The company presented Tocal with two tractors, a Case IH Puma 165 and a New Holland T7.230, as part of a new three-year agreement.
The college’s main campus is at Paterson, in the NSW Hunter Valley, while its second campus is at Yanco in the heart of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
“This is such a valuable collaboration, in that it provides the most up-to-date and technologically advanced machinery to share with our students, so they have the knowledge and skills they need to best equip them for life after college,” Tocal College principal and centre director Darren Bayley said.
“And, it not only allows us to introduce our younger full-time students to this type of technology, we can also use the machinery to upskill our current workforce and the hundreds of trainees we’re supporting in the field.”
CNH national key accounts manager Tobie Payne said the company was proud to continue its investment in rural and regional communities, and to assist in training the next generation of Australian farmers at Tocal College.
As part of the agreement, CNH will use the college’s facilities for staff and customer training, while Case IH and New Holland will be the major sponsors of the Tocal Field Days on May 3 to 5, where the brands will showcase a wide range of machinery, including the latest additions to their extensive line-ups.
“CNH and local dealers Double R New Holland and KP & DC Machinery are excited to partner with Tocal to showcase our world-leading technology and products,” Tobie said.
“Australian farmers are global leaders in technology adoption and are actively managing two farms — a physical farm and a digital farm.
“This partnership exposes students to the digital side of farming, a critical tool in driving efficiency and profitability for our customers.”
The tractors will be upgraded to the latest model available every year with the newest suites of technology.
“Precision ag is such a big part of the future of agriculture, so to have students immersed in this training, and to have this type of machinery here means we can expose them to today’s technology and where it’s going,” Tocal Cluster manager Rob Rein said.
“This is what will continue to drive increased efficiency and profitability for agricultural enterprises, so for our students to have the chance to get on board right at the beginning is just so important.
“The industry is rapidly evolving, and we want to be at the forefront of providing students with the skills they’ll need.
“They can get real hours up in these tractors and learn how to maximise the potential of this machinery as part of a successful farming operation.”
The two tractors will go straight to work across the college’s 2225-hectare property that includes commercial dairy, beef, poultry and cropping operations.
Tocal College staff have already received a full day of operator training from CNH representatives as well as dealers Double R New Holland and KP & DC Machinery.
Ongoing service, training and support will be provided by CNH and the dealers for the duration of the partnership.
“We farm a lot of ground, so the tractors will be put to work almost immediately on activities around winter crop preparation and pasture improvement,” Rob said.
“They’ll be a really valuable addition to our fleet.”
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