Valtra - Hanki-Ker Kft.

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4 Valtra Provides Continuity of Supply Like most agricultural producers, Valley Pro- Pro- duce run by Colin Hill has, in recent years, had to contend with rising costs coupled to stagnant returns. However, despite income stagnation this salad, herb and speciality vegetable growing and marketing business has increased its profi tability. Based near Reading, Valley Produce either tenant or occupy on short term rental some 554 produc- tive acres (228ha). Baby leaf salads include spinach, red chard, mizuna and baby greens while the herb crop embraces coriander, fl at and curly leaf parsley, dill, mint and fenugreek. Speciality vegetables, aimed mostly at the Chinese market, encompasses green and white pak choi, choi sum and gai choy. There is also an area of runner beans. Production is aimed at the high value end of the market embracing the ever increasing standards of supermarkets and their packers. Other Valley Produce customers include food servicing companies supplying the catering trade while any excess is sent to wholesale markets in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. While open market prices may fl uctuate, its supermarket standards and prices that ultimately control Val- ley’s profi tability. The land utilised by Valley Produce includes a gravel loam, organic loam, green sands and a sandy loam all of which is irrigable. Growing sea- sons differ according to soil type and early seed Baby leaf spinach cut, boxed and ready for market. germination is helped along by the use of fl eece and netting. Valley Produce operations are divided, with Colin Hill, assisted by an agronomist and a staff of 9 including three tractor drivers, running the crop establishment, growing and administration. Everything is grown on a bed system; tractor wheel centres are set at 1.8 m with bed widths at 1.6 m. Following cultivations and bed form- ing there comes the planting with precision drills; between 5 and 20 rows across the bed width according to crop. Planting is usually followed by a pre-emergence herbicide and then, depend- ing on crop and timing, harvest follows in 12 to 16 weeks. Valley Produce have tried producing three crops on some land but generally the quality drops and fi nancial returns are better under the current regime with output limited to two crops annually. Only mint and spinach are over- wintered. Harvesting is Chris Daking’s department and usually lasts for around eight months, at its peak employing around 50. A group of ten casual work- ers come courtesy of a labour provider but most are employed directly by Valley produce who, over recent years, have built up a relationship with a number of East Europeans. Regulars form the core with numbers made up by their friends and relations. Unlike the production team which owns the tractors the harvesting department has six machines on contract hire. These are used to pull the baby leaf harvesting machine and the
various trailers used to convey crops from the fi eld to the packhouse. They also handle the irrigation systems. This year Valley Produce picked six Valtra 6550s for the critical eight month harvesting period. So why Valtra? Chris Daking explains: – Our customers demand continuity of supply so everything about the harvesting organisa- tion has to be reliable. Initially Valley Produce invited all the major manufacturers to bring down a tractor in the 100 hp class for demonstration. – We knew there were one or two makes we were not interested in but that was all, com- ments Chris. – All of us, drivers as well, looked carefully at what was available and made a joint decision. So what were the parameters? Unusually price, while important was not at the top of the list. Valley Produce considered sup- port the major priority – a reliable dealer. – We don’t fool ourselves, we accept that things can go wrong – especially with unskilled temporary labour – its how quickly machines can be put right that matters. We know and trust our local Valtra dealers, D & S Agricultural Engineers at Spencers Wood as we’ve been working with them for some years. In truth the same can be said of one or two other dealers so then it was down to the sec- ond parameter: The Tractor. Chris Daking’s experience with Valtra was very limited but he knew several farmers and contractors who had experience, some of it considerable. – I was given the impression that both the tractors and the company were good, it was as simple as that; so gave a machine a try. It fi tted the bill and the regular drivers’ liked it. The next item on the agenda was to nego- tiate a price for six 6550s on an eight month contract hire. Chris Daking estimated they would cover an average of 500 hrs each in that time and Valtra came up with a competi- tive price fi xed for three years with an opt-out clause for both sides. – The Valtra 6000 series has allowed us to move up from the high end stockman tractor to a low-ish specifi cation arable tractor, remarks Chris. We have also used them more than we anticipated – it looks like they will average nearer 600 hours. This is not down to bad management or estimates, the tractors have proved capable and have simply been put to unplanned work. – Valtra have been very reasonable about charging for the addi- tional hours. Mostly the Valtra 6550s are hauling har- vested crop from the fi eld back to the packhouse near Reading. For this Valley has a fl eet of four curtain-sided trailers. And while four of the tractors are running back and forth to the packhouse one is used to power the baby leaf harvester and the remaining tractor does all the odd jobs; moving irrigation equipment and the self propelled harvester, covering for serv- ice and break-downs – “there have been none of the latter but we need to have the cover”. So, after the fi rst season, what did Chris Daking think? Did he make the correct choice? – Yes. Is the unequivocal answer. – In fact the tractors performed better than we thought they would. They’ve been reliable and the drivers like them. So with the harvesting season over does Chris now go on a four month holiday? Well no, there is next year’s program to plan, equipment maintenance to complete and a host of other jobs including liaising with Valley’s part- ners in Morocco. – Continuity is all important when it comes to supplying supermarkets. They don’t want to be chasing around with different sup- pliers at different times of the year – just one supplier, year in year out, so long as the quality remains high and the price right. If we did not fi nd ourselves a partner to supply during the English winter there would be a strong chance Valley Produce could be deselected as a supplier in favour of one that could provide the continuity. Chris Daking examines a bed of coriander – it won’t be long before this gets the attention of the picking gang. And that man wandering along the vegetable isles in the supermarket? Well that could be Chris keeping an eye on how his crops look on the shelf and, just as importantly, checking on how the competitions’ look. There’s a lot more to harvesting salads, herbs and vegetables for supermarkets than getting them out of the fi eld and onto trucks. ■ Roger Thomas Pak choi cut, trimmed and ready for market. Being able to manage slow speeds in the fi eld and have a high road speed is important. 5
Page 1 and 2: Valtra Customer Magazine • 1/2006
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