A self-propelled beet harvester may seem like an overly-specified piece of equipment to own, but for beet farmers, there is often a short window to get the crop in, and few hands to help.
“It’s just the efficiency and maneuverability — one man is operating a defoliator and a harvester and a cart,” says ROPA’s John Noorloos, adding the fuel consumption is less on one machine than the alternative three.
RealAgriculture’s coverage of Agritechnica 2019 is made possible by Brevant seeds. The latest technology, locally tested. Brevant seeds. Seed. Yield. Easy.
So just how many acres is enough to warrant owning a self-propelled beet harvester?
“Typically if I would have around 1,300-1,400 acres myself, I’d say it’s worthwhile to have my own machine. If I only have 900 to 1000, I’d be looking at a good used machine, just to keep the capital down to spread the cost around those acres.”
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts