Claydon, the world leader in strip seeding technology, has appointed Gebruder Peiffer GmbH & Co. KG as the sole importer for its range of drills and stubble management equipment in Germany and The Netherlands. A long-established company based in Grevenbroich, close to Cologne and Dusseldorf, it became the first Claydon distributor in Germany during April 2016 and initially handled sales in the Rhineland, Muensterland and Westfalen regions.
Claydon has been selling direct to farmers in Germany since 2011, when it first exhibited at Agritechnica. The appointment was the first step for both companies in developing the market for Claydon’s range of unique products in Germany, where low crop prices are forcing farmers to become even more efficient. Today, more than 70 Claydon machines are operating successfully in the country.
The Claydon range includes Hybrid M mounted drills with working widths of 3m, 4m, 4.8m and 6m, Hybrid T trailed drills from 3m to 8m, Claydon Straw Harrows from 3m to 15m, together with Claydon Rolls up to 12.3m and the 6m Claydon TerraStar shallow cultivator.
As sole importer, Gebruder Peiffer will be responsible for appointing a network of professional, forward-thinking dealers with a proven track record and enthusiasm for the concept to handle sales and servicing of Claydon products throughout Germany.
“This is a major step for these two well respected, family-owned companies,” Jacob Darby, Export Manager for Claydon, states. “Claydon products have an excellent reputation and interest in them is increasing because of the significant savings in machinery, fuel and labour costs which they provide, combined with improved timeliness and maximised yields. Together, these benefits increase farm profitability compared with traditional establishment techniques which are still widely used in Germany and The Netherlands.
“Strip seeding is still in its infancy in these countries but we believe its popularity will increase rapidly. The new distribution arrangement will provide farmers with access to the full range of Claydon products together with first-class service support through committed, local dealers. Gebruder Peiffer will work with the existing Claydon team in Germany, Markus Lang and Markus Vogler, who look after aftersales, service and spares.”
Erik Peiffer adds: “Low crop prices are forcing farmers to review how they operate, so the fact that all Claydon drills can sow directly into stubble, in min-till situations or on ploughed/cultivated land will be very attractive to arable and livestock businesses, as well as agricultural contractors, because it minimises their capital investment and operating costs. The Claydon Hybrid is also one of the few drills which can be used effectively in organic systems, as drilled crops establish quickly, therefore out-competing weeds in the seeding zone.
“Farming conditions throughout Germany and The Netherlands vary enormously, but Claydon offer a machine to suit every requirement. Many of our customers are family-owned farms with limited labour, where establishing crops more efficiently and effectively is a priority. At the other end of the scale, larger farms in Eastern German which produce commodity crops are finding that achieving improved timeliness, lower establishment costs and better crop performance using the Claydon System enables them to maximise profitability.”
“In recent years, farmers in Northern Germany have also had to contend with a much wider range of climatic conditions, which has impacted on the performance of crops and soil structure. Many of our customers are growing large areas of maize to supply biogas plants, but last year some crops which were established using conventional techniques, particularly on lighter soils, performed poorly because of drought early in the season. These methods also reduce the soil’s weight-bearing capacity and wet weather at harvest meant that machinery struggled for traction and many fields were left in poor condition because of compaction and run-off.
“In contrast, maize established using the Claydon System did well, because it was drilled into moist soil, germinated quickly and put down deep roots which were able to find moisture. At harvest, Claydon-drilled fields were better able to support the weight of machinery, which resulted in less soil damage, reduced run-off and often eliminated the need for cultivation before drilling, enabling the following crop to be established quickly and easily.”
Sharing a similar philosophy, Claydon and Gebruder Peiffer GmbH & Co focus on supplying customers with high-quality agricultural machinery.
Claydon Drills was established by English arable farmer Jeff Claydon in 2002 when grain prices fell to unsustainably low levels, making it uneconomic to produce crops using conventional plough-based establishment methods. Unable to buy the machinery he needed, Jeff developed the Claydon Drill. Incorporating a patented two-tine design which eliminated unnecessary cultivations, it enabled crops to be established in 20% of the time and at 30% of the cost of a plough-based system, and 50% that of a typical min-tillage system. The design was so successful that other farmers wanted to adopt the Claydon System and the company grew rapidly. It’s mounted and trailed drills, straw harrows and rolls are now used on farms in 30 countries, across a wide range of climatic conditions and soil types.
Gebruder Peiffer GmbH & Co. KG was founded by brothers Erich and Richard Peiffer in 1932 and is now managed by Erik Peiffer, the third generation to be involved in a business which is synonymous with the supply and servicing of high-quality agricultural machinery. The company will stock the entire Claydon range and its dealer network will offer a range of demonstration machines which are most relevant to their region.
The picture shows Erik Peiffer (right), General Manager, Gebruder Peiffer GmbH & Co. KG, with Peiffer salesman Sebastian Ständer in front of a Claydon Hybrid trailed drill.
