Rise of the machines in Moscow

The long-awaited Agrosalon 2016 farm trade fair took place in Moscow. Farmers from all over the country arrived to see the latest achievements in farm machinery building, evaluate and compare different machinery units.

From morning till closing hours, there was not a vacant spot at AgroCentre’s booth: new visitors coming, previous visitors lingering, not hurrying to leave, as there was so much to look at and so much to discuss. The Fendt 933 tractor cabin was not empty for a minute either. This machine is any farmer’s dream, the guests were simply gravitated to it.

‘The dream of becoming a Fendt owner has come true for a lot of our customers this year’, says Nikolay Ivanishchev, Director General of AgroCentre. ‘Among the buyers are big companies, such as RosAgro and Russky Yachmen, as well as small-scale farming enterprises. Everybody highly admired the premium-class machinery.’

AGCO is determined to amaze its brand fans next season by unveiling a unique machinery unit – the 1000 Series Fendt tractor with the output of 450-510 hp. Although it is not possible to see the actual model in Russia yet, several machines have already been sold by ‘picture image’ only. The advantages of this machine are so obvious that they do not require any additional proof.

‘We are planning to take up quite a big market share in the high-power tractor segment’, says Nikolay Ivanishchev, ‘therefore, the price for 1000 Series tractors is quite attractive.’

By the way, AGCO offers an exclusive Black edition of this fully optional model featuring leather salon, which rather reminds of a luxury vehicle. The first prospective owners of this extraordinary machine have already applied for it.

The novelties also included the medium-power Massey Ferguson 6713 tractor (130 hp). The company is planning to set up a production line of this machine in Russia to make it eligible for the subsidy programme. Currently, about 70% of AgroCentre’s clients take advantage of the beneficial financing programmes offered by AGCO and JCB.

Vaderstad made the guests of the trade fair happy when the Tempo R precision planter got the Silver Medal of Agrosalon.

‘This planter has been in the lineup since 2013’, says Philip Westman, Eastern Europe Sales Manager. ‘It has been constantly upgraded. The model ensures exceptional precision of sugar beet planting at the fantastic speed of 18-20 km/h. These are revolutionary changes the farming industry has been waiting for a decade.’

Vaderstad also offers a 2,200-litre fertiliser hopper mounted to the front linkage of the tractor. The hopper can be combined with the Tempo R planter as well as any other cultivator. The metering system the unit is equipped with can be used with standard seed drills, which ensures extra-precise distribution of fertiliser.

JCB debuted three loader types: JCB 541-70 Agri telehandler, JCB 225 mini skid steer loader and JCB 434S wheeled loader perfect for silage compaction. It also showcased eight types of attachments for all kinds of the presented equipment, including the new higher-capacity silage shear.

‘The higher capacity significantly reduces the mixing time’, points out Roman Vityazev, Attachment Sales Business Manager of JCB Russia. ‘It is very handy for large farms.’

The JCB 541-70 Agri stands out for its load-bearing and stability. There is also instant steer selection between three modes for easy operation: two-wheel steer, four-wheel steer and crab steer. The loader has a tight turn radius and great manoeuvrability. The JCB 225 mini skid steer loader is no less manoeuvrable.

‘It is the highest-performance mini skid steer loader’, says Semyon Kostin, Agri Machinery Sales Brand Manager of JCB Russia. ‘Parallel lift helps to keep loads level throughout the lift cycle and avoid spillage, side-entry design allows the operator to work quicker if he has to get out of the cabin often.

A lot of visitors showed interest in the stabilised Farm Master loader with higher engine performance. It can haul 10-12 tonnes of green silage and distribute it at the same time. Moreover, automatic locking differentials on front and rear axles eliminate slippage completely.

Kverneland unveiled its latest design at the trade fair – the U-Drill+ seed drill combination. It features a front wheel packer levelling the soil and a following disc harrow, which prepares the seedbed. The disc harrow is followed by an off-set wheel packer, which levels and packs the soil, then go the CD-coulters with 12.5-cm row spacing and depth guidance and press wheels. The hopper is divided lengthwise into two sections: 60% for seeds, 40% for fertiliser. The fertiliser can be applied either directly in the seeding row or in between two rows.

Sharing his impressions about the trade fair, Ivan Rashchupkin, a farmer from Omsk oblast, pointed out that apart from being a showcase of interesting machines, Agrosalon provides a unique opportunity to meet industry colleagues and specialists from various regions, obtain invaluable information and express the gratitude to AgroCentre for the quality service.

‘We started cooperating with AgroCentre a year ago’, says the farmer. ‘The guys do a great job: if necessary, they will work day and night to fix a problem.’

The fact that currently, AgroCentre is putting special focus on developing recently opened branch offices in Siberian region gives us well-grounded confidence that the service quality will keep on improving.