Spring has sprung

There is a stretch in the evenings, and the Six Nations are heading for the final furlong with the winning posts in sight. St Patrick’s Day is a matter of a few weeks away. The first quarter of 2024 is done!
I don’t know about your houses but in ours, the Christmas decorations are still at the end of the stairs awaiting their visit to the attic for their summer vacation. The last few months have passed by with such speed that if time continues to go by at this pace, I don’t think I will bother putting them in the attic at all! 

I think as we get older, time goes by quicker. And, as farmers – as season watchers – maybe we live life at a faster pace? I once said to a friend of mine that it is like we are on a treadmill, frantically running to achieve something but remaining in a static position of stress, strain, running operations, and paying bills…and repeat. Is this life? Just getting from day to day, month to month, and year to year? Well, readers, I don’t know how relevant this month’s rant is but we all need to offload sometimes, to clean out the mind, and get a fresher perspective. 

Now, down to the business in hand. I was away for a few days in February and met up one evening with two farmers – one from the UK and the other from Germany. As we sipped our cold beers in the evening sun, naturally all things turned to farming and farming issues, farm protests, commodity prices, farming among the many sanctions being put in place. The most extraordinary thing was that if I asked them to write down six things affecting them and their businesses, and I did the same, there would be little if any difference in the issues outlined (despite the UK no longer being in the EU). The universal crisis facing farmers worldwide from India to Italy to Ireland is the exact same – dominated by poor commodity prices, high input costs, and the demand for cheap food.

On the machinery front I see that more GPS units were stolen in the first few weeks of 2024 than in the whole of 2023. Thieves are now more interested in stealing technologies than tractors as there is an instant market for this kit. So, farmers and contractors, please photograph your kit and log the serial numbers!

CNH Industrial has reported a turnover growth of 5 per cent over 2023. Its agri brands are New Holland, Case and Steyr.

Farmhand, Irish importers of Amazone machinery, has announced a new finance package on all machinery – except sprayers. Check in with your local Amazone for details.
I attended a Hennessy Auctioneers’ machinery auction at the end of February. More than 1,000 lots were on offer and trade was brisk showing the ever popularity of these types of auctions. Something that caught my eye a few weeks ago, now being imported in to Ireland from India by Noel Turley Auto Sales in Co. Galway is a Indian-built electric quad – the Powerland Tachyon. I will have more on this at a later date but this could be an ideal fit on dairy farms and could become a real contender in the future.

Until next month, my friends, farm safely and farm wisely.