[Farm Machinery Spotlighted at KIEMSTA] Yoora Trading to Exclusively Supply Finnish Articulated Loader “Avant”

Much of the tough work in livestock barns and fields still relies on human hands. Shoveling out manure and laying fresh rice straw are mostly jobs handled by elderly farmers. KOSIS According to the 2024 age distribution of livestock farms on the national statistics portal(based on number of households), the share aged 60 and older reaches 76.96%. Those in their 60s accounted for 42.91%, the largest group, followed by those in their 70s at 28.18% and those in their 80s or older at 5.87% . Those in their 50s made up 16.27%, while all those in their 40s or younger combined accounted for only 6.77%. On summer afternoons, physical work inside and outside barns itself is becoming dangerous. Existing equipment such as skid loaders has limitations: it is difficult to enter the narrow aisles of older barns, and visibility is limited.

Yoora Trading Co., Ltd.’s announcement of the domestic official launch of the Finnish multi-purpose loader ‘Avant(AVANT)’ at the 2026 Korea International Exhibition of Machinery, Equipment, Science and Technology for Agriculture(KIEMSTA), held at EXCO in Daegu from the 4th to 7th, was also aimed at such worksites. Avant had previously been imported by another company and supplied to some farms and local governments in Korea.

Now, Yoora Trading has become the official Korean distributor for the Finnish manufacturer Avant Tecno(AVANT TECNO) and will directly import and exclusively supply the machines, while also taking responsibility for sales, service, and training. On the 5th, Yoora Trading presented Avant to visitors at its exhibition booth in the East Hall on the first floor of EXCO and held a launch event there, then moved to the nearby Inter-Burgo EXCO Hotel to continue with a product presentation. Founded in 1985, Yoora Trading has imported products including Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engines and STIHL(STIHL) products, and with this launch it has entered the finished agricultural machinery market in earnest.
 

Waist-bending articulated type…7 series, electric models preparing for certification

Avant’s biggest feature is its waist-articulated structure, in which the center of the body bends. Because the front and rear sections bend separately to change direction, the turning radius is short and movement is free even in narrow aisles. From the driver’s seat, the operator always faces the front of the attachment, which is advantageous for securing visibility. The company says it provides 360-degree visibility.

The lineup is divided into 7 series, including the 200·400·500·600·700·800 series and the electrically driven e series. According to Yoora Trading’s product guide, the smallest 200 series has 25 horsepower, a lifting capacity of 350kg, and a top speed of 10km/h. The mainstay 500 series has 22 to 26 horsepower and comes standard with a telescopic boom, with a lifting height of 2790mm and a lifting capacity of 800 to 950kg. The largest 800 series is equipped with a 57-horsepower common-rail diesel engine with a diesel oxidation catalyst(DOC), diesel particulate filter(DPF), and turbocharger. Its lifting capacity is 1900kg, lifting height is 3500mm, and top speed is 30km/h.
The 100% electric-drive e series, powered by 13kWh·27kWh lithium-ion batteries, is suitable for indoor work where exhaust gases and noise are a concern. However, in Korea it is still at the stage of preparing for certification. The company explained that all internal-combustion models meet the European Union(EU)’s current non-road mobile machinery emissions standard, ‘Stage V(Stage V)’.
 

 Half the machine weight for the same lifting capacity…less ground damage

The differentiating point emphasized by Avant is its light body. According to comparison data in the product guide, lifting 1900kg with a skid loader requires an 86-horsepower machine weighing around 5400kg. By contrast, the Avant 800 series does the same work with 57 horsepower, at around 2500kg .

A lighter machine places less burden on floors and ground. That means it leaves fewer work marks even on soft ground such as old barn floors, lawns·or pastureland. The company explains that because one machine can handle multiple jobs, it can also reduce the costs of acquiring separate equipment and the burden of maintenance. The 600 to 800 series include a load-control system, keeping the machine stable even when lifting heavy loads.

Yoora Trading CEO Lee Chang-soo(Vice Chairman) said, “Because it is waist-articulated, it is easy to drive even on narrow roads, making it convenient for barn work, alley cleaning·and snow removal,” adding, “Avant is the world’s No. 1 waist-articulated multi-purpose compact loader.” According to the company, Ulleung County Office has purchased and uses several Avant units for winter snow removal. 

Rollover protection frame standard…enclosed cab with air conditioning also available

Safety devices are also standard. All models come standard with a rollover protective structure(ROPS) frame and a falling object protective structure(FOPS) canopy. Two cab options are available. ‘Cab L’ is an economical type that blocks the front·sides·and rear with glass to protect against rain, wind, and snow, with doors and a heater offered as options. ‘Cab GT’, fitted to some 500 series models(528·530) and the 600·700·800 series, is fixed to the body with rubber mounts to reduce vibration and noise. A heater is standard and air conditioning can also be added, protecting the operator from heat during barn·and outdoor work in extreme summer heat.
 

More than 200 attachments…with one 4-in-1 bucket, it ‘scoops, grabs, and pushes’

There are more than 200 types of attachments that can be used with Avant(attachments). Among various fields such as construction·forestry·landscaping·and snow removal, Yoora Trading has selected agriculture and livestock farming as its key targets. In livestock barns, it can be used to transport bales, spread rice straw, and remove manure. In fields, front-mounted tillage implements and spring rakes can be attached. With a leveling implement, it can also be used to level riding arena surfaces or lay new turf.

The first attachment recommended for farms is the ‘4-in-1 bucket’. CEO Lee explained, “It is a multi-purpose bucket that can scoop manure in poultry houses or barns, then open the bucket to grab objects like a clamp, and also push like a bulldozer,” adding, “It offers good value for money.” Attachments can be quickly changed from the driver’s seat, and hydraulic implements are connected all at once with a multi-connector. 

Layer farm praises visibility· and operability

Lee Kyung-mook(36) , who raises 40,000 laying hens through an agricultural association corporation in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, first brought in an Avant 3 years ago. He now uses two units, a 420 and an 860i . He had known about Avant for about 12 years, but because of the price burden and the need to obtain approval from members of the farming corporation, it was a machine he wanted for a long time but could not buy. In the meantime, he bought a skid loader, but was not satisfied.

The biggest difference Lee points to is visibility. He said, “If a skid loader is a machine where the operator is tucked inside the machine to operate it, Avant is operated by riding on top, so you can see every corner on the left·and right extremely well,” adding, “That makes it much safer.” Although he has tried other waist-articulated loaders, his assessment is that Avant removes structures that interfere with work from the operator’s view, and is designed so that everything he wants to see while working is visible.

Because it is easy to operate, more people can handle the machine. There is no need to change gears; it drives with forward·and reverse pedals and a steering wheel, and the loader moves with a single joystick. Lee said the controls are intuitive and can be learned quickly, adding, “Because anyone, regardless of age or gender, can use it easily, the equipment’s operating time has also increased. It is an advantage a skid loader cannot have.”

The way attachments are changed has also changed the way work is done. Lee’s farm has 8 Avant attachments. He said, “With tractor implements, attaching and detaching is difficult, so you have to set your mind to doing the work, but Avant uses a one-touch method, so we work while changing attachments dozens of times a day,” adding, “Since this is a farm operated by a small number of people, I want to buy more attachments as long as funds allow.”

Lee said the waist-articulated method takes some time to get used to at first, but once you are accustomed to it, its true value is revealed in barns. He said, “The turning radius is reduced, so you can move around more easily, and in barns there are many times when you have to work almost brushing along the wall, and in those places the articulated type is a major advantage,” adding, “Cutting grass with Avant instead of a brush cutter has made the results cleaner. Now it has reached the point where we cannot work without it.”

However, price is a hurdle that must be overcome. Lee said the Avant 860i is not a model eligible for government subsidy programs, so the price difference compared with skid loaders is large, and said it should be included among subsidy-eligible models. He emphasized, “If it is registered as a subsidy-eligible model like skid loaders, it is an agricultural machine with sufficient competitiveness.”
 

Starting with subsidy program registration…supported by the Eumseong service center·and mobile service vehicles

Yoora Trading plans to first register Avant for government subsidy programs before beginning full-scale sales. Sales will use the existing dealer network operated by regional hubs nationwide. CEO Lee said, “We will start sales centered on existing dealers and customers who have used Avant, and we will also recruit new dealers.”

After-sales service, often cited as a weakness of imported agricultural machinery, will be handled by the logistics·and service center in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. The company will also operate mobile vehicles that combine training and maintenance. These vehicles are set up with one side for training, and the other as a mobile service center, with two units, one for flatland and one for mountainous terrain, visiting worksites nationwide. CEO Lee said, “Machines must be of good quality, but because they are machines, they will inevitably break down, so service must be available,” adding, “We will make farmers feel that they can have peace of mind when doing business with Yoora Trading.”

Going forward, the company plans to expand its sales·and service dealers, and sequentially bring in models that have received domestic agricultural·and construction machinery certification. CEO Lee said, “Small equipment will ultimately move toward batteries,” and said the company would also prepare domestic certification for electric-drive models. He emphasized, “It is expensive when you first buy the machine, but when you use it for a long time and consider productivity, it is an investment that benefits farms,” and “the most important thing is safety.”