John Deere has announced an agreement with Candian firm MacDon to expand its range of Deere-badged hay, forage and small-grain machinery.

The partnership – which stretches back 30 years – will now see several lines of MacDon self-propelled swathers, draper and auger headers, and trailed auger mowers branded in John Deere livery.

Deere says the move has been driven by significant demand for the equipment from livestock farmers and hay and small-grain contractors, and by subcontracting the work to MacDon the company will save substantial research and development costs.

John Deere will continue to make some of its own hydrostatically driven swather models, but the company says it’s impossible to specialise in every sector, hence the reason for MacDon’s machinery joining the list of other manufacturers’ equipment decked out in John Deere colours.

Swather and header specialist MacDon will continue to make similar equipment, but the deal provides access to Deere’s extensive dealer network.

It’s equipment is currently imported to the UK by Shelbourne Reynolds, which supplies MacDon conveyor-based draper, and auger, headers and trailed mowers to British farmers.

MacDon currently distributes its range of harvesting equipment to 30 countries through 700 dealers stretching from Canada to Australia and Russia, but hopes it will be extended with the support of John Deere dealers.

More details are due to be announced nearer the summer.