A big square baler with 25% higher output is good news for farmers and contractors who make up one of Scotland’s biggest machinery rings.

A new generation, high output Massey Ferguson big square baler could make a welcome addition to the fleets operated by the members of the Scottish machinery ring – Ringlink.

The ring’s managing director, Graham Bruce, is keen to put Massey’s impressive output claims for its new 2190 to the test in 2008. The prospect of 25% faster baling than what is currently possible would be a major harvest time asset in Scotland, where windows of opportunity to get onto the land can be narrow.

“Combine cutter-bars are getting wider all the time and harvester capacities are now quite staggering,” says Mr Bruce.

“Big machines can be covering 6-7 acres/hour. But baler capacity is being left behind and there have to be improvements on that front.”

So big square baler developments are a prospect which he welcomes. However he is aware that the new generation Massey will need a tractor of at least 200hp to drive it if it is to generate substantially higher output and close the widening gap between combine and baler.

“We understand there are only seven of these new balers coming into Europe and only one of these into the UK but, if what we are hearing is true, the new baler may well prove a great asset to our members in the years to come,” said Mr Bruce.

Ringlink members have been following the wider trend and investing less in machinery in recent years. However, with returns looking better purchasing is on an upward trend.

“Our membership, which includes over 100 professional contractors, are all looking to make machines last longer – the only way they can justify the outlay required is to keep them longer putting more acres through them.

“Kit is a better standard now and, if it is looked after, you would expect to get up to10 years out of combines without too much trouble. That is double what we would have expected 20 years ago. The same goes for tractors in regular use now having to last five to seven years instead of three to five.”

One successful innovation this year has been a project which has seen all of Ringlink’s carrot growing members recycle the plastic taken off their carrot crops.

“There are two big pluses with this – one is the environmental benefit of the plastic being recycled instead of going to landfill which is how it has been disposed of in recent year’s and, two, it is cheaper than landfill,” observes Mr Bruce.

“We recycled more than 1000t of carrot plastic this year on behalf of our vegetable growers saving them between £12 and £15/t.

“We are discussing the possibility of setting up a recycling base here in Scotland so we can reduce the cost even more by not having the expense of hauling it south over the border.”

Looking forward, Mr Bruce predicts a major upswing in the use of internet and other communication technology by Ringlink members.

“50% of our members use email communications for their businesses now which is a tremendous boost to us. Mobile phone technology is improving all the time and I’d like to think that in the next three to five years 80-90% of our membership will be making their day to day communications by receiving and sending emails on their mobile phones,” he says.

Ringlink

• 2200 members, including 100+ professional contractors
• Established 20 years
• Turnover £20m+
• Four offices – Ardler, Elgin, Laurencekirk and Oldmeldrum
• Operates from Perth to Nairn
• 26 staff
• Members farm 620,000 arable acres