Bright Future for Cross Slot through Carrfields Agreement

Bright Future Predicted for Cross Slot® through Carrfields Agreement

Work is underway on a state-of-the-art Cross Slot® drill to cement the relationship between Baker No-Tillage Ltd and major farm machinery distributor, Carrfields Machinery Ltd.

Carrfields Machinery, based in Canterbury, has now become the exclusive distributor for Cross Slot products for New Zealand and Australia including sales, parts and servicing.

The first step in the relationship, which came into effect on January 1, 2017, was to manufacture a five metre, highly spec’d drill which will be showcased at Central Districts and South Island field days in March.

Cross Slot low-disturbance, no-tillage drills are already exported to 20 countries in the world but their impact and presence at field days, together with the range of Carrfields Machinery’s quality brands, will raise the profile of their leading-edge technology.

“Within the Carrfields Group is the CLAAS Harvest Centre Canterbury business which distributes top-end European brands such as CLAAS, JCB and Amazone among others and the agreement brings the benefits of their agricultural machinery distribution network to Cross Slot customers,” Baker No-Tillage, General Manager, Bill Ritchie, says.

“Potential Cross Slot purchasers will engage with a fully resourced, well-known and respected farm machinery distributor with branches throughout New Zealand and in Melbourne, meeting both local, regional and national requirements."

The arrangement includes financing, trade-ins, demonstrations, servicing, parts and exposure at field days, he says.

Matt Keen, General Manager, Carrfields Machinery, says he is delighted to add Cross Slot to the company’s extensive product portfolio available to New Zealand and Australian customers.

“We are very pleased to partner with Baker No-Tillage to bring Cross Slot technology to farmers,” he says. “Cross Slot is an exciting innovation that has already been proven to increase crop yields and farm profits. We’re excited about presenting it to our customers at field days alongside our existing range of world-leading premium farm machinery brands."

CEO and Chairman, John Baker, says Cross Slot has become the benchmark that other notillage is measured against and its drills were created to ensure consistent success and effectiveness of no-tillage in farmers’ hands.

“While continuing to maintain the direct and personal contact we have with farmers and contractors, we’re enabled by the agreement to refocus on product development, refinement and product support by ensuring our technology continues to evolve,” John Baker says.

“We’re delighted to join a successful national operation, that is 100% New Zealand owned and operated by the Carr family,” he says. “We predict a bright future."

Both John Baker and Bill Ritchie emphasise the agreement will lead to greater volumes of sales and increased local production.

Background

Cross Slot low disturbance, no-tillage drills achieve something very different to anything else in the world. The openers penetrate through crop residues on top of the soil and sow seeds and fertilisers in separate bands beneath it, causing minimal disturbance to the soil, trapping the humidity, preserving the organisms and soil life, increasing yields and largely preventing carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. These attributes are unique to Cross Slot but are being increasingly recognised around the world as fundamental to ensuring that the world will be able to feed itself in the future.

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