Forage harvester's efficiency drives profitability

Improved forage harvesting technology drastically enlarges the silage surface area. This improves the product, benefitting farmers and harvesting contractors, says Stehan Cloete.

- Stehan Cloete

Efficiency in a grain, fruit or poultry operation is often measured in terms of the lowest production cost per ton. (In a dairy, it is the lowest cost per litre of milk.)

All farmers would agree on the importance of efficiency to profitability. At the same time, many feel that owning a tractor is a hallmark of being a farmer. However, managing a fleet of tractors is not always the best way to improve efficiency. The focus should instead be on the production system as a whole.

In the light of this, a fully-fledged mechanisation contracting solution may be what is needed to further optimise a farming operation.

Contract harvesting is not new, of course, to the South African farmer. Scale largely determines the type of equipment that a farmer can afford, while a contractor is just a phone call away.

Soya bean, in particular, requires a capacity to harvest the crop in a narrow window. However, South Africa’s contract harvesting model does not necessarily warrant investing in the latest technology; this means that many contractors use older, well-maintained equipment that does not operate at the highest efficiency curently available.

In the US, we see a different approach. Here, large equipment manufacturers develop their new combine harvesters in collaboration with contractors.

DAIRY VS GRAIN