Henty MOTY Award recognises innovative farm technology

Machines at the cutting edge of agricultural technology will be showcased to the industry in the prestigious 2024 Henty Machine of the Year Award.

Announced on the opening day, this “farmers’ choice’’ award is presented to the most outstanding new piece of agricultural machinery exhibited at the Henty Machinery Field Days on September 17-19.

The award is judged by an independent panel of regional primary producers.

In many cases the machine has gone on to become a standard piece of equipment on farms.

Judging criteria includes the machine’s purpose and suitability, scope of application, construction, ease of maintenance and service, ease of operation and adjustment, availability of parts and overall value for money.

In 2023, entries ranged from a manure spreader, heavy-duty double row aerator, an automatic horse feeder, self-propelled sprayer, trailed mower conditioner, pump, wheeled loader, chaser bin, mechanical interrow weeder, draper platform, a passive, automatic sheep drafter and an autonomous orchard sprayer.  

The award drew 23 entries with the GUSS autonomous sprayer, entered by Hutcheon & Pearce, impressing judges with its innovation, engineering and design.

Using the innovative Select Spray^TM technology, GUSS identifies the target tree and applies the precise amount of spray required for optimal coverage, irrespective of height or canopy size. 

Highly commended was The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter entered by Justin Dunn, of Temora. 

This year’s line-up also includes a grain tube conveyor, petrol driven hot water pressure cleaner, bulk bin feeder, fencing innovation, super seed and fertiliser bin, large square baler, silage tipper trailer, self-propelled sprayer, portable bushfire protection system, trailing spreader and the world’s widest draper platform at 18.2m.

HMFD chairman Nigel Scheetz said a win at Henty gives the entrant valuable exposure for their product.

“Henty continues to showcase the latest in agricultural technology - the entrants certainly excelled last year, and we are expecting the innovation will be repeated this year.”

The GUSS autonomous sprayer on display at the field days was at the time one of less than 10 in Australia with the others field proven in almond orchards in the Sunraysia and Riverina districts.

Hutcheon and Pearce sales and marketing manager Andrew Watt said the Machine of the Year Award meant much to Hutcheon and Pearce, reaffirming the release of the autonomous technology to the Australian market. 

Sheep feedlot and containment specialist Justin Dunn has done it again and come up with The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter, highly commended in the Machine of the Year Award. 

Justin, of Temora, was an entrant in last year’s Machine of the Year Award with the Road Runner, an off grid and solar powered loaded automated feeder with online connectivity and was the winner of the 2018 Henty Agri-Innovator Award. 

Justin said the new auto drafter is a system that can weigh and draft sheep in a feedlot continuously without leaving their pens.

Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the excellence in design displayed by all entrants, which varied from battery chargers to sprayers and disc chains.

“The competition is very well supported, and we appreciate the interest each year from local and international businesses,” he said. 

An additional accolade at Henty is the Greater Hume Council Award for the best new Australian designed and manufactured machine.

It is judged on the Monday and presented on the Wednesday of the field days. 

2024 Machine of the Year entries include:

BA Group Australia – LM1150 Litre 3-point linkage sprayer

Bauer GmbH Australia – Rainstar T61 

Clever Gate Co – full swing gate

Commander Ag-Quip – Grain Commander Tube Conveyor

FarmTech Machinery – Trailmax TM40

Flinn Design – Ram2Ewe

Goldacres – G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2 

Hutcheon & Pearce – John Deere C Series air cart

Jetwave Industrial Equipment – Explorer G2 petrol driven hot water pressure cleaner

JTA Spraying Equipment – JTA Sprayer 

Metalform Ag – Tow and Fert MultiCrop 4000

Midwest Fabrication – Midwest Legacy

Mozzie Fire

Quikfence – FastFence Jr

Steele Steel – MP Maxi Feeder 

Trac Mac Farm Equipment – Trac Mac’s Raptor