FIRST port of call for the new managing director of Kubota Tractor Australia, Toshi Kawasaki, has been the David Evans Group’s Gatton outlet in southern Queensland where he was keen to get "some hints" as to local conditions.
Having completed an eight-year stint in the United States, Mr Kawasaki said Kubota "always wants to listen" to its customers.
"It's important to get some hints of how farmers are thinking, and try to respond," he said.
David Evans Group principal Robin Evans said: "It's just a thrill to have someone of his stature here.
"His mantra, when he came to Australia, was 'dealers are our backbone' which is refreshing to hear."
Mr Evans said Mr Kawasaki was very conscious about taking "a hands-on approach", acknowledging the strategic importance of Australia's largest Kubota tractor dealership by visiting it on one of his first forays outside Kubota's Melbourne headquarters.
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Mr Kawasaki says the problem of Japan's ageing farmer demographic is beginning to impact on tractor sales which have halved in recent years to about 30,000 units in his homeland.
"The younger generation is not as committed to farming with smaller numbers of farmers now working on the land," he said.
While Kubota makes tractor with capacities up to 97kW (130hp), the reality is that most sales in Japan fall within the 22kW to 30kW (30hp to 40hp) sector, influenced by farms which may be as low as 1ha in size.
As mentioned previously, Mr Kawasaki says Australia farmers probably will see the company's most powerful tractors, currently available in the US and Japan, within the next 12 months.
"While there is a lot of interest in Australia in smaller tractors, in the future I believe we have an opportunity to sale bigger tractors," he said.
As well, he says he is encouraged that Australia's tractor market (currently about 12,000 units per year) is "pretty stable", hoping the industry's recent sales upturn will continue.
Meanwhile, dealer principal Robin Evans said farmer mood remained "typically optimistic", buoyed by rain and the proposed Federal Government business tax break for equipment purchases which will only be available to farmers who order by June 30.
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