In a major recycling effort, the old and unwanted headers have been collected from farms throughout the Wheatbelt and are being shipped to Malaysia for reassembly and resale as rice harvesters.

The task is being undertaken by technology company Reflekt who has purchased the headers, and other old farm machinery, from farmers all over the Wheatbelt.

They have transported the headers from near and far with the help of Merredin’s M&B Geier and Sons Contracting.

Over the last two months of the project, they have collected nearly 30 machines in WA already and are seeking more.

Project manager Mary-Anne Sogaard said the project, which had been running for 18 months, had been very successful.

“These headers are 25 years old on average and farmers were relieved to get rid of them, otherwise they would just sit around rusting or go on the scrap heap,” she said.

However as the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure and Reflekt has factories all over Malaysia where workers are busy putting the jumbled header pieces back together and make them as good as new – with a few small changes in design.

The front comb and wheels are modified to make the headers into rice harvesters.

Ms Sogaard said they expected to collect more than 50 machines Australia-wide, which will certainly help clean up some of the junk lying around.

Any farmers wishing to get rid of an old New Holland header or other machine are invited to contact Ms Sogaard on 0408 262 886 or (02) 9449 9772 or msogaard@bigpond.com to arrange sale and pickup.