5th Austrian Fendt Field Day 2015

“Working in the rain” – was the motto of the Austrian Fendt Field Day. More than 12,000 visitors were not deterred by the rain and came to the grounds of the estate of the Melk Abbey to see the Fendt agricultural machinery for themselves. This was the 5th time that the Austrian Fendt importers of the ACA GmbH and the VarioWelt Wallern invited the public to the grounds of the picturesque abbey to demonstrate Fendt agricultural machinery in practice.

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“Farmers are very good at dealing with so-called bad weather,” says Peter-Josef Paffen, Chairman of the AGCO/Fendt Management Board, welcoming the visitors. “That is why so many people are here, despite the rain. But I am sure that after the very hot, dry period, you are very happy about the rain on your fields.”

At exactly 10:00 am, Andy Marek, stadium announcer of the Austrian national team and long-standing moderator of the Fendt Field Day, informed visitors about the individual programme points. Then Peter-Josef Paffen declared the 5th Fendt Field Day in Melk open and gave the starting shot for the traditional opening parade. Some 60 machines equipped with implements formed a row and drove towards the visitors while the Fendt hymn played.

The “Machine of the Year 2015” was presented at work in grassland: the new Fendt 300 Vario, with a power range from 110 to 138 hp (ECE R24), is predestined for Austrian farming. With the new VisioPlus cab, the newly designed tractor offers considerably more comfort and visibility. The new Variocenter with Power joystick has many new convincing functions. The new 300 series tractors presented themselves to the visitors equipped with various mowers, tedders and hay rakes. The freshly mown grass was picked up by the Fendt Katana 85, which was seen in operation for the first time here in Austria.

Another area that interested many visitors was the demonstration of the VarioGrip integral tyre pressure regulation system. Two identical Fendt 828 Vario with identical cultivators worked a 250-metre long track across the field – however, with different tyre pressures. On a measuring column attached to the tractor, visitors could see how much fuel consumption and power are dependent on the correct tyre pressure. It can make an impressive difference of up to 10 percent more pulling power, 8 percent more area coverage and 8 percent less diesel consumed. These kinds of innovative solutions are very well received by professional farmers. Despite the declining sales of agricultural machinery in Austria, down by approx. 12 percent over the previous year, Fendt was able to defy the trend and increase its market share by 2.8 percent up to June 2015. “Austria is experiencing a similarly tense market situation like the German or French agricultural market,” says Peter-Josef Paffen. “But it is exactly then, when the markets are not booming, that the outstanding work of our Austrian importers and professional customers’ demand for Fendt engineering and quality, really prove themselves.”

In the afternoon, the intensity of the rain increased. The presentation of the 5275 C PL combine as well as the Fendt big baler had to be held on the exhibition grounds instead of in the field. Despite wet clothing, many visitors stayed to see the big, self-propelled Fendt Katana 85 forage harvester at work in maize at 3:00 pm. The demonstration of the 850 hp forage harvester was the last of the machine operations and concluded a wet, but exciting, Fendt Field Day in Melk.