The ag sector’s supply chain issues are also showing up at the parts counter.
Shipment delays and parts availability issues are an increasing concern for farmers, as they gear up for spring.
“My biggest concern is if you have issues at seeding time and are unable to source parts,” Bill Campbell, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, said.
“If they are 10 days out or on back order, what do you do for seeding if it’s your tractor or air seeder?” he added. “These are huge concerns.”
The issue is two pronged, according to Dean Iwanchysko, general manager of Hepson Equipment — there are issues getting the products made, and then other issues getting them to the retailer.
“You’re at the mercy of the freight system, which is pretty damaged right now,” he said. “Things from the States, across Canada, Europe, anywhere, everything is a lot slower than it used to be. Just getting the actual components built by the manufacturers that build them, that’s been a challenge too.”
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Iwanchysko called the situation going into spring, “extremely concerning.”
The Brandon-based company is seeing delays anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on brand, he said.
The issues have led the company to shift its ordering policy in an effort to maintain inventory.
“We’re actually trying to stock up extra on the pieces that we normally do sell,” Iwanchysko said. “In the past, you would do your regular stock and then as it starts to dwindle down, you start to reorder, just to keep it replenished.”
Now, however, the company will likely increase that restocking order by 25 per cent, to build a cushion for popular items, he said.
Iwanchysko urged producers to similarly stock up on known high-wear items.
“Don’t just rely on, ‘oh, I’ll just swing by the dealer and get it.’ Plan for the year,” he said.
Some customers are embracing that longer-term mindset for certain products, he said. In particular, he noted, the company is seeing producers book in summer parts for their larger machines.
“Going into seeding, you don’t know what’s going to break until it breaks,” Campbell said. “I don’t think that we can keep an inventory of everything that we may need on the farm. Logistics are going to play a part in this. Hopefully there’s a trouble-free seeding season, but we all know that when you use equipment, it breaks.”
