Yet again, we find ourselves at the end of another rapid year.
Commodity prices remain relatively high, alongside the continued high cost of inputs. Interest rates and inflation are an ever-present concern. And discussions by the Bureau of Meteorology of El Niño conditions returning have many farmers concerned.
However, many have seen good falls at the beginning of Summer—a good sign for what 2024 will bring.
To wrap up the year, let’s reflect on the months that have been and where 2024 may take us.
Hearing from you
This year, we heard from a range of our customers to see how they utilise precision ag in their operation.
Here’s a snapshot of our stories:
- AL & LM McMaster’s custom GPS fence line marking system solution for accurate & straight fencing services.
“By removing the need for manually marking out fence lines, we can put more fence posts in the ground in a day than we ever have before.”
Read more - Avondale Ag’s trial success with the MagrowTec spray system on dryland cotton.
“We feel that, with MagrowTec, we cut an entire spray out of the picture and were able still to do as good of a job in only two sprays instead. I would definitely recommend that others look into MagrowTec.”
Read more - Precision Pasture Management Systems uses Trimble’s brand-agnostic precision technology across its mixed fleet.
“Our fleet all have Trimble so we can cross reference paddock data from machine to machine. We save up to 25% spraying, around 25-30% planting, and 20% spreading."
Watch now - Rocks Farming Company uses a Trimble system paired with the OptiSurface earthworks software to tackle development projects on their irrigation cane field.
See more - Logan Cattle Co is another longstanding customer who pairs Trimble and OptiSurface technology for field-levelling new and existing fields.
See more
Field Days
As always, annual field days pose a great opportunity for us to catch up with existing customers and meet new ones.
This year we attended the FNQ, FarmFest, AgGrow, Dowerin, Newdegate, and AgQuip Field Days—just to name a few.
These events enable us to show off our leading precision ag solutions from Trimble Agriculture, MagrowTec, and OptiSurface and stay up-to-date on our knowledge of the wider ag landscape.
News from Trimble
This year was a big one for Trimble Agriculture which started 2023 strong with a newer and more powerful line of GFX displays.
As I’m sure you’ve all heard, the biggest update from Trimble was its Joint Venture with AGCO, another global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and technology. With the many synergies present between these two brands, the JV remains committed to the aftermarket. We’re excited to see the innovations that arise from the partnership.
News from Vantage BMS
This year, we were proud to once again be awarded 'Trimble Agriculture Reseller of the Year 2023 (APAC)'.
Our team proudly accepted this award at the annual Trimble Reseller Awards alongside another title: 'Trimble Positioning Reseller of the Year (APAC) 2023' —an award we gratefully took home last year too.
I’m very thankful to our team for the hard work they put in to make recognition like this possible.
In other news, we also continued our long-standing sponsorship with the North Queensland Cowboys. Even I’ll admit they didn’t have the strongest year but not to worry—we’ll get ‘em next year!
How was your 2023?
DAFF is forecasting the national winter crop production to fall following three consecutive years of record production to 46.1 million tonnes, slightly below the 10-year average.
With outlooks like these, it’s important to feel confident that you’re making the most out of the precision tools available to you. If you want to review how you use precision ag in your operation, give one of our local reps a call and we’ll hatch a plan for 2024.
I would like to thank you again for your continued patronage and support in 2023 and wish you all a safe, merry, and relaxing holiday season and new year.
