In 2006, the Vaderstad Company, in association with the Canadian Seed Hawk plant, launched the production of new Seed Hawk stubble field seeders. In 2007 they came onto the Russian market. Corporate leaders who have already tried the Seed Hawk machines on their fields voiced their opinions.
Super! Sergey Kozhanov, deputy director of Partner Farm LLC, Mikhailovsky district, Altai Territory. This farming complex is engaged in growing crops and cattle breeding. Its specialties are grains, oil seeds and fodders. It plans to increase its sown area to 22,000 hectares. By the coming winter, it is going to build up its livestock to 700 animals. “I see the performance of the Seed Hawk as excellent,” said Sergey Kozhanov. “A 12 metre seeder has been working at our complex since 2009. Seeding with simultaneous introduction of fertilisers is a hefty advantage of the Seed Hawk. Using it, this year we have sown 3,400 hectares. The essential thing in our droughty zone is to obtain copious shoots. I have never before seen such excellent results! That is why we recently acquired one more 18 metre Seed Hawk seeder.” Dreams come true! Yuri Kalinin, deputy director of Kadnikovskoye LLC, Mamontovsky district, the Altai Territory. The farm is engaged in growing crops and cattle breeding. Its specialty is growing rape for oilcakes and biofuel. The area under cultivation is 12,800 ha. The total cattle stock is 1,200 animals. “I’ve been dreaming of such a seeder for a long time!” says Yuri Kalinin. “In 2009, my dream came true. We bought two Seed Hawk seeders with a working width of 12 metres. This year, we’ve sown over 8,200 hectares. We are pleased with the seeding quality. The Seed Hawker seeders differ from others in that their parts wear down less. This reduces the cost of the machine’s servicing.” Three seasons that showed the things’ worth Igor Khromykh, leading agronomist of the Agrokultura LLC, Voronezh region. The company is engaged in growing crops. It specializes in grains and beans. The farmland is 14,000 ha. “We’ve been using the Seed Hawk for the third season,” says Igor Khromykh. “This year, we’ve sown 1,380 hectares. It’s convenient that the Seed Hawk can be used for seeding different crops. Its indisputably strong point is the ability to introduce seeds at an even depth, which gives even shoots.” All users of the Seed Hawk without exception point to fine results at optimal outlays. Performing several operations in a single go, the Seed Hawk saves time, reduces fuel consumption and retains moisture in the soil without disturbing its structure. The Seed Hawk seeding system is fitted with two colters arranged in a parallel series towards the seedbed, with a sharp cutting edge. This enables placement of fertilizers at an optimally safe distance from the seeds. Thus, the shoots get the required nutrients without risk of being “burnt.” Another special feature is the ability to operate on various soils. The seeder can work both on hard and sandy soils. The seeder is fitted with a single control panel with a monitor supplying various information. The operator can immediately learn the current seeding speed, the sown area and the dosage of seed and fertilizer introduction. In short, the Seed Hawk is a pro in its class!
Peter Swinnerton, chief test engineer and designer of the JCB Landpower Company, is engaged in testing JCB Fastrac tractors. One of Peter’s colleagues invited him to a fancy-dress party on the occasion of his 40th birthday. Browsing the Internet site about transformers suggested the idea of this costume. Peter spent hours in the garage inventing the JCB transformers. He utilised rubber gloves, an old rucksack, a helmet, and bicycle headlights. When the fully outfitted Peter kneels down, he turns into a sort of Fastrac tractor.
Straightening out, he instantly becomes a robot.
Since 2007, the AgroCentre has been supplying the Russian agricultural market with after-harvesting equipment manufactured by the North American AG Growth Group of Companies . Sergey Lomantsov, head of the grain technologies division of the AgroCentre Company, introduced the participants to machines and equipment for each stage of grain storage; from receivers and transporters to actual elevators.
After that, AgroCentre managers attended an operating elevator of EkoNivaAgro with a storage capacity of 32,000 tonnes of grain. The participants viewed Twister grain storage silos, each with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes, already in operation, as well as those under construction. The chief advantage of the concept employed is the absence of an embedded foundation, thereby saving time and money. Two grain dryers also drew much attention. The first one, Delux, with an output of 7 to 127 tonnes per hour, is designed for processing “coarse” crops. The second, Grain Handler, processes seeds. The modular construction of Grain Handler allows adjustment of sections for increasing the output. For example, an eight section machine operates at a rate of 13 tonnes per hour, and a twenty-two section model, at 112 tonnes per hour. The managers of AgroCentre spent quite some time at the seed production plant studying the operation of automated lines of the new plant erected on the elevator premises. Here, at a rate of 12 tonnes per hours the seeds undergo all stages of processing and are packed into “big bags”. The equipment made by the Canadian LMC Company turns out high class products containing no crushed grain and foreign admixtures and fully complying with GOST Russian State Standards. “Today we have a unique opportunity to improve our skills by visiting work facilities, not by watching them in a classroom with the help of a projector,” says Andrey Kharin, sales manager of AgroCentreLiski Сompany. “The training was very informative. We saw in real life what we had known only theoretically. We were shown the capabilities of the equipment and the advantages it offers to our customers. We learned many more little, but important things. For example, how to sort out the materials at the seed plant, and how to bring grain into silos. Many of us have assured ourselves that pit-stops exist not only on racing thoroughfares. As it happens, a pit-stop is a grain receiving device.”
At the Innovations in Action training session, the officials of JCB had plenty of material to discuss with their dealers. Among other things, the session dealt with the improvement of the JCB loader hydraulic system and introduction of new types of equipment due to appear soon.
One gets used to good things really fast,” says Aleksey Babakov, head of the Oktyabrskoye LLC. “We, for instance, got used to prompt and efficient work of AgroCentre servicing experts and to the fact that equipment breaks down very seldom though it runs round the clock.” On its fields the farm uses power-saving machines from Vaderstad. Those are Top Down 700 stubble cultivators and Rapid 800C sowing machines.
During the demonstrations, the participants of the event estimated the capabilities of those modern, highly efficient machines. The hit of the AgroCentre show was the JCB 531-70 telescopic loader. Easy to operate, reliable and highly productive, it offers the traditional advantages of the brand. As a result, several contracts were signed for purchase of loaders. At Oktyabrskoye, they are looking forward to another Top Down cultivator, which is due to arrive shortly. “This year, this is the third such seminar,” says Andrey Marisin, AgroCentreSibir executive director. “Here our customers can both see the equipment in operation and exchange opinions about the special features of its use. They can also familiarise themselves with new agricultural technologies.”
AgroCentreKursk presented agricultural equipment of two global brands which are leaders in their class. Those are Vaderstad of Sweden, a leading manufacturer of seeding and tilling equipment, and JCB of the UK, a major manufacturer of loaders for a variety of applications.
Farm directors from Ryazan, Kirov, Altay Territory, Moscow, and Voronezh spent seven days in Sweden. During this time they visited the Vaderstad factory and several farms of various types, where they noted the high level of farming culture in small, by Russian standards, agricultural enterprises (on average 200-500 ha). At a seed farm they had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the peculiarities of grain and grass seed production.
The Svenskaya Fair in the Bryansk region is a traditional exhibition of the achievements of agriculture in Russia and the former Soviet republics.
This year, representatives of farming businesses from 20 regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have come here for business contacts. AgroCentreKursk is participating in the fair for the second time. The company presented the Vaderstad Rapid 400S sowing machine and JCB 531-70 telescopic loader. The company’s stand attracted many visitors. There were both traditional customers and those who are only looking out for modern, highly productive machines from the world’s leading manufacturers. As a result, the sowing machine at the exhibition ended up in the right hands. The JCB loader also got its share of praise from the fair’s visitors. The executives of complexes that are already using this equipment noted that such a multi-purpose machine is a must on a farm, on a construction site or for shipping goods. “We have been working actively in the Bryansk region for several years now,” said Vladimir Zherdev, AgroCentreKursk deputy executive director. “This year, the company opened a branch in Bryansk. Now, Bryansk farmers can acquire modern agricultural machines and their spare parts without leaving the region.” Nikolay Denin, the Governor of the Bryansk region, also visited the AgroCentre exhibition stand. He was interested in potato harvesting equipment. Today, the Bryansk region is involved with the regional target program “Restoration and Development of Potato Production.” To implement it, the potato growers need highly productive and reliable equipment. Company specialists briefed the Governor in detail about Grimme potato growing equipment and the prospects for its use on the fields of the region.
Experience exchange, new accomplishments, and problems of sugar production are traditional topics of the forum. A distinguishing characteristic of this year is the demonstration of the latest equipment for cultivating and processing sugar beets.
The fair has become a traditional meeting place for representatives of various companies from 17 countries both near and far. Over 900 enterprises took part in the exhibition. A respectable place in the agricultural equipment exposition at the anniversary fair was occupied by the agricultural machines from AgroCentreKursk.