Approved by Bateman: Molloy Agriculture Ltd

Molloy Agriculture Limited are based in Mid Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island. The company, formed in 1985 by David and Sonia Molloy, began life as contract sprayers.

In 1999 Molloy took delivery of their first Bateman sprayer. Today, the business runs a fleet of nine Bateman’s and provides a ‘one stop shop’ solution to farmers and growers. Services range from agronomy and contract spraying, chemicals and seed supply, to plastic container recycling.

If that is not enough, Molloy is also the main Bateman sales and service dealership for New Zealand. We spoke to David Molloy and posed a few questions…

How did it begin with Bateman?

When better irrigation was introduced in New Zealand during the mid 1990’s, our farmers were able to grow different crops such as potatoes and onions. As a spraying contractor we found ourselves in need of specialist machinery in order to spray those particular crops.

At the time we were working with a machinery dealer in New Zealand, they supplied us with a quotation for an Italian self-propelled sprayer. We then found out about a machinery show in the UK called ‘Sprays and Sprayers’, which was held in Cambridgeshire. We jumped on a plane with the intention of learning more about the Italian sprayer before buying one.

However, on first sight we thought “gosh this isn’t going to fit the bill”, it looked much better in the brochure. We left the first day of the show quite despondent. On the second day, after a few conversations, we left for home with a handful of brochures, including one from Bateman.

On reading the brochures, Bateman were the only ones offering hydraulically adjustable axles. I phoned the Bateman factory and spoke to Richard Bateman. During that call a deal was struck for an RB15. We’ve been with Bateman since 1998 and currently run a fleet of nine RB35 and 55 machines, five at 32 metres and 4 at 24 metres.

What challenges do you face as sprayers?

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, Mother Nature is always going to throw you a few curved balls. In Canterbury we can by affected by strong northwest winds, which bring frequent showers, particularly around the Spring Equinox. Some cycles can last from as long as four to eight weeks. During this period there might only be small windows of opportunity, you’ve got to take them.

We’re spraying a total of around 140,000 hectares across combinable and root crops, during eight months of the year. Our customers are not interested in excuses, they want us to deliver a service. We strive to deliver that service, which means long days and weekends in the field.

One of our biggest challenges revolves around investing in new technology. Sometimes with customers you’ve got to sell the story to justify why you need to charge a bit more. New Zealand is an exporting country, if it wasn’t for our agricultural sector selling products around the world, we would not be an economically healthy country. However, our customers are not being paid any more for what they grow. We have to find ways to drive costs down for our customers’ businesses, but not at the expense of yield or quality.

What do you particularly like about running Bateman sprayers?

Overall, I like the simplicity and reliability of the product. They are straightforward to operate, easy to maintain, stand up to very tough conditions and hold their value.

The VG boom is a fantastic piece of kit. We spray a lot of potatoes, you’ve got pivot ruts which could be 2 feet deep, those booms get an absolute hiding, they really are indestructible. There have been a few modifications introduced over the years, but the core design has stood the test of time.

Capstan Pinpoint III PWM has been a game-changer for us. We’re more productive in the field, which has helped us charge a little more because of the accuracy we are providing our customers.

We have just received our first Bateman machine fitted with Carbon Bee. Our farmers are screaming out for this technology, we’re hoping we can further reduce input costs for customers overtime with this new technology.

Bateman are always innovating. As a contractor you need a point of difference, Bateman has given us that right from the very beginning.

You’re the main Bateman dealer for New Zealand, how did that happen?

I think it was during 2008, by then Richard Bateman was living in New Zealand. Richard was receiving phone calls from farmers here who wanted to buy a Bateman sprayer. I don’t think he wanted to be taking these calls and asked me if we’d be interested in becoming a dealer. I said yes.

What is life like as a Bateman dealer?

Bateman is a very popular brand in New Zealand. To give you an example, whenever we buy a new Bateman for our own use, there’s a waiting list of people for our outgoing Bateman machines.

We have a great relationship with Jason and the team at the factory. When we receive an enquiry for a new machine, we work closely with Bateman’s sales team to produce a quote to the customer’s exact specification. That’s something else I like about Bateman; you have the flexibility to design a machine that is bespoke.

From a back-up point of view, we carry a large stock of spare parts, which is closely monitored and regularly replenished. Parts are another great thing about Bateman, most are made by Bateman in their own factory, they’re always in stock.

I’m a mechanic by trade and can fix most things, although these days I’m not so hands on anymore. We have a couple of service engineers who look after our customers’ machines and our own. Most of the machines we sell are based on the South Island, although we do have a couple on the North Island, which means a bit of travelling. Our ethos mirrors that of Bateman’s; if a machine breaks down, we pull out the stops and get them going again.

What do you like about working with the team at Bateman?

New Zealand has always been a very innovative country, we have to be because we’re so remote. Bateman are always looking for ways to improve their product, I really enjoy discussing ideas with Jason. The thing with Bateman is it’s not just talk, concepts are designed and thoroughly tested. If they improve the job they happen.

There has been the odd occasion when we’ve needed some technical advice from Bateman. You have to be respectful of the time zone difference, however, whenever we call the office, the service we receive is phenomenal. What they don’t know about sprayers and spraying isn’t worth knowing. Believe me!

As a contracting business and as a dealer, we strive for excellence, it’s the same at Bateman. That’s why we work so well together.

In your opinion what sets Bateman apart from other sprayers?

They are reliable machines. What you see is what you get – easy to operate and straightforward to maintain. Like I’ve said, we have no problem selling a Bateman machine. The brand is well respected, through Bateman’s reputation as quality engineers and ours at Molloy through the quality of our work.

Is there anything particular that you would like to mention?

We’ve been working with some of our customers for forty-odd years, we’re dealing with second and even third generations of families. It’s a real honour, we couldn’t have achieved this without the Bateman self-propelled sprayer in our fleet. It’s helped open many doors for us across arable and vegetable contract spraying.

Business is about relationships. Firstly, through Richard and Sally Bateman and now Jason and Aideen Bateman, a mutual respect and friendship exists between our two families. I look forward to this continuing for many years.