Better, faster hay balers and forage equipment

Rovic Leers recently showcased some of Krone’s latest baling and forage harvesting equipment at Boland Agricultural High School. Glenneis Kriel reports on its improved features and performance.

- Glenneis Kriel

February 2023 marked Rovic Leers' 25th year as official importer and distributor of the Krone brand, one of the world's leading designers and manufacturers of hay and forage equipment.

In celebration of this feat and to showcase Krone's latest technology, Rovic Leers hosted the Krone Extravaganza at Boland Agricultural High School near Paarl in the Western Cape.

Simon Dicks, marketing manager of Rovic Leers, says they identified the school as the preferred venue after the institution became the owner of a brand-new 1 000€ vineyard sprayer in January. The machine was sponsored by Rovic Leers in conjunction with Weskus Meganisasie, which will service and maintain the sprayer for the next three years.

"The Extravaganza exposed scholars to the latest technology, while the donation of the sprayer will give them first-hand experience of the operation and servicing of the machine. We've lent machinery to agricultural schools in the past, but this was the first time we gave it to a school," says Dicks.

On display at the Extravaganza were Krone's proven Comprima, Fortima and VariPack round balers, while the highlight of the evening was the launch of Krone's Generation 5 BiG Pack balers and BiG X 780 forage harvester. Marco Leying and Christian Holt of Krone's head office in Germany introduced this to the audience to the sound of Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger' and AC/DC's "Thunderstruck'.

BIG PACK BALERS

While Krone's Generation 5 BiG Pack Balers are undoubtedly impressive and handsome machines, their developers' main aims were to reduce the cost of ownership and increase operator efficiency, says Holt. The new balers are available in two models: the 1270, which has a chamber size of 120cm x 70cm, and the 1290, with a chamber measuring 120cm x 90cm.

The latter is available in a standard and high-density-pressure (HDP) version.