

NZ ag machinery sector looks to brighter times

Written by Mark Daniel

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

TAMA president Kyle Baxter.

While some parts of the New Zealand economy have been damaged beyond repair by the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s ag machinery sector is not one of them.

“There is a large swath of businesses that continue to show massive resilience to everything that has being thrown at them in the past year,” Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president Kyle Baxter told Rural News. “With the agri sector, certainly one of the strongest performers.”

However, Baxter notes that many TAMA member companies are seeing first-hand the challenges that European suppliers have to deal with on a daily basis. This includes both regional and country-wide lockdowns that are changing on a daily / weekly basis, causing huge upheaval to supply chains – all of which is affecting supply to NZ.

At present, global shipping is causing the greatest upheavals for the industry. Baxter warns that this might result in delays to the supply of parts and equipment into and out of NZ during the first half of 2021.

“I encourage each of our members to discuss the impact of these potential shipping delays with staff and more importantly, their customers,” he says. “The sooner a business can identify potential supply problems, the more time they will have to look for alternative solutions to keep your customers operational.”

He also adds that the annual discussions around “indent ordering” appearing to be happening quite a bit earlier than previous years, with many customers already making a commitment on spring 2021 equipment to secure delivery in a timely manner.

Looking ahead, Baxter says the organisation is well into the planning of its second bi-annual TAMA Conference in Christchurch on 27 August. Running the theme of “Growing our World”, the event – with principal sponsor Rural News – will bring member companies up to date with industry trends, best practice and innovative solutions.

It will also see three Emerging Talent Awards presented for sales, parts & service staff working in the ag sector.

Additionally, TAMA is also looking to give boost to people just starting their careers in the industry. It recently announced scholarships for industry trainees, who are studying towards a certificate or diploma standards, the chance to pick up a $500 bonus. For more information visit: https://tama.org.nz/industry-training-scholarships/

More like this

Case IH launches new Tier 3 Puma Tractor at Fieldays

Case IH is expanding its popular Puma range in New Zealand, with a new model that was released at Fieldays.

Massey Ferguson 8S tractor makes history in Morocco Desert Challenge

It seems that tractor manufacturers will go to great efforts to promote the versatility and durability of their offerings, a recent example being a Massey Ferguson with an 8S tractor entered into the Morocco Desert Challenge.

LDV unveils all-new Terron 9 Elite ute

As if there wasn’t enough choice in the New Zealand ute market, LDV New Zealand is expanding its offering, by showcasing the all-new Terron 9 Elite at Fieldays.

John Deere acquires Sentera to boost smart farming capabilities

While tractors combines and machinery for agriculture and construction is still its key business, John Deere appears to be taking opportunities in the hightech sector via acquisition, with the recent purchase of Sentera, a Minnesota-based company that specialises in equipment for capturing and interpreting aerial images.

Fendt 600 Vario Series arrives in NZ

Released in New Zealand earlier in the year, the new Fendt 600 Vario series, serving the 150-200hp category, is a compact and manoeuvrable 4-cylinder tractor with high performance and payload, at a low power-to-weight ratio.

Featured

Big return on a small investment

Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.

$150B farm succession challenge looms for NZ agriculture

Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.

Meyer Cheese invests $3.5 million in state-of-the-art Waikato facility

Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.

Editorial: Sensible move

OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ wrap up M. bovis compensation support after $161M in claims

Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.

Farmers win as government scraps proposed Fringe Benefit Tax on utes

Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.