JN Contracts is an up-and-coming name in the agricultural contracting sector. Established a decade ago by Jonnie (Jonathan) Neal, the business provides a wide range of agricultural services to customers within a 40-mile radius of its base just two miles from Irvinestown in Co. Fermanagh.
The ups and downs of farm contracting are brilliantly captured in a DVD about young contractor Jonnie Neal which was launched a couple of years ago. The 90-minute film, titled ‘The Best in the West’ in reference to Fermanagh being Northern Ireland’s most westerly county, follows Jonnie and his team as they spread slurry, plough, plant maize, mow, lift silage and engage in a host of other farm-related activities in all sorts of weather conditions.
Hailing from a farming background, the 30-year-old was just 19 when he set up JN Contracts. He recalls: “My step-brother Mark McLean had run his own farm contracting business for 11 years and was getting out of it to start up a different business in Irvinestown called Autopart Centre, which is still going strong.
“He asked me if I’d be interested in taking over and I decided to give it a go. The only problem was that he sold off all his machinery which meant that I had to buy everything from scratch. But Mark had built up a good customer-base which I managed to hold on to and grow.”
Jonnie started out with seven tractors, two John Deere mowers, John Deere 6850 Self Propelled, three Silage Trailers and a baler. Four of the tractors were Case IH (Mx 135, Mx 170, CVX 170 and 956), two were Ford (8240 and 7740), while the other was a John Deere 6850. This substantial investment paid off for Jonnie who now runs a fleet of 10 tractors and employs three full-time workmen. During the busy spring and summer months, he takes on additional staff.
“I’d have six working for me in the spring and eight in the summer,” he explains.
“Our busiest time is from February and September. We spread slurry between February and May. After that, the silage cutting takes over for three or four months. When the weather is good, we’d work around the clock to get the silage lifted. It can be pretty hectic.”
JN Contracts cut around 6,000 acres of silage last summer, with the crops being bigger than 2013.
“It was a good year weather-wise which is always a help when it comes to silage production. The crops were big and of a high quality. The first cut was a lot earlier than the previous year when, as every farmer remembers, the winter dragged into April and May, leading to a fodder shortage,” he says.
The other areas of agricultural contracting Jonnie specialises in are ploughing, re-seeding, dung spreading, excavation, fertiliser shaking and hedge-cutting.
Jonnie’s modern fleet of tractors comprises six New Holland (t7200 x 2, t7250, t6070, tm155 and ts115), three John Deere (6830, 6320 and 7530), 110-90 Fiat and a Case IH Puma 195. The New Hollands were purchased from Brian Keys Tractors, Dromore, Co. Tyrone; the John Deeres from Agri-Power in Omagh and the Case IH from Alexander Mills in Benburb, Co. Tyrone.
JN Contracts’ other plant / equipment includes: two ploughs, two power harrows, four slurry tankers, one Hitachi digger, three umbilical pipe systems, four Redrock slurry agitators, six silage trailers, one silage wagon, five silage mowers, one self-propelled CLAAS silage harvester, one trailed forage harvester, two dung spreaders, two loading shovels, two silage rakes and two sowers. The CLAAS silage harvester was purchased from Erwin Agri-Care in Crumlin, Co. Antrim.
Jonnie changed from 7750 John Deere self-propelled harvester to a CLAAS 870 in 2014. His John Deere was originally purchased brand new three seasons ago from Johnston Gilpin’s Lisburn. Jonnie says he likes his CLAAS a lot but would have no problem going back to a John Deere Harvester if the price was right.
All equipment is regularly inspected, with servicing and repair work carried out by the relevant dealers. Jonnie knows just how important regular servicing is as it reduces the risk of breakdowns and downtime.
Fermanagh may be one of Ireland’s wettest counties, with its geography being dominated by rivers and lakes, but it is also an area of rich farmland where for generations people have made their living. While most of Jonnie’s work is concentrated in the Fermanagh area, he also has many customers in the surrounding counties of Tyrone, Cavan and Monaghan.
“Our customer-base is within a 40-mile radius of Irvinestown. It has grown steadily over the years and this can be attributed to the quality of our equipment, the reliability and service we offer and the knowledge and expertise of our staff. Health and safety and best environmental practice are also two issues we take very seriously.”
He continues: “We deliver value-for-money and the quality farmers now expect from their agricultural contracting partner.”
Jonnie sees a strong and vibrant future for agricultural contracting, despite the fact the policy makers in Government and the EU barely recognise the vital role contractors play in farming.
“Farming will always be around and as long as that’s the case, there will be work for farm contractors. Unlike some people who continue to dabble in it, we take our farm contracting very seriously and run a very professional outfit. I believe that’s the way forward for this industry,” he concludes.
So for all your agricultural needs, simply call Jonnie on +44 7736 378885
JN Contracts
23 Moynaghan North Road,
Irvinestown,
Co. Fermanagh.
Telephone: +44 7736 378885
Email: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/jncontracts
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 2 No 7, December 2014
