Business Rural North Autumn 2021

| 61 RURAL SERVICES » Ken Moratti Contracting Palmerston North 12 Noel Rodgers Place, Milson 4412 (06) 354 7164 parts@transag.co.nz Hawera 16 Glover Road, Hawera 4610 (06) 278 5119 parts.hawera@transag.co.nz New Plymouth 65 Katere Road, New Plymouth 4312 (06) 758 2274 parts.np@transag.co.nz www.transag.co.nz Chartered Accountants www.tandemgroup.co.nz • Call Peter Ertel on 06 758 5273 Support and empowering business Proud to Support Ken G Moratti Contracting Ltd Contractors vital go-to for farmers Russell Fredric T he history of Ken G Moratti contracting is a classic story of organic growth after starting small as a one-man-band business. Based in Inglewood with Mt Taranaki as an ever present backdrop, the agricultural contract- ing company has been in business for more than 50 years with the Moratti name synonymous with hay and silage making, maize, cultivation and cropping. The business began almost unintentionally in 1963 when farmer Ken Moratti had a chance to use a hedge trimmer and got so good at it that the neighbours began asking him to trim their own hedges. Equipped with Massey Ferguson 135 and 165 tractors, a drill and a hedge cutter he started his business. Subsequently a job re-grassing the Kapuni to Pio Pio gas line set the business up and rapid growth ensued over the following years. Now owned and run by Ken’s son Billy and his wife Fiona, Ken G Moratti boasts a large, up to date fleet of machinery with the latest technology and is one of the largest agricultural contracting busi- nesses in Taranaki. The company offers a comprehensive range of services including hay and silage baling, pit and fine chop silage, maize silage, fodder beet, cultivation, cropping, grassing, hedge cutting, ef- fluent pond cleaning and muck spreading, fertiliser spraying, metal carting and trenching. The business now employs 15 permanent staff, a number which more than doubles during the extremely busy spring to autumn period. Among its extensive range of equipment, it runs 35 John Deere and Massey Ferguson tractors. For many farmers, engaging a contractor is the most cost-effective and efficient way of getting a variety of work done, especially with the increased size of farms, Billy says. “It’s entirely opposite to what it was 20 years ago. Farmers don’t want to outlay large amounts of capital to buy gear now. “They’ve all got big farms, they haven’t got time to mow 70 or 80 acres with one tractor; we go in with two or three tractors.” Because Ken G Moratti Contracting is so well resourced, work that could take a farmer three days can be completed in just one day. This short time frame can be crucial, Billy says. “Sometimes we have a weather window of just hours, not days. The next day it can be raining.” A popular item of equipment is a new Zealand manufactured Ground Hog aerator which allows for plants to have much better access to the nutrients they need without disturbing the pasture. The company’s staff are locals and are highly experienced, competent operators who have built long lasting relationships with their clients and can offer expert advice for all on-farm requirements. Billy says the complexity of running the business has multiplied exponentially. Urban sprawl means many dairy blocks close to Inglewood have been sold over the years and converted to lifestyle blocks, resulting in a higher percentage of business now including smaller jobs. However Ken G Moratti values the business of all its clients, an ethos well-reflected in the company’s family values and its community sponsorship through which it supports many local charities, schools, sports groups and affiliations. Photos: The Moratti name is synonymous with hay and silage making in Taranaki. A popular item of equipment is a new Zealand manufactured Ground Hog aerator which allows for plants to have much better access to the nutrients they need without disturbing the pasture.