Leading agricultural machinery auctioneer, Cheffins, will offer more than 600 lots of machinery on behalf of Velcourt, one of Britain’s largest farming businesses, in a major timed online auction following the company’s strategic restructure which was announced in September 2025.
The sale, which will take place online, will open on the 1st September with the large-scale machinery closing on the 17th September and smaller workshop items closing on the 18th September. The auction follows the success of the pre-harvest sale which Cheffins conducted on behalf of Velcourt in June and which attracted buyers from across the UK and Europe.
Items to go under the hammer have come from seven Velcourt farming bases throughout the country and follow the company’s announcement in Autumn 2025 that it would reduce its contracting operations by around 20%, to release capital and refocus investment into other areas of the farming business. The company has subsequently ceased operations on approximately 6,500 hectares following harvest, while taking on a further 4,500 hectares under different farming models.
The machinery on offer was used by Velcourt throughout the 2026 harvest and is now surplus to requirements. Available will be tractors, loaders, sprayers, vehicles, UTV’s and general agricultural equipment, as well as workshop items and spares.
Highlights from the sale include:
2023 Bateman RB35 32m self-propelled sprayer with 3,127 hours
2019 JCB 538-60 telescopic loader with 5,100 hours
2022 Kramer KT407 telescopic loader with 2,900 hours
2021 Fendt 724 tractor
C30 trailers and bowsers
Excavators and Vehicles
2024 Amazone UX5201 sprayer
2022 Horsch Leeb 5t 36m sprayer
2020 Horsch Leeb 6LT 36m sprayer
The machinery comes from Velcourt farming bases in Stamford, Nuneaton, Cirencester, Charlbury, Kent, North Yorkshire, Tetbury and Sussex. Three of the farms are releasing surplus machinery as part of Velcourt’s wider strategic restructure, while at the other four sites the machinery is being sold following the end of Velcourt’s occupation.
Nick Shorter, Chief Executive of The Velcourt Group said:
“This second sale is phase two of the planned restructure following the successful delivery by Cheffins of phase one in June. It is the next planned stage of the strategic review we undertook in September 2025, identifying the opportunity to release capital from machinery - in combinable crop Contract Farming Agreements and reinvest that elsewhere. Changes to farm support mechanisms, alongside inflationary pressures, have altered the risk profile of some of our contracting and combinable crop agreements, and adapting to that is part of the natural cycle of business.”
“This has allowed us to reposition the business, reinvesting in areas where we see stronger long-term growth. While we are ceasing operations on around 6,500 hectares following harvest, we have taken on a further 4,500 hectares. These new operations see different business models, and we will be looking to maximise these opportunities and use the proceeds of these two auctions to refocus on other parts of our business.”
Charles Wadsley, Director at Cheffins, who is handling the auctions, commented:
“This is another substantial offering of machinery from one of the most well-regarded businesses in farming. The first auction we hosted on behalf of Velcourt saw unprecedented interest from farmers, contractors and trade buyers from across the UK and Europe. Buyers took confidence that the machinery on offer was some of the best in the business and had been immaculately maintained throughout Velcourt’s operation. This auction represents a brilliant opportunity for buyers to purchase large-scale equipment at a fraction of the price of buying new. Auctions are central to the UK farming industry, offering farmers and contractors the opportunity to find the kit they need to keep their operations running.”
Nick Shorter continues: “As with the first sale, the equipment on offer is all large scale and comes from the heart of our professional farming business. Keeping it well maintained is part and parcel of what we do. Looking ahead, the industry is entering a period of structural change, but that brings opportunity. Our focus is on investing in the future of farming, as well as developing the people and skills needed so we can continue to deliver for landowners in a changing environment.”
The auctions will be operated across the seven sites with individual lot descriptions detailing item locations for inspection and collection.
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For more information, please visit contact Cheffins Machinery Department on 01353 777 767, [email protected]