LMB Geertsema b.v. has been appointed sole distributor for Claydon Opti-Till® crop establishment products in The Netherlands and will sell and support the full range of Claydon machinery in the country.
Located at Munnekezijl, on the border of Groningen and Friesland, LMB Geertsema supplies and maintains a wide range of machinery for the arable and livestock farming sectors. The business started as a Porsche tractor dealer, then took on the Renault franchise. After Renault was acquired by Claas in October 2003 LMB Geertsema became a main dealer for Claas.
To accommodate the increasing scale of its business, in 2005 the company moved to a site outside Munnekezijl, allowing it to develop and further improve the service provided. LMB Geertsema supplies a wide range of innovative machinery to its customers, who are mainly located in the north of The Netherlands. The business also includes a workshop staffed by highly trained technicians with specialist knowledge and a warehouse which stocks a wide range of parts and lubricants.
Leo Geertsema, General and Sales Manager for LMB Geertsema, says:
“I was introduced to the Claydon brand at a seeding demonstration in 2012 and the following year began importing the company’s products. At that time the technique was still new and unknown in The Netherlands. Interest in direct strip seeding has increased substantially since then, so we are delighted to have been appointed the official Claydon distributor in The Netherlands.
“The Dutch Government’s support for the European Green Deal, which targets substantial reductions in pesticide and fertiliser use while increasing organic production, means that many farmers in The Netherlands are having to consider new solutions to maintain and improve organic matter in the soil. Most rely on plough-based or min-till technology to establish their crops, but increasingly will be forced to adopt no-till solutions to lower production costs and carbon emissions, reduce soil compaction, increase soil organic matter and improve soil health.
“Change is always difficult, but interest in this topic is increasing rapidly, with many research institutions and study groups investigating its potential. Farmers who wish to implement this approach are looking for equipment which complies with all the rules and regulations, but is practical, simple, robust and requires little maintenance. Claydon products meet those requirements and will increasingly appeal to large farming businesses and contractors in the North Netherlands, particularly around Groningen and Friesland. Further south, Zeeland and Flevoland provide great potential to develop sales.
“Given our customer base, the range of Claydon mounted and trailed drills, TerraStar® light rotary cultivator, Straw Harrow, and TerraBlade inter row hoe will all be of interest. We have added all these machines to our demonstration fleet for use with our Claas Arion 550 and 630 demonstration tractors, so farmers will be able to see them working on their own land. Having used the Claydon Opti-Till® System to establish a range of crops, including wheat, barley, field beans, oilseed rape and cover crops, we can confirm that the Claydon Opti-Till® System does exactly what the manufacturer claims.”
Jacob Darby, Claydon’s National Territory Manager for The Netherlands, adds:
“Claydon are delighted to be working with a distributor with considerable experience of direct strip seeding and the enthusiasm to promote its benefits. The agreement will enable LMB Geertsema customers to profit from significant time, cost, and labour savings, together with considerable improvements in soil health and stability, moisture conservation and organic matter content.”