The Landcruiser Legacy

Extracted from the Farm Tender weekly Newsletter - Sign up and get the email every Wednesday morning before 6 am. www.farmtender.com.au

Landcruiser Utes, and to a lesser extent, Wagons, are hotly traded items right now. The Landcruiser Ute is iconic in Australian Agriculture, and it got me thinking about what other things have stood the test of time or what has just become trendy.

Australians have pretty strong biases and opinions, but in Ag, it seems to be next level.

In Ag Machinery, we all know the Red and Green fight, both John Deere and Case IH have become huge Machinery brands and, to a lesser extent New Holland and Massey. The Ag Machinery market is a continually evolving beast, which will be interesting to watch over the next decade.

Angus Cattle have been number 1 for some time and continue to be more popular than any other breed. There are a few trending breeds, but they are miles away from the main breeds.

In the Sheep game, the trends change quickly, look at Aussies Whites right now, nearly $1000/head for stud Ewes.

I was around when Jim Watts started the SRS movement. I was part of it, and to watch it unfold was amazing. Yes, it was a trend, and many got into it, but it was also controversial. It divided an industry that has always struggled to be united. Dorpers, Dohnes, Samms, trended at one stage, and like SRS, have since dropped off from their respective heights.

The biggest change in the Sheep game is the shift in focus from Wool to Meat. Meat is king now.

Big Square Bales have taken over from Small Squares, thank god. Big Squares have transformed the domestic and Export Hay industry in Australia. What a revolution.

Precision Agriculture along with on-farm and in-paddock Grain storage, has changed the Cropping game. Bigger Machines as well. I wonder if things will keep getting bigger or start to become smaller as we transform to automation?

Ring Lock type fences have taken over from plain wire and droppers. Steel posts were revolutionary. Air operated post rammers have been another great invention. Fencing is so much quicker these days. I wonder how long before virtual fencing becomes commercial?

We need to have labour-saving transformations in Ag.

Getting back to Landcruisers, and the reasons for their ongoing popularity is that they have stood the test of time, the resale value is strong, they keep going, are extremely tough, and specifically built for our conditions. I see a lot more "American Trucks" around now, but they are less workhorse and more show than the Cruiser.

I have missed so much and could go on for ages, but I won't. Have a great day.