Cash-strapped farmers need to plan ahead for efficient planting season

15 Sep 2016

Farmers and economists are still waiting for the final crop delivery numbers to see just how badly the drought has affected production, particularly that of maize. Whatever its ultimate impact on the country, there is no doubt that the drought has left almost every single farmer facing financial difficulties.

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With this year yielding a second poor harvest in a row, farmers have been left cash-strapped just as they need to begin preparations for the upcoming planting season. “After two tough years, many farmers are really feeling the pressure on their finances. As the rain stayed away, many farmers also waited until as late as possible in the year to plant, this left their cash flow under even further pressure as they were forced to wait longer for the diminished profits of a smaller harvest,” says Samantha Oatley, Shell Lubricants marketing manager.

Oatley says in this difficult environment, farmers cannot afford any unnecessary spending but still need to properly prepare to plant in the coming season. This not only means investing in soil conditioning but also ensuring that all their equipment is well maintained.

Getting the most out of equipment

According to the South African Agricultural Machinery Association tractor sales during 2016 are expected to be between 15% and 20% lower than last year. This means farmers who cannot afford to invest in new equipment this year need to ensure they can get maximum mileage and performance out of the vehicles they already own.

The Shell Rimula of synthetic heavy-duty diesel engine oils are designed to provide protection against engine wear across all terrains and weather conditions and has proven start-up capabilities in extreme temperatures. This results in longer oil-drain intervals and longer engine life compare to typical 10W-40 oil over a 100,000km oil-drain interval.

The new Shell Rimula Ultra 5W-30 product, R5 and R6 ranges are formulated with Dynamic Protection Plus Technology. This is a unique combination of Shell PurePlus Technology – a revolutionary process that converts natural gas into crystal-clear base oil – and Adaptive Additive Technology that provides protection for modern heavy-duty diesel engines.

Shell Rimula R6 LME delivers up to 51% better engine wear protection. Shell Rimula R4 X offers up to 30% better wear protection and up to 50% better acid corrosion protection and engine cleanliness. These improvements are relative to API and ACEA engine oil specification limits in a key engine test, selected to be representative across multiple engines.

Planting efficiently with available resources

Oatley says expectations that the La Niña weather pattern may turn the drought into good rainfall next year means farmers need to ensure that they are ready to benefit from this improvement in conditions. “The coming season could bring farmers much-needed relief, but they need to be able to plant efficiently with the financial resources currently available to them.”