SA Grain June 2017

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Doing it right
The low to medium kilowatt tractor market is an attractive target
for manufacturers of replacement parts. In Pietermaritzburg – the
replacement parts capital of South Africa – Massey Ferguson
dealer Farm Maintenance Services (FMS) is proving that keeping
it genuine pays dividends, also on smaller utility tractors.
Serving the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and East Griqualand, FMS sells
and supports MF tractors of all ages and across the technology
spectrum as well as haymaking equipment and planters. They also
sell and service sister brand Challenger, but Massey Ferguson –
particularly sub 100kW tractors such as the MF 200 Xtra and models
in the new Global range – is their main business.
FMS last year sold more than 130 Masseys, testimony to their
customer-oriented focus. Here “the right part at the right time”
means the right part when the customer needs it, says FMS’s Andrew
Nicholson. “When a customer asks when can you deliver it by, we ask:
When do you need it by? If a part has to be fitted at nine o’clock at
night, that is when it will happen.”
FMS stocks two million rands’ worth of parts, ensuring off-the-shelf
availability of 95%.Parts not in stock are orderedovernight fromMassey
Ferguson distributor BHBW (previously Barloworld Agriculture). “If a
part is for some reason not available from MF manufacturer AGCO’s
massive master parts warehouse in Johannesburg, we’ll make a plan,
even provide a loan tractor. Flexibility is key.
“We don’t compromise on quality, especially when it comes to moving
parts,” adds Andrew. “Comebacks on cheaper counterfeit parts
have simply proven too costly. Using genuine parts maximises your
investment by ensuring peak performance when you need it most.”
Recent price reductions by AGCO have had a real impact on the
overall price competitiveness of genuine Massey Ferguson parts, he
says. “As dealer we also continue working with BHBW and AGCO to
keep prices in line.”
“At BHBW, our aim is to ensure that every Massey – old or new –
is fully supported, in order to offer excellent service, low cost of
ownership, minimum downtime and a great resale value,” says Tallie
Giessing, parts sales manager at BHBW. “Partnering with dealers
such as FMS makes our job that much easier.”
For more information on Massey Ferguson and other AGCO parts,
please contact your nearest dealer or call 011 898 0342/0378.
Massey Ferguson, and genuine parts support, is king at
Pietermaritzburg dealer FMS.
Based on all the information, the MRRP advises the Steering Com-
mittee of the Maize Forum on the most commendable projects for
funding. The final decisions on the funding of the CRPs are taken by
the Board of the Maize Trust, based on the recommendations of the
MRRP and the Steering Committee.
The research outputs of the various research groups are actively
monitored as a prerequisite for on-going investment in the projects.
The participating scientists are encouraged to submit their research
findings for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and industry
directed publications, to transfer information to the farming com-
munity and to contribute to human capital development by training
postgraduate students up to the doctoral level.
In South Africa, world-class mycotoxin research has been done over
many years at the CSIR and the MRC.
Over the past few years, research was sponsored at the ARC/Grain
Crops, ARC/OVI, CPUT (former PROMEC Unit of the MRC), SAGL,
SU, UCT, UP, TUT and UKZN.
The research outputs contribute to the national and international
standing of mycotoxin research in South Africa, with the credo:
Local relevance at the standard of international excellence.
References
Alberts, JF, Van Zyl, WH and Gelderblom, WCA. 2016. Biologically based methods
for control of fumonisin-producing Fusarium species and reduction of the fumoni-
sins. Frontiers in Microbiology.
Beukes, I, Rose, LJ, Shephard, GS, Flett, BC and Viljoen, A. 2017. Mycotoxigenic
Fusarium species associated with grain crops in South Africa. South African Jour-
nal of Science.
Janse van Rensburg, B, McLaren, NW, Flett, BC and Schoeman, A. 2015. Fumonisin
producing Fusarium spp. and fumonisin contamination in commercial South Afri-
can maize. European Journal of Plant Pathology 141, 491 - 504.
Marasas, WFO, Gelderblom, WCA, Shephard, GS and Vismer, HF. 2012. Mycotoxi-
cological research in South Africa 1910 - 2011. World Mycotoxin Journal 5, 89 - 102.
Steyn, PS, Gelderblom, WCA, Shephard, GS and Van Heerden, FR. 2009. Myco-
toxins with a special focus on aflatoxins, ochratoxins and fumonisins. General and
Applied Toxicology, Third Edition (Eds. Ballantyne, B, Marrs, TC, Syversen, T),
John Wiley and Sons, 6, 3 467 - 3 527.
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Grain SA/Sasol photo competition