As a farm manager or owner, you’re responsible for optimising the production of your business, as well as setting operating goals and business plans. But, when working long hours and managing seasonal staff, setting and reaching goals can prove to be difficult.
However, if the basics like reliable and machinery and tools are taken care of, you’ll probably be able to dedicate more time to critical strategic planning.
A case in point is bale wrapping. By opting for a more modern and efficient process like tube wrapping, you’ll be saving money and time. Tube wrapping halves plastic costs when compared with individual bale wrapping. Bales can also be stored neatly in the paddock where they need to be fed out. But most of all, the baleage is of a higher quality.
In this blog, we delve deeper into the main advantages of tube wrapping and discuss how this process can add to your bottom line. While there are a number of reasons why you should opt for tube wrapping, we’ll focus on our top four:
Reason 1: Half plastic costs compared to individually wrapped
Wrapping your bales with a tube wrapper, rather than an individual bale wrapper can reduce the amount of bale wrap plastic by half. Surprisingly, there are still six layers to ensure bale quality. This is a considerable cost saving for you, the farm manager or owner without having to compromise quality.
Reason 2: Simple to feedout
Tube wrapped bales are very easy to feed out because all you have to do is run a knife along the top of the tube and the pull plastic and net down on either side. You then lift the bales end with your loader. You wouldn’t have to get out every time to cut off the plastic like you would with individual bales. Also, it’s safer because you don’t have to get under an individual round bale to cut the plastic and net off.
Reason 3: Tidily stored in paddock where they need to be fed out
Tube wrapped bales are wrapped at the storage site and stored until they are needed to be fed out. This eliminates the need to move wrapped bales which can damage plastic and allow oxygen to penetrate the bale, thereby reducing feed quality.
Reason 4: Higher quality baleage with one stop placement
The Webbline Tubewrapper can wrap a bale in six layers of plastic in under 20 seconds. These wrappers have been the mainstay of tubewrappers in NZ since 1985 and they continue to be the ‘Hilux’ of bale wrappers with their durability and efficiency. In fact, one Webbline Tubewrapper in Canterbury has wrapped over 800, 000 bales since 1996 and is still going strong!
With over 50 years’ experience in the farming industry, we understand the immense pressure farm owners and managers face. Low commodity prices and increased production costs can take a toll on margins. But, by taking advantage of technological advances and farming smarter, farmers can reduce costs, maximise production and increase profit margins.
