F E A T U R E D

RDO – John Deer Toowoomba Queensland on the move

TOOWOOMBA’S John Deere dealership is set to move to the Aatlis Precinct adjoining Wellcamp Airport in 2024, following RDO Equipment Australia’s announcement it is building new premises in the FKG Group complex. The Vanderfield family’s Vanderfield group held the John Deere franchise in Toowoomba from 1970 until 2019 when RDO Equipment was formed; it includes some Vandersee equity.

“Our new location in the Aatlis Precinct, with large, modern facilities, and conveniently situated for surface and air transport, will place us in an optimal position to continue to offer our customers the service they need now and well into the future,” RDO Equipment CEO Phil Canning said. The new building will also house support staff, who are currently located away from the branch.

“We have a dedicated team that supports our 29 locations with crucial functions in parts and service, accounts and finance, human resources, training, precision agriculture, and IT.
“Nearly 50 of them are based in Toowoomba and are looking forward to moving into their area in the new facilities.”

This development is part of the company’s strategy to provide a network of world-class facilities across key regional locations. Mr Canning said the investment was a sign of the company’s commitment to the wider Darling Downs region.

“Toowoomba is the heart of regional south-east Queensland, and RDO Equipment is proud to be a part of and support the region’s diverse agricultural production and infrastructure developments.
“We’re extremely excited to be building a new state-of-the-art workshop and dealership in this key distribution hub.

“We’ll be ideally situated to allow for the growth of the construction side of our business and respond to current and future needs and opportunities in the agricultural and infrastructure sectors.”

Toowoomba is already one of RDO Equipment’s largest dealerships, and lines stocked range from lawnmowers to large agricultural and construction equipment. To supplement its John Deere and Vermeer ranges, RDO Equipment in Toowoomba stocks brands including Horsch, Manitou, and Kuhn.

RDO Equipment has branches stocking agricultural equipment throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales, as well as a Northern Territory branch in Darwin.
RDO Equipment’s Toowoomba branch is currently located on Carrington Road, on the city’s western edge, roughly 10 kilometres east of the Aatlis Precinct.

The new purpose-built facility will hold a growing range of construction, turf, and utility as well as agricultural equipment. FKG will break ground on RDO Equipment’s new Toowoomba branch towards the end of next year, with
completion expected in early 2024.

RDO Equipment launched in Australia in 2019, after being named the official dealer for John Deere Construction and Forestry equipment in all states except Western Australia.
RDO employs over 900 staff and operates out of 29 dealership locations in metropolitan and regional Australia.

John Deere dealer in Toowoomba.

Source: RDO, John Deere

Lending Landscape in the Australian Agriculture Industry

The Australian agricultural sector has experienced substantial growth in lending, with a 6% increase in 2022–23, bringing total farm debt to $120.5 billion. This surge has primarily been driven by land acquisitions and business expansions by farmers. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), rising land values have provided farmers with increased equity, facilitating larger borrowings. Additionally, strong agricultural incomes have bolstered debt serviceability, further fueling this expansion.

Macroeconomic Influences on Agricultural Lending

A key factor shaping the lending environment is interest rates. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)maintained the cash rate at 4.35% during its final meeting of 2024, marking the ninth consecutive meeting without a change. While headline inflation has moderated, underlying inflation remains above target, prompting the RBA to sustain its tight monetary policy.

Market analysts anticipate potential rate cuts, with expectations that the RBA may reduce the cash rate by 25 basis points in February 2025, bringing it down to 4.10%, with additional cuts likely throughout the year. Major financial institutions support this projection, with some forecasting reductions as early as February. In anticipation, lenders have begun adjusting their interest rates, potentially impacting financing conditions within the agricultural sector.

Regional Trends in Agricultural Lending

Lending to the farm sector increased across all Australian states and territories in 2022–23. The most significant percentage increases were recorded in:

• Tasmania (+10%)

• Northern Territory (+8%)

New South Wales accounted for 31% of total agricultural lending, the largest share among states. Historically, debt distribution across states has remained closely aligned with their respective shares of agricultural output and farm numbers.

Opportunities and Challenges for Farmers

These financial and economic shifts present both opportunities and risks for Australian farmers:

• Lower interest rates could reduce borrowing costs, enabling further investment in land, equipment, and infrastructure.

• However, external risks such as commodity price volatility, shifting seasonal conditions, and evolving market dynamics necessitate robust financial planning to maintain long-term sustainability and debt management.

Australia’s agricultural lending landscape is evolving in response to shifting economic conditions, interest rate movements, and industry trends. While rising land values and strong farm incomes have supported borrowing and expansion, the sector must strategically navigate potential interest rate adjustments and broader economic uncertainties to remain financially resilient in the years ahead.

WEEKLY AUCTION DATES – 2025

1.) 14^th February 2025 , 2.) 21^st February 2025  , 3.) 7^th March 2025

Ag Machinery 885

Versatile Big Roy – 1977 Originally Designed for Australia 

There is some suggestion that the design was aimed at the Australian market as Australia possesses many large farms with all acreage in one block. A very large tractor in Australia would pose fewer problems than it would in North America where large farms have their land base in some scattered blocks. This means farm machinery must move on roads. Large tractors and their associated machinery pose significant problems in road transport.

There is also a suggestion that tractor manufacturers were engaged in a battle for bragging rights for the largest and most powerful tractor. In 1977, Steiger Tractor was experimenting with their Panther Twin ST650 with 650 horsepower and Big Bud was bringing out the Big Bud 747 tractor with 760 horsepower. Versatile’s Model 1080 was their entry in this competition.

Whatever the reason behind the Model 1080, Versatile’s President and General Manager, Roy Robinson, decided the company needed a high-horsepower tractor and issued orders that the Model 1080 was to be designed and built. What emerged from the designer’s drafting table was a four-axle tractor powered by a Cummins KTA-1150 diesel engine that generated 600 horsepower. The four axles mounted a total of eight 30.5 X 32 tires. The 1080 reversed conventional four-wheel-drive tractor design as its engine was located at the rear. A modern, spacious cab was located ahead of the engine compartment with a 550-gallon fuel tank located ahead of the cab. The cab was accessed from either side through sliding doors and ladders that slide into the body of the tractor when not in use. Vision to the rear of the tractor from the cab was very limited as the engine compartment was tall. To provide a view to the rear, a closed-circuit television system was installed with a dustproof, 120-degree camera pointing down at the drawbar and a 9-inch monitor installed in the dash where the operator could easily view it. In 1977, this was cutting-edge technology!

The tractor had a six-speed manual transmission that provided speeds between 3.7 to 13.2 mph. Twelve 60-watt lights provide illumination for night field operations. Engine cooling was provided by two radiators of 85-quart capacity with two mechanically driven fans of 28″ diameter drawing air through the radiators. The tractor was over 30 feet long, 11 feet high, and weighed over 30 tonnes when ballasted for field operations.

The tractor articulated between the second and third axle. The articulation joint, as well as allowing movement from side to side which was necessary for steering, also allowed for vertical movement of ±10 degrees. This movement was necessary to allow the tires to remain in contact with the ground as the tractor moved over uneven ground. The tractor steered 40 degrees to one side or the other.

The four-axle design, however innovative, was the tractor’s downfall. While it allowed enough rubber on the ground to use the engine horsepower while allowing the tractor to remain fairly narrow, the result was that all four tires on either side ran on the same track and caused severe soil compaction within this track. Versatile’s Model 1150, which appeared after the Model 1080 and had 475 horsepower, reverted to the standard four-wheel drive tractor design. The 1150 either used very wide tires installed as duals on all axles or mounted triple tires on all axles. Today’s four-wheel-drive tractors are approaching 600 horsepower and either use triple tires “all the way around” or use the newly emerged rubber track design.

A closer inspection of the 1080 tractor shows that it was still very much a work in progress. A view of the tractor’s underside reveals many design alterations that were made during its short working life, as the frame bears many weld marks where pieces were cut out and later welded back in. While the camera allows for some vision to the rear, the view is still limited. As well, vision to the front is not great as the design of the cab floor, the hood, and fenders result in the operator not being able to see the ground within 20 feet of the tractor’s front end.

The Model 1080 never entered production and the tractor at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum remains the single example ever built. The tractor was donated to the Museum in the 1980s along with other pieces from Versatile.

Where did the nickname “Big Roy” come from? Roy Robinson, the President and General Manager of Versatile, instructed the engineers to design and build the Model 1080. Robertson stood 6 foot, 4 inches, and was a larger-than-life character with a standard attire of cowboy boots and a Stetson hat. It was natural, therefore, to name the Model 1080 “Big Roy”.

The image above is a promotional photo of Big Roy taken after the Versatile Company returned the tractor to its “as built” condition during the winter of 2015/2016. The Versatile Company approached the Manitoba Agricultural Museum with an offer to restore the tractor and the Museum agreed. In the fall of 2015, Versatile transported the tractor to its Winnipeg plant where the tractor was originally built. Over the following winter, the tractor was disassembled and various components were repaired. It was reassembled and the tractor was repainted to the factory paint scheme that it had originally possessed. The Manitoba Agricultural Museum deeply appreciates the effort, work, and dedication Versatile and its employees displayed in returning Big Roy to pristine condition. Big Roy—a true Manitoba treasure!

Featured Story

My Sugar Fix
North Queensland producer calls his M7-151 his ‘everything tractor’

Running the farm day to day with the help of his wife and two children, Reynolds has diversified his operations and relies on his fleet of Kubota tractors to get the work done.

“We bought an M7-171 about four years ago, and that was the start of it. It ran so well, I sold all my other tractors and bought another M7-151,” he said.

Reynolds now owns a fleet of Kubota tractors and Kubota and Land Pride implements including the M7-171, M7-151, L5740 HDCA, and M108 tractors to carry out a range of tasks on the farm including slashing, mowing, and general farm use.

“My Kubota L5740 HDCA tractor is a beautiful little tractor. It’s so easy to drive and punches way above its weight. With the stall guard on it, it’s pretty much bulletproof.

“It fits into really tight spaces and handles narrow turns well thanks to the hydrostatic power steering. I’ll be using it to put up some cattle fencing around the farm – it’s nearly my favourite tractor,” Reynolds said.

“The M108 is a powerhouse. I mainly use it for slashing and general farm use, basically everything to do with farming. It’s a no-frills tractor but it does what it needs to do and does it well. It’s maneuverable and efficient.”

However, the M7-151 stood out for Reynolds, with the farmer dubbing the workhorse a ‘master of efficiency’ as it saves him hours every day with its ability to load up to 9000kg.

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“I’ve got the premium models of the M7s and the touch-controlled K-monitor is amazing. It’s so easy to use and user-friendly. The GPS, too. Plug it in and away you go.

“The front-mounted three-point hitch on the M7-151 is awesome. There’s about 40 kilometres between farms and I can take two implements with me in one go.”

Reynolds said while the quality of Kubota tractors speaks for itself, Kubota as a company was impeccable with its service.

“Kubota Australia has the mindset they need to have something right before they get it out to customers,” he said.

“I once had an issue on my M7-151 and Kubota responded by sending five engineers out from Japan to fix it.

“They redesigned a whole new component to fix the problem and that component now features in the current model. You don’t get that with other tractor companies. If there’s a problem, they want to fix it.”

Input Costs

Artificial intelligence will shape the future

In the future, everything from global trade, marketing, and input pricing to agronomic advice, production planning, and security will be supported, enhanced, or monitored by some form of artificial intelligence (AI). Technology will reshape Australian agriculture, with AI leading the way.

Already, AI-powered drones and sensors are monitoring crop health in real-time, providing farmers with critical data to make informed decisions. This technology can also help in predicting weather patterns and pest outbreaks, allowing for proactive measures to protect crops. The AI revolution has the potential to make Australian agriculture more efficient and sustainable.

Read more here…

Input Costs

Artificial intelligence will shape the future

In the future, everything from global trade, marketing, and input pricing to agronomic advice, production planning, and security will be supported, enhanced, or monitored by some form of artificial intelligence (AI). Technology will reshape Australian agriculture, with AI leading the way.

Already, AI-powered drones and sensors are monitoring crop health in real-time, providing farmers with critical data to make informed decisions. This technology can also help in predicting weather patterns and pest outbreaks, allowing for proactive measures to protect crops. The AI revolution has the potential to make Australian agriculture more efficient and sustainable.

However, our rural industries are currently not well prepared to navigate a world where AI is ubiquitous. Work is required for producers to both trust the technology and have the skills to capture efficiency gains and develop increasingly valuable products.

The changing climate will test our resilience

For Australian agriculture, the impact of a changing climate will continue to exacerbate challenging climatic events including drought, floods, and fires. Higher temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and more regular extreme weather events will continue to test the sector’s resilience.

Rural industries will need strategies and technologies to maintain productivity while at the same time prioritising climate adaptation. At the farm level, this is already starting to happen.

Producers are beginning to baseline their emissions, but confusing systems and a lack of accessible information are hampering their efforts. In the future, they won’t have a choice.

Markets, insurers, and financial institutions will demand greater transparency about their environmental footprints. The message is clear: participate in disclosure systems or risk being left behind or cut out of key markets.

Australian Farm Institute

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AG Dogs of The Week

Meet BUDDY-

He belongs to Raymond Cossar one of our Affiliates. Buddy is a true cattle dog he doesn’t need to be told what to do be it in the paddock or a truck he will do the job of 5 men and all he wants is a pat.

Please send us pictures of your Dogs to robbiem@realmgroup.com.au

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