Forage equipment specialist Krone beat its own cautious expectations by racking up another 12 months of sales revenue growth in its financial year to the end of July 2017.

As the German manufacturer celebrated 40 years of round baler production, recovery in milk prices saw more buoyant investment in hay equipment than expected, with the result that revenues in the agricultural division hit €582.8 million — equivalent to $695.5 — an increase of 2.28% or…