Making million-dollar deals at farming’s one-stop progress shop

Canada’s Farm Progress Show (CFPS) is a one-stop shop for John Kuyf.

“Everything’s here, so there’s no point in going anywhere else.” said Kuyf, managing director of New Zealand-based Rel Group, a farm equipment distributor.

Kuyf, along with 800 international delegates at CFPS, is eyeing innovative farm technology for New Zealand and Australia.

“Agricultural people are friendly, but we’re competitive. We have to get the first jump on a product,” Kuyf said.

In particular, Intragrain Technology’s Bin Sense Fan Control application stands out. “We’ve ordered 10 of them for about $16,000,” he said.

Overall, Kuyf spends about $3 million per year on farm technology and equipment.

“It’s all about the price and quality,” he said.

Kuyf comes to CFPS to research products, develop long-lasting relationships with businesses and discuss shipping options.

“If all these manufacturers were not here in one spot, you’d spend a month travelling around Canada,” Kuyf said.

Once a deal is made, it takes about four months for the product to be manufac- tured and then delivered via boat.

Rel Group’s employees then assemble products and redistribute them to dealers and farmers for sale.

Shirley Janeczko, international business manager at CFPS, plays host for international delegates, which represent about 57 countries.

“We’ve seen a lot of Germans, which is new to us,” she said, adding that most come from the United States. “Because it rained, a lot of (Americans) jumped in their car and came to the show,” she said.

However, delegates overseas don’t have the luxury to drive.

“Getting visas is always a challenge, especially with the crisis in Ukraine,” Janeczko said, adding that some Ukranians have managed to attend the event.

Obtaining a visa in China and India can also be difficult.

“It’s going to be us making a stronger case to (the government), asking them to make some special considerations. We have people interested, it’s just getting them here,” she said.

Canadian ambassadors for Iraq and Jordan, and Canadian ambassador-designate for Kazakhstan were also among international attendees.

Ultimately, Janeczko said CFPS is about making deals and shipping millions of dollars back to respective countries. She said the lar- gest deal she’d ever seen was about $10 million.

“I actually had to think when I saw the zeros, and I thought, is this right?” she said.

Janeczko added CFPS’s goal is to provide cuttingedge technology and powerful machines for buyers.

Interestingly, some of the machines are too big for New Zealand’s roads. “There’s some serious iron here,” Kuyf said.

“It’s like tractors on steroids,” added Kuyf ’s son, Hayden.

Overall, “(Inter national delegates) are pleased with the show. This is where they get to see it all,” Janeczko said.