INSIDE AGRI-TURF

Returning from a mid-season break, Chris reflects on some of the stories that have made news in recent weeks.

01:01 SHOWS: Reflections on the ever-changing show scene, and delightful memories about the origins of LAMMA by founders, Cliff Preston and John Sartain as it celebrates 40 years

17:03 TRACTOR PORN: The profile of the ag machinery industry shot up following the outing of an MP caught watching porn on his mobile, who claimed he was searching for tractor info

22:30 NO-MOW MAY: Did a laudable, but over-interpreted initiative, really cut through? Meanwhile opposition to the use of artificial grass is growing as RHS bans fake grass

WATCH LAMMA FOUNDERS FIRESIDE CHAT (split into 3 parts of approx 10 mins each)

Earlier this year, the Farmers Weekly published a list of the UK's biggest farm machinery dealers ranked by turnover.

Compiled for the FW by freelance journalist Peter Hill, the report makes for fascinating reading and confirms the rapid consolidation in the dealer network over the past few years. The report provides full details on the top 15 dealers, then outline information on a further 23 dealers with sales over £30m.

Interestingly, and uniquely, the dealer group in the number one spot is owned by a manufacturer.

The data is based on the 2020 accounts but subsequently a number of mergers and acquisitions have taken place which are noted in the report -and will mean that one dealer will almost certainly jump from No 12 spot to No2 if the report is to be repeated next year.

Peter describes the amount of work involved in compiling the list, and that he had to cross-check the details of almost 200 dealers before publishing the final list.

Read Farmers Weekly Britain's Largest Agricultural Machinery Dealers feature

After a long career with Honda, Martin Sanders is now assisting small businesses by providing business coaching and mentoring. In this podcast he explains the difference.

For many years, Martin headed Honda's Power Products Division, and then went on to become Chief Financial Officer and Chief Audit Executive of Honda Motor Europe until his retirement in 2020.

A trained accountant, Martin says that the most rewarding feedback and practical advice for businesses at the sharp-end, came from his time visiting and talking to dealers. And the most memorable yardstick or metric for judging business performance, the Lunchtime Test, came from a dealer.

He understands how difficult it is to switch off when running a family business, and that a pair of outside eyes can help business owners see 'the wood from the trees' when day-to-day challenges get in the way of strategic planning

Episode is 33 minutes

Website Martin Sanders – Business Coach and Mentor

How do you go about finding new staff for key roles in your company?

Finding the best people with the right qualifications and experience can be extremely time-consuming. You can either ‘do-it-yourself’ through advertising in the press or social media, or engage a specialist recruitment agency

In this episode, Stuart Goodison and Grace Nugent of agricultural specialists De Lacy Executive Recruitment talk about the role they play in unearthing candidates with the right skills and personality before presenting to clients for interview.

They say that the person is often more important than the role itself – and that companies should spend as much time on promoting themselves as a great employer as they do on selling the products and services they provide.

Episode is 34 minutes

De Lacy Executive Recruitment

I'm delighted to welcome as my guest, Mark Daniel, the Machinery Editor of New Zealand’s leading agricultural journal, Rural News Group.

Many in the British agri-turf industry will remember Mark from his time representing Rustons Engineering, E P Barrus and Claas UK before he left for New Zealand with his family in 2002.

Mark initially worked for a couple of New Zealand's largest dealerships before being appointed to his present role of Machinery Editor for Rural News Group in 2015

A Welshman, Mark now lives and works in the small coastal community of Raglan near Hamilton on North Island, and I spoke to him about the current farming scene in New Zealand, particularly the challenges of coping with the pandemic, as well as the relationship of the farming community with the current Labour administration in New Zealand dedicated to pushing a 'green agenda'

For reference of UK listeners, many of the figures Mark quotes are in NZ dollars – currently worth around 2 $NZ to the pound sterling.

Rural News Group, New Zealand

Do hire and sales mix - or are they different business models?

Dealers often stock a few specialist machines to hire, or loan machines to cover breakdowns.

However, they tend to view hire as time-consuming and risky with excessive paperwork to cover health and safety issues. They also believe hire takes away sales opportunities.

Max Pearce sees things differently. He runs a plant hire company in Southampton and recently bought a local garden machinery dealership - and now runs both businesses side-by side as one company.

He tells Chris Biddle about the benefits of an additional, and complementary, income stream - and of providing a valauble service to the cruise ship sector.

Chris first reflects on the way firms like Cazoo and Cinch have disrupted the established second-hand car market - and wonders whether 'disruptors' might have an impact on the agri-turf machinery sector

Exsel Plant Hire

QUOTING former Russian Agricultural Minister, Alexander Tkachev, the organisers of YugAgro, the largest Russian farm machinery exhibition, say that Russia needs ".. at least 180,000 new tractors and 80,000 new combines" to fill the gap in Russia's total farm machinery pool which has shrunk by more 50% in the last decade.

No wonder major US and European manufacturers have ramped up their presence in Russia over the past 10-15 years. It is a country with huge farming potential, which has been starved of the machinery and new technology it needed to make the most of its natural resources.

Manufacturers such as CLAAS, John Deere, CNH Industrial and AGCO have invested huge sums to establish state of the art production facilities, training and service support in a country where the sheer size of the region presents considerable logistical challenges.

Today everything has come to a shuddering halt. Sanctions have been imposed and most leading manufacturers have announced that they are halting supplies as a result of Russia's decision to invade and wage war on neighbouring Ukraine, a democratic, independent country.

Chris Biddle looks at their presence in the Russian market, and the difficult position they find now themselves in. He also quotes a Ukrainian arable farmer who says "Today I'm farming wheat , tomorrow I might be shooting Russians" - and who has already modified his farm truck to mount a machine gun.

However, Chris preludes his analysis with a few words on the day that the Russians came to his home City armed with one of the worlds deadliest nerve agents - and ends by considering whether we need to re-consider our food self-sufficiency in the UK.

Time stamps

(01:08) The Salisbury poisonings

(04:54) Russian farm machinery fall-out and short-fall

(19:56) Release more land, grow more food.

Source documents

YugAgro show market analysis

Russian Agri-business (US International Trade)

Press releases from Rosspetsmash (Russian Ag Machinery Association)

Challenges for Ukraine farmers (Sunday Times)

The agri-turf machinery industry will always be stronger with manufacturers and dealers working in harmony to provide customers with the best possible buying and support experience.

But as the industry and technology evolves, what factors might impact on the future shape of the UK dealer network in the years ahead?

In this Agri-Turf Talks episode hosted by Chris Biddle, a panel comprising James Tuckwell managing director of multi-branch John Deere dealership Tuckwells, David Withers , managing director of Iseki UK and Howard Pullen, Board Member of European dealer association CLIMMAR share their thoughts.

But first the panel considers the likely impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a fertile market for used tractors and machinery and the wider industry implications.

The topics discussed are:

(6:06)   Ukraine

(10:14) Prospects for new dealerships?

(14:23) What makes a good dealer and supplier?

(18:12) Availability of funding and dealer contracts

(23:27) Long line dealers and niche opportunities

(29:55) Challenges of dealer expansion

(36:03) Staffing for new technology

(41:32) Creating the right image

LINKS

https://www.climmar.com

https://www.iseki.co.uk

https://www.tuckwells.com

How well does the agricultural engineering industry present its Environmental Credentials?

It is an industry that spans many disciplines aside from tractors and farm machinery. It encompasses horticulture, soil science, water quality, forestry, food processing, sports and recreation, renewable energy, robotics - and much more.

A panel drawn from across the industry discuss the challenges and opportunities for getting a positive message to young people - and the wider world. The panel is

Caroline Drummond MBE, Chief Executive of LEAF (Linking Environment with Farming)

Charlie Nicklin, Chief Executive of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, (IAgrE)

Marion Perrett-Pearson, Senior Agricultural Advisor at Severn Trent Water

Chris Gibson, managing director GGM Groundscare Ltd

LEAF UK

IAgrE

Severn Trent Water

GGM Groundscare

The annual Doe Show, staged by the multi-branch dealership, Ernest Doe Ltd has been held every year since 1960.

The 2020 show, and always held during the first week of February, was staged a few weeks before the Government announced a complete lockdown due to the spreading pandemic. Determined to keep the show on the road, Ernest Doe Ltd sales director Graham Parker and his team started to make plans for the 2021 show - whatever the ever-changing restrictions.

Graham describes how they put together a very different event in 2021, and still had to juggle Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for the February 2022 show as a second wave of Covid arrived.

In the event, the shows survived - and resulted in record returns. Graham tells of fluctuating plans, sleepless nights, new technology and visitor feedback.

The episode also reflects on the recent panel episode on recruitment and previews a forthcoming episode on proving the industry's environmental credentials

Episode is 30 minutes

Ernest Doe Company

Landbased Engineering website

Inside Agri-Turf website and all previous episodes