Tractor and machinery sales on track for record
Sales of tractors are up 17% on this time last year and could set a record by year-end, says NZ Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president John Tulloch.
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Ford’s revamped 4x4 mounts a number of challenges
The modern trend to fewer cubic centimetres and more gear ratios continues as car manufacturers chase better fuel economy and lower emissions.
Deer farmer no quitter
When 300mm of rain fell in four hours and blew out a year’s worth of environmental mitigation work, Steve Borland admits “it just about broke me”.
NAIT for sheep?
Bringing sheep into the NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) system may be a way of getting more value out of the animals, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor claims.
Get a feel for ewes’ body condition
Weaning is an ideal time to body condition score (BCS) ewes as it allows valuable summer feed to be partitioned into lighter ewes to give them a lift before tupping.
Parents hold kids back from ag careers
The biggest barrier to youngsters choosing careers in agriculture is parents’ thinking that agriculture is “just a dumping ground.”
National
It’s World Soil Day!
New Zealand scientists are taking a leading role in the global effort to preserve and improve soil health.
Beef and dairy announce cost split for M. bovis
DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand have reached an agreement on how they will split the cost of eradicating Mycoplasma bovis.
New role too good to ignore
The role of project manager for the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) Action Network programme was too good to ignore, says Brendon Patchett.
Research farm breaks new ground
Farmers are hearing that Beef + Lamb NZ is “putting your money where our mouth is” as it launches an innovative research partnership.
World
Where to for the UK?
“On a knife-edge,” is how NZ’s former high commissioner to London, Sir Lockwood Smith, describes the British government’s EU exit…
Ireland assembles its agrifood units
With the UK’s Brexit scheduled for April 1, 2019, discussions in Ireland are centred on tariffs, with a general call…
Not even a wild Atlantic storm can stop the Irish
The Irish sure know how to throw a good party, as experienced last month at the National Ploughing Association event…
Mandatory code for Oz processors
Milk processors in Australia, including Fonterra, could soon be slapped with a mandatory code of practice.
Oz processor tipped to be broken up
A large Australian dairy processor may soon be broken up and sold.
Opinion
Red tape choking primary sector productivity
OPINION: Immigration NZ should attract immigrants to our primary sector as well as they attract overseas investors and entrepreneurs to…
How do we the tackle the meat worker shortage?
The meat industry is short of about 2000 workers, a gap needing filling by much more than just signing up…
Bring on 2019 — Editorial
Without doubt, 2018 will be remembered as Fonterra’s annus horribilis.
Credit where it’s due for Fonterra — Editorial
Fonterra, take a bow.
Let’s make sure antibiotics continue life-saving work
Right now antibiotics are treating serious diseases worldwide, but resistance threatens the future of this essential form of defence.
Agribusiness
China remains the key to dairy prices
China remains the key to where the global marketplace is heading in dairy prices, says Westpac economist Anne Boniface.
Countdown on for East Coast Farming Expo
In a little under four months, the East Coast Farming Expo will return for a fourth year of innovation, interaction…
Orders surge for robotic milker
Milking technology company DeLaval says demand for the new DeLaval VMS milking system V300 is exceeding expectations.
Kiwifruit may be the ticket
Growing confidence in the kiwifruit sector is providing new opportunities for pastoral farmers.
Velvet prospects looking sound
Prospects for the velvet market during the 2018-19 season are expected to be reasonably stable, says Deer Industry NZ (DINZ).
Management
Deer farmer no quitter
When 300mm of rain fell in four hours and blew out a year’s worth of environmental mitigation work, Steve Borland admits “it just about broke me”.
Time to rethink how we farm
Agrichemicals are an addiction and pests are not the problem, claims a visiting American entomologist, Dr Jon Lundgren.
Dairy goats: the high performance ruminants
Assuming a goat’s nutritional requirements fit somewhere between that of sheep and cattle is a mistake.
Goat farmers: Do it once, do it right
All food producing industries are entering a period of increased consumer awareness.
Colourful response to chemical risks on farm
Dairy technology company DeLaval has launched a colour coding system to help prevent chemical accidents on farms.
Farm Health
NAIT for sheep?
Bringing sheep into the NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) system may be a way of getting more value out of the animals, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor claims.
Get a feel for ewes’ body condition
Weaning is an ideal time to body condition score (BCS) ewes as it allows valuable summer feed to be partitioned into lighter ewes to give them a lift before tupping.
Time to put Johne’s on the map
Johne's disease (JD) is a major production-limiting disease of farmed ruminants worldwide and, after CAE, it is the biggest animal health concern for goat farmers.
Don’t treat pests as a problem
Farmers should stop treating agricultural pests as a problem, and instead realise they are a symptom of an unsustainable farming method, says a visiting expert in ‘regenerative’ agriculture.
Time to change milking liners?
Filling the vat with the best milk you can produce is a financial advantage, says milking liner maker Skellerup.
Machinery & Products
Tractor and machinery sales on track for record
Sales of tractors are up 17% on this time last year and could set a record by year-end, says NZ Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president John Tulloch.
Go large with Cadman's Continuous Manure Applicator
While New Zealand plays catch-up and Europe leads in using farm effluent, it was always going to fall to the North American continent to go large — very large.
Forager bites bigger
New Holland Agriculture earlier this year extended its Forage Cruiser range with the flagship model, the FR920.
Case IH bags two awards
The Case IH Maxxum 145 Multicontroller has won Tractor of the Year 2019 and Best Design 2019 at the EIMA International farm equipment show in Bologna, Italy.
Good health needs to be worked on
Rural life, and agriculture is driven by changing seasons that dictate on-farm tasks and operations and busy times can mean pressure on owners or employees.
Motoring
Ford’s revamped 4x4 mounts a number of challenges
The modern trend to fewer cubic centimetres and more gear ratios continues as car manufacturers chase better fuel economy and…
Tried and tested Triton
Performance, safety upgrades and a new look for the 2019 Mitsubishi Triton have the manufacturer suggesting it expects its sales…
Volkswagen Transporter Runner an impressive ride
Kiwis remain fixated on utes of every shape, size and price, but we wonder whether in the rural sector the…
Mercedes ute sets a new standard
It took a while to get here, but now it’s arrived the Mercedes X-Class has created a stir at the…
Making a line for the Sportline
After test driving the Skoda Kodiaq Sportline, we think getting one may be a clever choice.
» Latest Print Issues Online
The Hound
Fire sales?
Your canine crusader hears that Fonterra’s current financial woes could see the dairy co-op dumping many of its key assets.
Boring
This old mutt has been a long-time critic of the multi-national, tax-dodging, political activist group Greenpeace for its sustained and…
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Popular Reads
Fonterra drops 30b litre target
Fonterra is dropping a target to achieve 30 billion litres of milk volume by 2025.
Sheep milking farmers wanted
Farmers between Auckland and Taupo can now take the plunge into sheep milk, says Maui Milk general manager Peter Gatley.
Don’t treat pests as a problem
Farmers should stop treating agricultural pests as a problem, and instead realise they are a symptom of an unsustainable farming…
Rural Life
Ozone in the vineyard
The word ozone conjures up images of big holes in the atmosphere, stronger UV light, the risk of severe sunburn…
Drones versus birds
Drones may soon be joining the armoury of weapons used to scare birds away from ripening grapes after a trial…
Boss woman has earned her stripes
Nicky Hutchinson “never dreamed” of becoming ‘The Boss’.