Contractor comment CONTRACTOR COMMENTContractor Comment: Interest rates a threat for CropmechFor this year’s Contractor Comment it’s all change, as we visit a fresh batch of four contracting firms located in different regions of the UK. Second up is our new… CONTRACTOR COMMENTContractor Comment: Beet lifting headaches in the BordersOur second season of Contractor Comment kicks off with the first of four new contributors – Daniel Freeland-Cook of Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. See also: High kit prices and… CONTRACTOR COMMENTHigh kit prices and falling profits pinch contractor marginsThe rains and winds of Atlantic depressions Isha and Jocelyn may have wreaked short-term havoc, but two metaphorical storms are causing South Lanarkshire contractor Jim Watt greater angst. Squeezed on… CONTRACTOR COMMENTWorkshop and building projects maintain contractor's cashflowMost agricultural contractors need a strategy for keeping the workforce busy and the bank account ticking over during the leaner winter months. And for Graham Hayllar, this is involves running… CONTRACTOR COMMENTContractor Comment: Foragers parked as Lexion finishes maizeRank autumn weather has made for a rotten maize harvest, but with a tracked combine and Conspeed header at his disposal, all was not lost for Tim Russon. Rather than… CONTRACTOR COMMENTA&B Contractors' tractor replacement policy under scrutinyThere’s a shortage of cash in the entire farming system, according to Richard Barrow, who co-owns and manages A&B Contractors, based at Porte Farm, Kentisbury, north of Barnstaple. “Ten years… CONTRACTOR COMMENTJag 980 a success but silage lurches from perfect to painfulIt has been a harvest season of extremes for East Kilbride contractor Jim Watt, with a stonking first cut of silage preceding a stinking second. But the decision to replace… MACHINERYExpense of wholecrop header softened by buying ex-demo modelSplurging £50,000 on an ex-demo wholecrop header might have put an end to time-consuming breakdowns, but it’s been a difficult expense for Graham Hayllar to justify. For the past few… MACHINERYNew Fastrac and trailer investment lifts contractor's fleetLast year’s sub-par maize yields have forced anaerobic digester (AD) plants to expand their acreages to shore up dwindling feedstock supplies, and that has meant more work for P Russon… MACHINERYNew Jag 980 arrives as contractor rues cashflow challengesJim Watt of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire runs a busy contracting firm focusing on baling and forage harvesting. Cashflow is one of the biggest challenges facing his business as farmers'… MACHINERYRemapped tractors boost performance for Cumbrian contractorDotted across the UK, our four Contractor Comment contributors will be giving us regular updates on the highs and lows of running an agricultural contracting business in their area. Having… MACHINERYContractor Comment: Tim Russon rethinks forager replacementIn the second instalment of our new Contractor Comment series, Oliver Mark gets the lowdown on machinery comings and goings at P Russon & Sons. Business data Tim Russon, New… More articles
