Partnership aims to deliver a better feed

THE CLAAS Harvest Centre network, the New Zealand distributor of high performance Trioliet Solomix mixer wagons, and leading nutritional consultants, Dairy Business Centre, have announced a partnership that will add significant value to New Zealand dairy farmers.

Under the arrangement, all existing and new purchasers of Trioliet mixer wagons will be offered subsidised consultancy services from Dairy Business Centre. The Ashburton-based consultancy firm already consults to about 60 dairy farmers throughout New Zealand. “Our goal is to maximise the profitability and productivity of our customers by making more informed decisions about supplementary feeding and farm management,” Managing Director, Neville Predergast, says. “This starts with maximising grass production, identifying potential nutritional gaps and then defining the most cost-effective solutions. Providing a structured approach to the planning, management and monitoring of any business enterprise is crucial to its overall success, particularly in the current environment.”

While most New Zealand dairy farms remain pasture-based, many farmers also supply maize silage or other concentres that have been produced off-farm. “A large percentage of NZ dairy farmers have moved from System 1 or 2 to System 3 or 4 production systems over the past decade alone,” Neville says. “This has been sparked by both the need and the desire to improve production. Rising land prices means that producers have to increase milk production to meet interest costs, and until recently, this has been assisted by good milk prices. Supplementary feeding has moved from providing a bit of silage during the shoulder period to being seen as a fundamental part of the farm management program to maximise profitability. Accompanying this has been a lot of investment in in-shed feeding systems, feed pads and mixer wagons. 

“We’re very excited to be involved to be involved in this partnership with CLAAS Harvest Centre. “It’s a great opportunity for our shared customers to review their overall farm management to help get the most out of their investment in technology and nutrition.”

Landpower Product Manager for JCB, Fliegl and Trioliet, Blair McAlwee, says mixer wagons are poised to become the next ‘big thing’ in the New Zealand dairy industry. “There is no doubt the use of mixer wagons will increase as nutritional programs become more advanced,” he says. “A mixer wagon is not just a machine, it represents a fundamental shift in the farm management system.”

Trioliet Solomix mixer wagons are available in a range of capacities from 10 to 46 cubic metres and single, double and triple vertical auger configurations to suit all herd sizes. “A mixer wagon differs from a feed-out wagon in that it thoroughly incorporates all the feed ingredients into a single ration so there less wastage and less opportunity for cows to sort, separate and reject ingredients,” Blair says. "Mixer wagons are typically used in combination with feed pads, which offer a very useful way of accumulating and recycling nutrients.”