Interview with Alejandro Gil, head of communication of Ansemat
October 29, 2009
A situation like that is currently experiencing the sector of agricultural and forestry machinery helps companies engaged in selling spare parts and accessories?
From the point of view of agricultural machinery companies, the after-sales service and technical assistance, is one of the values added, fundamental, in the follow-up to its objectives, based on the satisfaction of the client. At a time as the current one in which the investment in the purchase and renovation of machinery slows, for obvious reasons, perhaps grows the sale of spare parts and components, but is also true that with a growing market, increase the sale of these products.
Do companies, given the crisis, have noticed a change in the typology of the buyer?
Fundamentally, who fixes his machine makes use of the same. Perhaps that is why farmers professionals and, above all, the service companies are claimants more usual for this type of services given the need to have your machine in a timely way to continue working. Now, taking into account the current situation, perhaps the specter of the repairs has grown particularly among the most ancient machinery, whose owners are farmers smaller or "less" professionals.
Is set the client now much more in the price? What other factors does into account when you need a replacement for your machine?
Above the price, quality, efficiency and effectiveness, working capacity and its adaptation to the machine for which it is intended, should be the factors which determine the use of spare parts and components. The market of non-original spare parts, reduces the sale price but also reduces the quality of the same, as does not have the same standards of quality to the original spare.
It is important to offer the customer a value-added service, apart from the own sale of the piece?
It is essential. The two main roads of development work in machinery companies have two directions: horizontal and vertical. In the vertical plane offering more specialized and specific and in the horizontal equipment looking for new business opportunities that respond to the needs of the customer. Spare, after sales, service, training, they are just some of the possibilities that present companies of machinery whose work begins with the sale of the machine, but that does not is there for.
What are the prospects in the medium term for the sector of agricultural and forestry machinery in Spain?
It is difficult to predict the prospects in the short and medium term within the sector by the number of external factors involved for its stability and recovery. As we observed for some time all productive sectors they are in difficulties and of the agricultural machinery, which is linked to the agricultural sector could not be less. To a large extent depend on the financial solution to the generalized crisis that is pushing all the national productive fabric and that, in the agricultural environment, has scored in excess investment in means of production and, in this case, agricultural machinery. The lack of funding has made depend on in excess to the farmers of the grants and subsidies and support from the European and national Governments.
To this it must unite you, also falls and low prices productions as cereals, olive trees and vineyards, which makes it more difficult to calculate future prospects. Taking into account this scenario presents a difficult year 2010.
It is doing enough from the Administration to finance the renovation of the Park of agricultural and forestry machinery?
The strong support of the Ministry plan renove and both administrative and economically, of some of the regions has been essential to promote the renewal of the National Park of agricultural machinery, especially of tractors, but also of harvesters and seeders.
The growth of funding in each marketing year of application, by adding short-term funds during the same, has allowed more beneficiaries access to this type of aid. Also we must thank the newsworthy, development and economic support with this aid plan has been to some regions. Facing the future and given that its implementation ended in the year 2009, from Ansemat, has already worked in the development of the future plan renove. With the current economic difficulties and a decline in budgets in all ministries the aid will be reduced, but we hope that at least they are kept beyond 2010.
How can you help Ansemat, from their position, to all members at a time like this?
The support of Ansemat has a character reference, serving as a place of encounter and information unit working in the sector of mechanization together with authorities and official agencies, carrying the voice of all in search of the interests of the sector. There is also a strong technical component, helping with all the problems that are manufacturers and marketers of agricultural machinery in our country in its adaptation to the rules and regulations for design, manufacturing and marketing products. Finally there is a job information and service to all the needs that may have each and every one of the partners on any kind of mechanization, agricultural, forestry machinery or green spaces.
Can the export extent to which is helping to alleviate, in part, the lack of sale of machinery in Spain?
According to the views expressed by the own partners of Amsemat in some cases, the export is helping to alleviate, somehow, the halt of the internal market for the sale of machinery, especially in countries with soil, crops or planting frameworks similar to the Spanishwhere national machines are specialists and adapt in a unique way.
