| 47 RURAL SERVICES » Barrett Ag Ltd Cooler months bring a focus on maintenance Kahu founded Barrett Ag Ltd eight years ago and over that time has won a strong local following. Kim Newth Southland rural contractor Kahu Barrett, of Barrett Ag Ltd, says the winter months are a good time for farmers to catch up on various jobs around the farm such as lane maintenance and drainage work. Kahu founded Barrett Ag Ltd eight years ago and over that time has won a strong local following in the Southland farming region. Barrett Ag Ltd is fully equipped for all on-farm excavation requirements with two digger/grader units, a D85 bulldozer/roller and a line-up of ef cient tip trucks and trailers. “We’ve just bought a brand-new digger and do a lot of one-off development work on farms,” says Kahu. “We do jobs like xing people’s water systems and other maintenance work too.” Through autumn, Kahu and his team have been busy keeping up with demand for stockfeed. The region has been very dry, having had little rain since the start of the year. “We’re just in the throes of buying another truck at the moment. One of our trucks has been fully tied up with going up and down from Canterbury to bring bales down. We’ve probably carted around 2000 bales so far – it has been very tough for farmers here. We grow feed too and have sold a lot of baleage this year off our blocks.” The peak season for Barrett Ag is from September through to January. Through those busy months, the business employs a team of eight or nine people, dropping back to a core team of four through the winter. Their full suite of services includes full cultivation with direct drill and strip tilling, along with silage and baleage. Kahu has invested in up-to-date CASE vehicles and machinery – including eight tractors and associated gear for agricultural work, three trucks, a chopper and two diggers - ensuring farmers get a reliable and ef cient service. Machinery maintenance is largely done inhouse in the Barrett farm workshop. Barrett Ag’s cutting-edge U-Drill can perform multiple tasks in a single pass, effectively combining precision cultivation and sowing as one job. The team also offers strip tilling that only works the soil where the seed is going, thereby reducing erosion, soil compaction and saving time and fuel. “We offer very ef cient cultivation services. For example, one farmer who was previously cultivating his own paddocks came to us and we then put his crops in using our strip tiller; it knocked back the time and cost of cultivation by around a third.” Kahu grew up on his parents Tuatapere sheep and beef farm and this is where he rst gained experience with farm machinery. His parents later sold that farm and bought another in Orepuki. “Then three years ago we bought one in Tuatapere and we also lease some farm blocks as well. All up, we’re farming around 1000 acres. We run trading stock – grazing cows and fattening up bulls to sell - as well as doing a lot of bales. My dad [Zane Barrett] takes care of the stock side of the operation.” With the business well-positioned for feed, future plans include investing in a dairy farm alongside ongoing investment in machinery and equipment. “We’ve probably carted around 2000 bales so far – it has been very tough for farmers here. We grow feed too and have sold a lot of baleage this year off our blocks.” Local presence, global reach As a local member of your community, Findex helps ensure your agribusiness gets the service and advice it needs to thrive. Contact us today and a member from our local team will be in touch with you. findex.co.nz/contact-us
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