Future of Agriculture

[agstar77]

Manulife manages 300,000 acres of farmland in Canada, U.S. and Australia, for pension funds and other investors.

[agstar77]

I leave to everyone to draw their own conclusions, but when you look at the millions required for investment in agriculture , who do you think will be running things in the years to come?

[biglentil]

robots and the next generation obsolete

[bucket]

Wait until it hits a slough or leaves 40 acres because the processor says it's too wet or too dry.

Sure technology is great but discers are being sent to other parts of the world everyday.

We are not being paid for the technology or the use of it.

Some of the equipment configurations coming in the next couple years will have guys saying they have seen this before.

The new stuff will just be able to move faster.

100 foot discers at 7mph and Floated on fertilizers is a possibility.

[checking]

Big iron and high speed will not be our future. It will be self replicating nanotech that will either kill us, or feed us.

[freewheat]

Many ways to farm. Big acres/big iron/big company dependency, is just one way.

[hedgehog]

Are discers being exported?

[malleefarmer]

http://www.collaborativefarmingaustralia.com/

As you guys know this is the model im using. Gone from 2 operations I had 12,000 acres of land crops and livestock and my business partner 9,000 plus weve leased or rented more land taking crop and hay to 28,000 plus livestock on lesser land.

Cost of steel is why we did it, our machinery cost are stuff all per acre presently 2 40ft combines 1 86ft seeder 2 sp sprayers plus contractors used at times when we cant keep up hay baling etc.

The new company leases my existing land of me and I get a fornightly wage plus a share of the profit.

Different way to do things but still basically a family farm just two familys joined. Sure its not for everybody buy locally two more operations are starting along similar lines plus I know another 4 familes have visited and looking at similar set up.

The new business will never own land if I want to buy another farm which by the way I don't but if I did the company would lease it straight up.

My land is worth more and is more productive hence I have a larger lease payment for land and profit distribution is also slightly weighted to reflect this as well if that makes sense.

Individual farmers involved will never own machinery always the company.

Without going into specifics break even with business modelling is across wheat barley lupins peas canola is 0.95/t ha at $260 on farm we are potentially average just over double that.

Yep were the only guys possibly left harvesting about 6000 to go so another 10 days should see it.

Had a lot of extreme temps this year were no harvest has happened around 9 days actually very unusual 40 here again today will cease harvesting midday anyway. For 3 day xmas break.

We avaoid the centralized selling system and sell direct to end users yesterday for instance feedlots offered a massive $53 above the market, basis is really firming in domestic market export is dead.

Another example is have one very good farming friend he crops 10,000 acres good cropper anyway has 3 36ft jd s680 he finishes harvest in just over 3 weeks if weather is good a lot of money tied up for small acres per combine.

Sorry for the novel but Australia is hot and dry during harvest a huge huge window for combining plus planting is the same start in april finish first week of june again a very lengthy window compared to you guys.

Hope this doesn't come across as me being a smart arse not meant that way.

Merry xmas to you all

[sumdumguy]

Merry Christmas Mallee, very interesting. Hope there are a few cold brews for your holiday.

[SASKFARMER3]

All good points but one main one sticks out in Canada.
10 day window to seed.
Harvest where each day gets cooler as you go.
Can't f$& k around up here.
That is what's the challenge.

[fjlip]

Australian seasons appear to be way easier to farm in, not like our 3 weeks to seed, 3 weeks to harvest, as SF3 says in decreasingly favorable weather in the fall.
Maybe the HOT DRY HEAT is the killer, like COLD/WET for us!

[hobbyfrmr]

I have been made aware that the 4x4 symbols on the new 1 ton superdurahorn diesel trucks the farmers drive are interpreted as 4 weeks in the spring and 4 weeks in the fall.
The manufacturers refused to add another 4 to the symbols representing the 4 weeks winter vacations.

[furrowtickler]

That only applies to sf3 ... And 70 year old retired farmers .. Lol

[sumdumguy]

My life is one big vacation because I love almost every minute.