Following a recent strategic restructure by Velcourt, Cheffins, has been appointed to host two major online machinery sales
Velcourt, which manages more than 128,000 acres on behalf of landowners, announced in September 2025 that it would reduce its contracting operations by around 20% across the Cotswolds, Midlands and East Anglia.
The move forms part of a wider plan to release capital and refocus investment into other areas of the farming business.
As a result, a significant volume of quality machinery will be brought to market. Cheffins will oversee two dedicated auctions: a June sale focusing on cultivation equipment, followed by a September sale featuring harvest and application machinery.
Nick Shorter, Chief Executive of The Velcourt Group said: “We undertook a strategic review across the business and identified the need to release capital from machinery in order to reinvest for the future. Changes to farm support mechanisms, alongside inflationary pressures, have altered the risk profile of some of our contracting and combinable crop agreements.”
“This restructure allows us to reposition the business, reinvesting in areas where we see stronger long-term growth. While we will be 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.”
Auction highlights include:
2025 Horsch Avata 6SL drill
2022 Vaderstad NZ600 cultivator
2022 Horsh Terrano 4mt cultivator,
2023 Dalbo 1030 Cambridge rolls
2019 JCB 538-60 Agri Pro telescopic loader
2024 Amazone AZ-TS 4200Profis Pro fertiliser spreader
2016 Horsch Sprinter 8ST drill
Charles Wadsley, director at Cheffins, who is handling the auctions, commented: “This machinery comes from one of the most well-regarded businesses in farming. This is big-scale kit that’s been out doing the job. The way the machinery has been presented is a credit to the teams on farm. This is a great opportunity for farmers and contractors to reinvest in their own machinery.”
The auctions will be operated across five main sites in Cirencester, Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire, Nuneaton and North Yorkshire, with individual lot descriptions detailing item locations for inspection and collection.
The first auction will commence on 4th June 2026, closing on Thursday 18th June from 10.00am. The following auction will begin on Thursday 10th September 2026 and close on Thursday 24th September.
For more information, please contact Cheffins Machinery Department on 01353 777 767 or email machinery@cheffins.co.uk
