ELDERS FarmFest opened yesterday to kick off Queensland’s biggest agricultural field days for its annual three-day program.
Located at Kingsthorpe, west of Toowoomba, day one included some new machinery releases and plenty of smiles from visitors from as far afield as Central Queensland and the Qld-New South Wales border region.
The event brings together around 2000 different companies to exhibit equipment and services, and pitches at broadacre croppers, livestock producers who are keen to see the latest on offer from Australian manufacturers and importers.
Both Case IH and John Deere have precision planters new to the Australian market on display at FarmFest 2023, which organisers have said is the biggest in its 49-year history.
Exhibitor Tom Davis had people talking about a new piece of gear, the Bale Runner, alongside his range of Kello-bilt disc ploughs.
It played into a theme common among exhibitors of producers looking for gear to improve their efficiency in a tight labour market.
“The Bale Runner can pick up up to four round cotton modules, and it takes off a lot of the requirement for additional staff at picking time,” Mr Davis said.
The prototype Bale Runner was developed by Goondiwindi cotton-grower Greg Mackay with assistance from leading Macintyre Valley grower David Coulton.
Mr Davis bought the initial design from Mr Mackay, and has engaged Toowoomba Engineering to fabricate the units.
“With one of these, you can have one person instead of three or four picking up bales, and it means less traffic on your country too.”
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- Kingaroy beef producers Rick and Tracey Williams catch up with Tracey’s cousin and exhibitor Lindsay Harley, Brisbane, at the Warwick Cattle Crush stand.
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- Jake Salomon (left) and Pat McCormack of McCormack Engineering, Aubigny, show Dalby grower Kingsley Chapman their new release, the CropHopper30 chaser bin.
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- RDO Emerald’s Richard Weston talks John Deere equipment with Lou Anderson, Toowoomba and until recently Theodore, with Lou’s son Trav Anderson, Theodore, and Tara grower Kieran Cook.
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- RDO Group planter specialist Stephen Frahm, Bundaberg, with the John Deere 1725C planter released at FarmFest 2023.
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- Offsider Ag principal David Hicks, Killarney, and Natalie Enlund, Brisbane, demonstrate a drop-floor meat sheep or goat handler that can hold up to eight Dorpers at once.
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- Advantage Feeders Oakey-based rep Duncan Stickels talks feeders with Mick Comerford and son Ben Comerford, Nobby.
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- Springsure grower Mark Wagner talks spray equipment with Croplands Toowoomba-based territory manager Dave Oliver.
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- Tom Davis talks Cotton Equipment with Nathan Dearling, Warwick.
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- Case IH product manager for seeding and tillage equipment Australia and New Zealand Andrew Kissel with the Early Riser 2110 planter released at FarmFest.
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- David and Emily-Jane Lewis with their daughters Aleigha and Isabel (standing), Meringandan, check out a Case IH 6150 harvester at FarmFest.
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- Westmar growers Maree and Graham Cover check out Control Unlimited aeration and electrical systems for grain storage with company principal Mark Conway.
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- Texas grower and beef producer Richard Lang with Granular Products Pittsworth-based territory manager for the Darling Downs and south-west Qld, Josh Lockwood, and Orange-based territory manager Al Hattersley.