The summer months are upon us and in the farming community that generally means one thing, time to harvest some fodder for their cattle.
Whether it be hay, silage or crops, farmers and more so, agricultural contractors are focused on getting the job done and given the unpredictable nature of the Irish weather, time is of the essence to everyone concerned.
Like all industries, machinery has evolved in the farming world and contractors now have fleets of machinery that can get the work done ten times quicker than in the past.
Machinery does not come cheap though and the work has to be there in order to make it worthwhile for a contractor to provide the level of service that farmers have become accustomed too.
For the past 20 years, Fermanagh based Neville Rickey has been providing a wide range of services to an ever increasing customer base.
Hailing from a farming background, Neville has worked hard to build the business into what it is today and for this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri, we speak to the man himself about the services that he provides.
Situated on the outskirts of Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh and not far from the Cavan border, but right in the heart of Ulster grass country, Neville and his team of employees provide a number of services including silage and slurry work.
To carry out these duties, he has a top of the range fleet of machinery at his disposal including a Krone Big M 420 self-propelled mower.
“These days you have to have the machinery to get the job done, otherwise farmers will take their business elsewhere,” said Neville.
“I’m happy with the fleet that I have here at the moment, but you have to be willing to move with the teams and ensure that the machinery is in perfect working order.
“The time constraints in this business are unreal and when you get a window of opportunity to do the work, every second counts.”
Neville’s fleet of machinery includes one Fendt, which was purchased from Flynn Machinery in Mullingar, Co Westmeath and five John Deeres, all nice modern tractors with appropriate grass machinery behind. The five John Deere’s are all from Agri Power in Omagh.
“I generally run the mower myself, as all the other equipment depends on its performance. I would have six lads working for me during the summer months and we are very busy during that period.”
Other dealers that Neville does business with include Kevin McGee in Clogherhead, Co Louth where he recently purchased a new Krone Harvester as well as Irwin Brothers in Fermanagh.
“I would be dealing with both lads a good few years now and they offer a great service to us. Most of the machinery would be under warranty and go back to the dealers for servicing, while we would do a small bit of maintenance work ourselves.”
“I use the Big M for all the mowing now and a Krone Swadro 1000 for the raking.”
In the yard, ready for action, are five Heron Trailers. “We use six during the season normally. Neville’s aim is to keep the customers happy and he feels that with the fleet he has at his disposal, there is no problem in doing that.
“It’s all about getting the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Farmers want you in and out as quick as we can and that is what we try to do.”
During the winter months, Neville spreads a lot of slurry and he agrees with the majority of contractors and farmers that the legislation introduced to stop the spreading of slurry betweenNovember 1st and January 31st of each year doesn’t benefit anyone.
Slurry is prohibited from being spread over the winter in Ireland so as to comply with the European Union’s Nitrates Directive. The aim is to protect ground and surface water, including drinking water. The regulations also prohibit such application at any time of the year when the ground is frozen; waterlogged or heavy rain is forecast.
“We generally have a mild winter so the ground does be in good condition, so you can’t see that fields will be ploughed by us using them. It just makes no sense at all and it leaves a situation where farmers are desperate to get their fertiliser on in time to have a good crop of silage.”
Neville knows that there is a lot of competition in the industry and he admits that it is up to him to ensure that the customers stay with him.
“My father first started cutting a bit of silage for a few neighbours and the business just expanded from there. A lot of the customers I have would be with me years and I thank them for that. I also know that if I wasn’t providing a service to their liking, they would get someone else and so we have to make sure that the work is done to the highest standard.”
Neville Rickey Agri
Newtownbutler,
Co Fermanagh.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 00447779010724
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 6, July 2015
