Some Worries About Beef

Yet again, it’s slightly uncertain times for our domestic beef production. We’re also speaking here about Australia as a whole and not just NSW.

Apparently, the latest statistics show a widening gap between the price of beef, in retail circles and that of some of its main competitors such as chicken, lamb, pork and even vegetarian food. That’s leading to some concerns that consumers might be driven away from beef onto other cheaper protein sources.  

To make matters worse, the spectre of US imports is on the horizon. The economics are puzzling given Australia’s abundance of cattle but for whatever reason it looks as if US beef could be heading our way – subject to tariff quotas etc.

The third wave of concern being expressed is over a combination of increasing drifts away from red meat for health reasons (whether you agree with those concerns or not, is does seem to be happening) plus the changing demographics of Australia. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/329-some-worries-about-beef.html

A History of Roundabouts

Now some of you might be rubbing your eyes at the title of this one!

Maybe you think we’ve clearly ‘lost it’ or have far too much spare time on our hands. Well, nothing’s further from the truth (we hope)!

Here’s the explanation….

As you probably know, we’ve recently had some modest inconvenience locally because of the roadworks and construction of the new roundabout in Goulburn. We’ve kept everyone informed in the monthly newsletter and we think the now finished result is a big improvement.

During the works, somebody actually asked who invented the roundabout and where. It's a simple enough question but do you know the answer? We didn’t!

So, here’s the information you’ve all been desperately waiting for.

It seems that circular traffic systems of ‘circuses’ go back to at least the 18th century and England.  They started to be used for larger traffic volumes in the earlier 20th century with arguably the first real traffic system roundabout appearing in the USA in 1907 shortly followed by one a couple of years later in the UK.

Now it’s important to note that these weren’t modern roundabouts as we know them today. They were essentially just a round traffic island and something of a free-for-all going around.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/328-a-history-of-roundabouts.html

Kubota Spotlight - Kubota MX5100

With impressive power, outstanding versatility and reliability you can count on the MX5100. Combining the power of the M-series with the usability of the L-series makes this a do it all tractor. It also incorporates a new Turbo Charged Engine and Synchro Shuttle Transmission.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/326-kubota-spotlight-kubota-mx5100.html

What does Brexit Mean for Australian Farming?

A lot of international news time has been taken up by the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (EU) – the so-called ‘Brexit’.

As always when big political change is in the air, the politicians are queuing up to make epic speeches. Of course, this is very much a British/European issue that doesn’t directly involve us as such politically – but it might do in the longer term where trade is concerned.

Why?

Well, anyone older than about 55-60 should be able to remember the days before the UK was a member of the EU. Back then, the UK was a huge market for Australian and New Zealand agricultural products and indeed the political and social ties between the countries were probably stronger and closer than they are today. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/325-what-does-brexit-mean-for-australian-farming.html

Thought of The Month - The Seed of Honesty

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/324-thought-of-the-month-the-seed-of-honesty.html

Spotlight On – The Kubota BX25

OK, those huge Kubota tractor workhorses are marvellous machines and super-impressive. As you might expect, we love them to bits.

However, even we’ll admit that they might be a bit ‘out of scale’ for domestic situations – unless you REALLY want to impress (or maybe amuse) the neighbours!

That’s why we’re also so fond of the BX25 range.

If you’re not familiar with them, they’re the sub-compact model that’s earned itself a fantastic reputation since it was introduced back in 1999 (before I was born of course). They’re great for tasks as diverse as mowing the lawn to helping to lay a driveway.

In fact, the BX25D comes with a backhoe and front loader as standard.

You get some great power plants with them too.

The BX25D comes with 18- and 23-horsepower diesel engines, while the BX2670 packs a new 25.5-horsepower diesel engine under the bonnet.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/323-spotlight-on-the-kubota-bx25.html

What does 2017 hold for Agricultural Machinery?

Well, 2017 is here and the pundits are busily forecasting this, that and the other – as they always do!

We were, as you might expect, particularly interested in the global forecasts for the sales of tractors. Some reports are estimating a growth in global sales of around 6.6% for tractors specifically and that’s attributable to technological advances in tractor design and their near unique capabilities to operate as ‘jacks of all trades’.

Apparently that demand is likely to be relatively ‘flat’ in the USA and Europe but far stronger in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes Australia.

Of course, forecasts are sometimes notoriously inaccurate.  Many commentators confine themselves to speaking about macro forecasts covering vast areas of the planet, such as Europe, whilst avoiding getting into too much detail for a given country or in our case, individual states.

From our own perspective, 2017 looks bright for the sales of Kubota tractors. The new models that came on-stream in 2016 are still generating a lot of interest and the enquiries have been a pleasure to deal with. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/322-what-does-2017-hold-for-agricultural-machinery.html