Soil & sustainability: Bridgestone plants seeds for 2024 agricultural tyre growth

Bridgestone says it has planted seeds for growth in the agricultural tyre market with the new VX-R Tractor and several original equipment approvals achieved in 2023. The manufacturer says its approach to developing products for the market segment has been defined by soil, sustainability, and measurable value for money. In 2023 it says more of its tyres were fitted as original equipment than ever before, most notably with John Deere and New Holland dealerships. As a result, it is heralding a “breakthrough” in market share and farmers’ awareness of its brands, particularly for the Bridgestone VX-Tractor range.

Constructed from robust casings with extra-deep and extra-long lugs, the VX-Tractor offers increased traction and longevity. Bridgestone says these points resonate with farming businesses, many of whom cited a “false economy” of purchasing budget alternatives in comparison to the company’s more premium products in the past.

Bridgestone VX-Tractor (Photo: Bridgestone)

The success of the VX-Tractor has been supplemented by the arrival of the new VX-R Tractor, which provides farmers with a high tread-rubber ratio where it is needed for long-lasting performance. The tyre is being recognised for its wide tread width that sets it apart from other tyres, promoting traction, long wear life and driver comfort.

Bridgestone says sustainability, the environment, and soil health are all now key drivers with the farming community. The VT-Tractor, VX-Tractor and VX-R Tractor products align with its sustainability agenda, represented by Bridgestone’s E8 company framework. The manufacturer says the tyres underline its continued efforts to support the realisation of a sustainable society by providing social and customer value.

Several features express this sustainability focus. One example is the new generation tread compounds, which contain vegetable oils, replacing some of the petroleum-based oils in the production process. This gives greater resistance to wear and to cutting and chunking to the tread area. This means fewer replacements are required over the life of the tractor, thus saving costs and the environment.

Bridgestone’s commercial Ag regional manager Tom Gerring said: “One of the biggest highlights of the past 12 months has been the increasing number of original equipment fitments, with New Holland and John Deere just two manufacturers to opt for the brand. We hope to replicate this trend in 2024, with a continuing drive to build momentum in this area and exciting announcements in the pipeline.

Bridgestone VT-Tractor (Photo: Bridgestone)

“We look forward to expanding our Bridgestone Partner Network too, which is a fantastic opportunity for any dealerships looking for a global partner to support them at a local level, that can offer a proven premium product range to their farming customer base, along with strong aftersales support as standard.

“We continued to see strong repeated data from the monitoring of VX-Tractor tyre sets, which demonstrate high levels of long life, value for money and truly astounding product reliability in the harsh working environment of the farming world.

“Also, we look forward to working closer with many of the OEM Dealerships around the UK, in order to support them fully in their marketplace.”

Along with superior products, Bridgestone also places a big emphasis on education and awareness, in order that not only does the farmer improve the profitability and resilience of his or her farming operation, but at the same time caring for the local environment, via sustainability and soil health practices. These are directly linked to all the products produced by Bridgestone.  With a combination of product development, education and a strong after-sales support programme, Bridgestone can clearly be seen to fully support the business aspects of its customers.