A top-notch crop and chop
Contracting father and son team, Craig and Josh Pilet, are silage experts who have operated their family-owned lower North Island business for almost four decades.
Craig started the business with one tractor and a baler thirty-seven years ago and then saw an opportunity to specialise as dairy conversions started across the Rangitikei and Manawatu and farmers began to purchase feed for their stock.
A few years later, Craig purchased his first Claas Jaguar 690 and focused on doing one job well.
“Contract baling and harvesting is what we do well, our customers expect good service and a good product so this has been our focus,” he says.
“Up to now, we have specialised in hay, silage baling and foraging - doing a good job and providing quality service quickly, efficiently and professionally. Our customers have become increasingly interested in us helping with cultivation and other activities, so we are now looking at how we can achieve this,” Craig says.
Knowing our clients, this area, soil type and preferences is essential in giving them the right advice. Growing a good crop and choosing the right paddocks for silage requires practical experience because weather and ground conditions challenge the production of quality silage.
“We aim to complete a top-notch job for every one of our customers. I notice what is happening out there day to day and I know this district. Our customers trust in us to know if the ground conditions and weather are going to be right,” he says.
Whilst the customer makes the timing decision at the end of the day, advice and support are a key part of the business.
In season, everyone is facing the same challenges with weather, machinery and ground conditions—time is money and a season can be destroyed by inadequate preparation.
“Our clients understand that chopping is only part of the process. After chopping, the quality can deteriorate. To maintain the quality silage needs a tight stack, located in the right place, that is dry, clean and vermin-free then covered with plenty of tyres and a new cover,” Craig says.
Craig has seen a lot of change in the industry over the last thirty years. Machines have become more complex, there is more competition and more inoculants are being used to extract value from feed. The capacity of forage harvesting machines has also meant that changes have occurred in stacking equipment, and farmers want to obtain more information on quality and yield.
Pilet Contracting has just installed NIR technology in their Jaguar 960 forage harvesters. This will allow them to provide customers with more accurate loading information and instantaneous data, enhance billing, produce quality and yield reports and eventually show customers where their fields perform.
The Claas Jaguar NIR system uses near-infrared sensors to measure the dry matter content and other constituents of forage crops in real-time, providing operators with critical data for optimising harvest and feed quality through the Cemis 1200 or Cebis terminals. This technology helps adjust chopping length, inoculant application and other parameters on the fly, leading to more efficient harvesting and better silage.
“We are keen to see what NIR does for us in the new season. We are looking to the future and how we might also be able to link this into cultivation activities such as variable rate seeding and spreading,” says Josh.
Over the years, the Pilets have demonstrated different equipment within their business, but have remained loyal to Claas Jaguar, Disco and rakes. Their equipment purchasing is based on two factors: back-up service and resale value.
“Decisions are made based on your relationships with individuals and companies.”
“Thirty years ago, the Claas Jaguar was the original chopper to have, but at the end of the day it comes down to more than just the product. Claas Harvest Centre provides us with great backup service and parts,” says Craig.
Pilet contracting team members carry out day-to-day maintenance of the machines on site, while the qualified Claas Harvest Centre technicians prepare the harvesters for the season ahead.
“The latest technology in our Jaguars means that when it's time for a service or if an error is detected, the technicians contacts us or it is most likely that someone is already on the way, it saves us making a call,” says Josh.
When Pilet needs parts, if they can’t immediately source them from the local Claas Harvest Centre, the Waikato Parts Distribution hub means they can access them overnight.
“Claas does have it when it comes to after-sales backup. They make us feel like a priority and understand that downtime for us is money and lost business.”
“I don’t sleep when we are broken down,” says Craig.
Having operated a successful business for over thirty years, the key to their success is having the right relationships, equipment and a focus on forage harvesting, baling, and transportation.
“We continue to adapt to the needs of our customers, but our goal is unchanged in providing a quality product and hassle-free service, allowing farmers to concentrate on their core business,” says Josh.