Ausmix feed mixer from Wodonga wins Greater Hume Council award at 2023 Henty field days

The award recognises the best new Australian designed and built agricultural machine and was judged by a panel of independent judges with the 2023 winner announced on Wednesday, September 20.

The award was presented by Greater Hume's general manager Evelyn Arnold and HMFD director Matt Noll to FarmTech director Brad Modra for the Ausmix XL26 Fibrex 26-cube feed mixer.

Ausmix has been producing feed mixers out of Wodonga for the past three years with more than 60 mixers supplied across Australia.

With a release date in mid-August, the first unit was on display at Henty.

HMFD judge Warren Scheetz said the locally built machine was designed for the feedlot industry with much research and development undertaken beforehand.

"It is a robust design which increases the efficiency of feed mixing time and that all adds up when doing multiple feed mixes each day," Mr Scheetz said.

FarmTech northern Victorian and South Australian territory manager Liam Talbot said the chassis, bowl, augers and conveyor were designed and built in-house with the driveline being outsourced to a reputable Italian supplier.

"As we manufacture these units in Australia, we have a warehouse stocked with parts ensuring any breakdowns or issues are fixed in a prompt manner," Mr Talbot said.

"The XL26 is expected to be the flagship model with full customisability to suit any farming operation."

With Australian farmers always looking for ways to increase profitability and reduce feed costs, Ausmix has developed extra wide bowls to work in concert with the Fiber-X augers to break down big bales and mix them to a final Total Mixed Ration.

Ausmix knives are heat-treated with tungsten carbide, allowing them to be thinner, lighter and tougher than ever before.

Ausmix tubs are designed to last in the harshest Australian conditions and are made with thick steel plates all around: 20mm on the floor and 10mm on the walls, while the wall's angled slope works to help funnel materials into the centre of the tub.

Together with the centripetal motion from augers, materials fall deeper into the mixer, ensuring maximum blade contact, significantly reducing time, fuel and effort.

FarmTech director Brad Modra said the company was passionate about making farm machinery in Australia.

"This award is a huge pat on the back for our hard-working team at FarmTech for the last three years spent on the Ausmix Feed Mixer project," Mr Modra said.

"I want to give a big shout out to Australian manufacturing and all these companies exhibiting at the field days - quality farm machinery is leading the way both in Australia and internationally.

"We are proud to be part of the local Albury-Wodonga manufacturing community and hopefully this award will inspire other companies to consider making more here locally, and get behind Australian made products."

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