Beijing - New Holland Agriculture contributed to the expert knowledge-sharing at the 2018 China Silage Conference, which took place recently in Beijing. The purpose of the two-day event was to discuss the sustainable development of China’s corn industry at a time when the government’s “grain change feed” policy is bringing unprecedented opportunities for progress.
The event organisers, the China Seed Association and China Dairy Association, gave the conference the theme “new era, new ideas, new industries, and new opportunities.” Emphasising this at the opening ceremony, Zhang Yanqiu, the Director of the Bureau of Seed Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Silage corn is a new sunrise industry. There is huge market demand for China’s seed industry.”
The President of the China Seed Association Silage Corn Branch, Ding Guangsheng, observed that the proportion of silage planting in China is still small when compared to other countries. Mr Ding said the total area of silage corn in China in 2017 was just 22 million mu (1.5 million hectares), accounting for merely four per cent of the nation’s total corn planting area, whereas in Europe the figures are 92 million mu (6.1 million hectares) and 42 per cent. Mr Ding listed among the industry’s challenges “the backwardness of domestic harvesting machinery.”
This analysis was affirmed by the Deputy Secretary General of the China Dairy Association, Zhang Zhishan, who reminded the conference audience that China is the world’s largest importer of dairy products. Mr Zhang said, “The quantity and quality of silage in China have greatly improved, but further research or improvement is still needed in many aspects.” He identified one of the areas requiring improvement as mechanical harvesting.
High-quality silage machinery and new technology were the focus of the presentation given on behalf of New Holland. Michele Monzio, New Holland Product Marketing Manager, outlined the scientific approach to making high-protein livestock feed that can be stored for long periods. Mr Monzio explained how the key factors in the silage production process are crop variety, crop harvesting time and moisture content, quantity of air at the time of packing, and silage preservation. Healso provided insights into the effects of mechanical harvesting on silage quality, explaining the significance of harvest time, stubble height, chopping, and kernel crushing.
New Holland’s presentation showed how the brand offers a full range of mechanical solutions to help with the planting and harvesting of corn to produce silage. The audience was informed how these solutions include machines for preparation (tedders, rotary rakes, wheel rakes); baling (small, square and round balers); material handling (pull-type bale wagons, tractors, wheel loaders); and cutting and conditioning (sickle and disc mower-conditioners, self-propelled windrowers, forage harvesters).
In concluding his presentation to the conference audience, Michele Monzio commented that New Holland’s behind-the-scenes support for Chinese farmers is every bit as important as the quality of the brand’s world-renowned agricultural equipment. Ending the talk on a high note, he said that New Holland is proud of the way it provides customers with expert technical support, first-rate machine servicing and parts supply, and training in equipment operation and maintenance. This emphasis on building long-lasting business relationships helps explain why New Holland’s machinery is increasingly popular with farmers throughout China.