One of Cork’s longest established contractors, Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor Ltd is reaping the rewards of its investment in a Krone Big X 630 forage harvester.
While the third-generation family business has and continues to be synonymous with John Deere, it doesn’t regret its decision to change over to Krone grass machinery in recent years. Having run John Deere harvesters for nearly 40 years, brothers Denis and John Duggan tested out a Big X 630 in 2019 and were so impressed that they invested in a new one the following year.
“We’d be John Deere fanatics, so it was going to take something special for us to consider another brand,” Denis explains.
“When Jim Power Agri Sales brought out a demonstration Krone 630 forager, it impressed us no end. It was a big step-up from the John Deere 7580 we had. Up to then, all we had in our lifetime was John Deere harvesters. When it came down to changing in 2020, we priced John Deere and Krone spec for spec, and the Krone came in that bit cheaper.
“But it wasn’t all the price; we just felt that the Krone was a better all-round machine. It has a lot of features that we liked such as the intake and the comfort. We spoke to three or four contractors running them and the feedback was all positive, so we decided to take the plunge.
“We took delivery of our first Krone forager in 2020 and upgraded again in 2022. The Big X 630 is a phenomenal machine. We will keep the one we currently have for a bit longer than the last because of the extra expense involved in changing again. If new machinery prices hadn’t gone up so much, we’d be changing again.”
Operating from Dunmanway in West Cork, the Duggans also run a Krone Big M 420 mower along with a set of John Deere triple mowers, Krone front and back mowers, Krone rakes, Herron and Broughan 20-22ft trailers and Komatsu 320 loader. Completing their grass machinery are two McHale Fusion 4 balers.
“We make more pit than baled silage,” Denis says. “I would say 2024 was a mixed year for silage. The first cuts were light enough owing to poor grass growth. But the second cuts were better bulk-wise.”
While Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor Ltd has been carrying out silage harvesting since the 1960s and has been trading as a limited company since 1959, the family business has been going strong for over 90 years. Providing a complete service, including silage cutting, corn harvesting, baling, slurry spreading, dung spreading, hedge-cutting, excavation / drainage work and stone crushing, the contracting business started off in 1933 when Jeremiah Duggan, the current generation’s grandfather, began threshing for hire.
After Jeremiah died tragically in a farm accident, his sons Jeremiah Jnr, Denis and Charlie took over and operated as Duggan Bros. By the mid-1960s, the two younger brothers, Mickie and Donie, had come on board to replace Denis and Charlie, who left to pursue other business interests.
Denis went into the quarrying business and Charlie concentrated on round baling, which was very new at the time. Their only sister Sheila acted as mother, housekeeper and bookkeeper as they were left orphans in their teens, due to their mother’s death in 1958.
The business was subsequently renamed Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor and is now managed by Jeremiah Jnr’s sons Denis Jnr and John with the support of their mother Hannah. A third brother, Jeremy, was also involved for a number of years following their father’s untimely passing in 2003.
“I was only 20 when my father died and my brothers were a few years older, so we had to learn fast,” Denis remembers.
“While John and I are also suckler cow and beef farmers, our main focus is on the agri contracting business which continues to go from strength to strength. We are committed to providing top-class service and complete customer satisfaction.”
Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor Ltd has an array of machinery to carry out your work quickly and efficiently, providing you with value-for-money and an alternative to investing in your own expensive equipment. The company’s success can be attributed to the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff, as well as the quality of its machinery. John, Denis and their highly-skilled team deliver the value and quality farmers expect from the agricultural contracting partner.
The brothers run a modern fleet of 12 John Deere tractors which are predominantly 6R 155s and are serviced both inhouse and by Farm Power in Cork. Some of their other machinery includes a John Deere 1177 combine harvester, two track machines (a 20-tonne Hyundai and an eight-tonne Hitachi), three Abbey 2,500-gallon slurry tankers with dribble bars, a SlurryKat umbilical system, a Kuhn five-furrow reversible plough, a Masco disc harrow, an Amazone power harrow and seeder, a Kuhn power harrow, a Marshall rear discharge dung spreader as well as a McConnel hedge-cutter.
All machines are upgraded regularly to avoid breakdowns and downtime. There is no such thing as a quiet time for this highly-regarded contractor who will work around the clock during peak times to keep their clients happy. Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor Ltd works within a 20-mile radius of Dunmanway, taking in the surrounding areas of Ballineen, Bandon, Macroom and Drimoleague. The company retains long-time customers and attracts new ones by offering a professional, reliable, clean and value-for-money service.
“Some of our customers have been with us for 50 years. That sort of loyalty speaks volumes for the quality of our service. Our drivers and service are second to none.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their continued support. We look forward to providing them with the same great service for many more years to come,” the affable agri contractor concludes.
Jeremiah Duggan Agricultural Contractor Ltd
Sackville Street,
Dunmanway,
Co. Cork.
Telephone: 023 8845198 / 086 8848868
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 12 No 4, November/December 2024
