Drought feeding preparations are moving to a new level on increasing numbers of livestock properties if sales trends for big feed mixers are any indicator.
Traditionally tub mixers and trailed mixer wagons are the sort of serious gear mostly found on feedlots or dairy farms where supplementary mixed ration preparation is a daily procedure, but drought-pressured mainstream beef and sheep producers have driven a surge in sales in the past few years.
"We have a broad spectrum of customers, including feedlots, but ordinary producers have contributed largely to our year-on-year sales growth since we started importing this range," said Brisbane-based Luke Rowney at Chesterfield Australia.
Chesterfield's Faresin Industries Australia, sells the Italian-made, tractor-powered Faresin mixer wagon ranging in capacity from five to 46 cubic metres, and priced up to about $200,000.
Faresin also builds Europe's biggest selling self propelled mixer.
Since making its fortuitously timed move into the local market five years ago Faresin's Australian venture has signed up 50-plus dealers and is now springboarding into New Zealand.
The advanced producer is always looking at new ways to lift efficiency, so we think this sort of feeding solution will be popular into the future
- Luke Rowney, Faresin Industries Australia
"It's good to be dealing with so many first-time customers looking to make the most of their feed options, but unfortunately it's often for the wrong reasons at the moment," said Mr Rowney, the business development manager.
"The drought certainly has been a sad state of affairs for a lot of people, however we see controlled mixing solutions benefiting farmers and their livestock for a long time after the season breaks."
As dry conditions persisted, cattle and sheep owners saw value in making more prescriptive use of hay, grain, cottonseed or other nutritional options open to them to keep their livestock healthy, optimise weight gains, and improve milk production in breeders.
Introducing mixed ration feeding into troughs or feed bins was also less wasteful than putting out hay or grain onto the ground where a good proportion may be trampled and lost.
"The advanced producer is always looking at new ways to lift efficiency on-farm, so we think this sort of feeding solution will be popular into the future," Mr Rowney said.
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Inlon's sales and marketing director, Gary Surman, agreed.
Producers were employing professional nutrition advice and becoming experts themselves at making best use of ingredients like cottonseed or unusual roughage products which had not been on their radar until the drought set in.
"We're seeing people recognising how these benefits will extend into their long-term management," said Mr Surman, whose company is a prominent European machinery importer and has sold German-made Strautmann mixers and feed out wagons for more than a decade.
Last year at AgQuip he sold a 12.5 cubic metre Strautmann mixer within half an hour of the big field days opening, and inquiry continued steadily at last week's event in dusty North West NSW.
We're dealing with ordinary livestock producers who see the benefit of using mixers to maintain weight, keep stock alive or finish them off for market.
- Gary Surman, Inlon
Inlon's Strautmann mixer range extends from 10.5 to 30 cubic metre models.
"The past few years have been a rising cycle of sales - up by more than 50pc each year," he said.
"At AgQuip we're dealing with ordinary livestock producers who are not necessarily big operators, but they see the benefit of using mixers to maintain weight, keep stock alive or finish them off for market.
"We sell machines every month, but I'd actually like to get more into the country if I could."
To help ease farmers' drought spending costs, PFG Australia, was offering three-year finance terms on a 10 per cent deposit for its Canadian-built Jaylor mixers, which typically attract buyers in the $45,000 to $115,000 price range.
"We try to do what we can to fit into a customer's financial needs, especially given feeding costs have become a big expense," said Melbourne-based PFG territory manager, Craig Climo.
"Many people with access to a bit of roughage and grain are looking for alternatives to their usual drought feeding program.
"Others are just changing the way they finish sheep or young cattle these days."
Somebody struggling to buy the hay they need to feed stock is not always so game to spend another $100,000 on a mixer, even if they want to
- Garth Simpson, Parkes Steel
However, Garth Simpson at Parkes Steel said while more "average farms" were joining lot feeders in using mixer wagons to help get through the drought, the cost challenge of buying new machinery on top of their current feed bills was not easy.
"Somebody struggling to buy the hay they need to feed stock is not always so game to spend another $100,000 on a mixer, even if they want to," he said.
Parkes Steel began importing the Italmix vertical trailed mixer wagon range 10 years ago to complement its roller mill manufacturing business.
"There's a percentage of people just thinking about their feeding plans during the drought, but they will also have a tool that should be handy in good times to put a premium finish on their stock."
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