Combines Too Many Headers Combines in Australia

James, I think you hit the nail on the head, it's a very, very competitive business to be in, i think all we can do is do the right thing by our clients and hope they'll have us back year after year. I think the minimum we should charge is $12_acre and no less and in many cases should be $15. Have you started your harvest run yetIJ We start on the 15th October in Meandarra area. Have a good run pedro

I have to agree that maybe there are too many headers looking for work at present but what if the seasons are kinder next year and QlD ,NSW ,VIC and SA all have a good season,the demand will pick up.It has also been my observation that the southern crops are slowly getting earlier and that is tending to condense the harvest particually if we get held up with rain in southern QlD_nth NSW. Personally as a farmer who relies on contactors to do our harvest both summer and winter crops i like to see reasonably up to date equipment being charged at a sensible rate.In consultation with our contractors we run on hourly rates which i think are fairer on both parties no matter what size the machine or what yield the crop is.You can put two contractors in the same paddock and have no dispute as to what each has done.It works for us as our principle contractor runs JD and the other guy Case,which leads me on to say that both colours have good and bad days but both do good jobs. Mike.

I think it will be interesting to see what will happen in the next few years with Australian contract harvesting. In my opinion the prices of these new headers has increased so much in the last few years that it hopefully will scare a few people away. I remember a few years ago (1996) when the headline in "THE lAND" newspaper was "Will there be enough headers", well I think it will be some time before we see that headline again. Personally I prefer the hourly rate, because stripping 2 tonne wheat for 12 - 15 dollars an acre is ridiculous. We start stripping on the 15th of October at Mungindi stripping fababeans. To all contract harvesters in Australia, goodluck with your 2001_02 harvest, and may we have a better run than 00_01.

We will be starting on our barley in about a week here at lightning Ridge, then chickpeas and canola,wheat still about 3 weeks away.Hope it all goes well for the rest of you.

I would absolutely agree that an hourly rate is fairer system of payment. The machines depreciate on an hourly basis (greatest cost factor) so it makes sense to be paid on the same basis. Many growers believe that is a more expensive way to go but we have found that more often than not it is cheaper for the grower, i guess it depends a fair bit on operator skill and crop conditions. Good luck for the harvest and hope that the forecast rain this week doesn't disrupt things for you.

Your definately not Robinson Crusoe in thoughts and comments but, it also appears that many people are running very late model machines for the same rediculous rates as you describe! As a member of the Australian Grain Harvesters Association (AGHA) I, and the AGHA in general are very concerned with the crazy downward price spiralling of harvesting rates. No-one can sustain the longevity of a contract harvesting business with such prices outlined. The AGHA has developed a formula outlining all associated costs that contract harvesters (or those planning to enter the business) should be aware of and by putting your own costs in the spaces provided you can work out your own total operating costs. You can contact me for further details.

I personally wouldn't be pointing the finger at the older machines that are charging the lower rates to get jobs. Some of the big operators running 15 plus machines have been coming into my area and starting their harvest run at prices as low as $8 per acre over the past few years. Admitently it is for a larger client but what hope do smaller experienced operators have of keeping their machinery current when these guys come in and cherry pick these jobs with as new headers_chaser bins etc.and inexperienced steering wheel attendants (some of which were barley 18) for whom they just set the machines and the let these guys drive for close to nothing. The really annoying part for many guys up here is that as soon as the cream comes in in Nth NSW, these guys are gone in a flash leaving the less profitable, slower downed crops behind for us poor sucker local boys to clean up. (With the farmer still expecting you to work at the same rate they were.) Competition is a wonderfull thing, but unless harvesters as a whole start toeing the line a bit this continual cycle of under cutting and professional harvestors going broke will continue. I agree that there are to many combines out there at the moment. The question is how many people can afford to own them at current ratesIJIJIJIJ

Could'nt agree with you more Bundy,thats why we have stuck with our contractors.For the last 3 harvests we have had wet weather here and very delayed harvests and they stuck around untill the end ,that is the measure of a professional who values his clients and visa-versa! Have had locals who have used the big guys with the cd changers at the wheel,once bitten twice shy.

Bundy, There is a certain large southern operator who in 99 came into the Roma area and was cherry picking for $9 an acre. I remember the headline on the front page of the Country life, Red Army Arrives and a photo of them lined up. Didn't hear much of them last year but bet your life on it they will be back when the seasons turn up here doing exactly the same thing again, with steerers (not drivers, not operators) pulled out of the local pubs. These things make it a very tough business to be in.

Pedro, I think that "large red gremlin" you speak of is in a spot of trouble with his_their financiers!!!!!