Farmers and contractors must think about what they are getting for the price they pay when purchasing new machinery, and look at the progress that has been made, Diarmuid Claridge, president of the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) has said.
The price of machinery has increased over the past year, as the cost and availability of components, energy and transport began to shift. However, this is not the only reason why the prices have gone up according to Claridge, who explained that it is not just to do with bigger profits.
He told this week’s episode of Farmland that huge progress has been made in the efficiency of today’s machines, many of which have combined the work of multiple processes 50 years ago.
“We want machines now that can do more acres in a day, we want machines that can give back in lifestyle to the operator while doing more in a day, Claridge explained.
“But research and development costs money. With the demands and regulations today, whether it’s climate change or increased food production, it costs money to invent machinery to get us to that standard.”
In addition to the demand for greater efficiency, many of today’s products also encompass an element of comfort and luxury, Claridge added.
“We want machines that are more comfortable to operate so that the operator is not going home wrecked.
“If a farmer is buying a machine today, they probably want a pretty good [specification]. They probably want a comfortable seat and air conditioning.
“These are things that they didn’t want 20 or 30 years ago. But that production and that technology, it costs money to offer that,” Claridge explained
The need to keep developing machines in this fashion has combined with the knock-on effects of the “components crisis” to push up costs, but buyers should try to remember what they are getting back for the price they pay, Claridge outlined.
Speaking about the outlook for the machinery industry, the FTMTA president painted a positive picture regardless of the price and supply issues.
“We have to feed ourselves, we have to feed the globe and we have to keep looking at new ways to make more food. With these new machines, that’s how we’re going to do it,” he concluded.
You can watch the full interview with Diarmuid Claridge on Farmland from the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show in Punchestown, Co. Kildare by clicking here.