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NEWS MESSAGE
Pöttinger reduces harvesting costs
Using a loader wagon for harvesting grass silage
Optimising harvesting and harvesting costs is the objective of many farmers. Regardless of whether you operate a large farm, contract business or medium-sized farm. Potential is evident almost everywhere. The Swiss farmer Michael Kurmann was able to reduce costs by 42% by optimising his silage harvest. The 2006 season was the first time he used a loader wagon for bringing in the grass silage harvest. Together with his father, Michael Kurmann operates a 37 hectare mixed farming business. The dairy herd consists of 40 cows and includes a breeding operation.
| „My neighbours, Rolf and Toni Kaufmann in Kleinwangen, bought a Pöttinger Faro 4000 L in the spring of 2006. This prompted me to rethink my grass silage harvest", reports the Swiss farmer. The grass silage was always harvested by a contractor with a self-propelled harvester. "In addition, we still had to provide two tractors including drivers for transporting the silage", explains Michael Kurmann. The grass silage is stored in silo towers that are filled by crane. The storage volume is around 250 m³; the rest of the grass is preserved as hay. |  The brothers Kaufmann, Michael Kurmann |
In 2006 the entire silage harvest was brought in by R. & T. Kaufmann using their Pöttinger Faro 4000. "Instead of the four people we used to need for harvesting with the self-propelled harvester, for harvesting with the loader wagon we only needed two", says the pleased farmer. Thanks to the relatively short field-to-farmyard distances the harvest with the silage wagon did not take much longer either.
Kurmann goes on to say: "The lower number of personnel and machines required also has a positive effect on the costs, which we reduced by 42%.“
| 2005 | Amount in CHF | Amount in € |
| 250m³ with self-propelled harvester (incl. Hire of trailers) | 2.800.-- | 1.750.-- |
| 2 tractors incl. drivers (4 hours each) | 512.-- | 320.-- |
| Total | 3.312.-- | 2.070.-- |
| 2006 | Amount in CHF | Amount in € |
| 250 m³ with Pöttinger Faro 4000 incl. driver | 1.400.-- | 875.-- |
| Total | 1.400.-- | 875.-- |
| Saving | 1.912.-- | 1.195.-- |
„By using the Pöttinger Faro 4000 we do more than just save money. The whole harvest process is much easier to organise because we are no longer dependent on assistance from outside", says Michael Kurmann in summing up the advantages of the loader wagon process.
Written by Stephan Ackermann
Created: 15.06.2007
