KiwiBrothersTM make their China debut
Zespri has unveiled the award-winning KiwiBrothersTM mascots in China for the first time to market its large kiwifruit crop.
Software specialist Company-X is acquiring advertising agency Hot Mustard's app developing business.
The acquisition on September 1 comes after Hot Mustard's Sales App Centre managing director Paul Bell sought Company-X out.
"We were a specialist software company focused on agribuiness with a small team looking for an opportunity to work with a larger development company with more expertise and resources," Bell says.
"One of the reasons we approached Company-X is that is has some agribusiness clients, and a very good understanding of the agribusiness sector."
DeLaval, the worldwide leader in milking equipment and solutions is a long-term Company-X client. Company-X built a global e-learning solution for DeLaval. Company-X used the text to voice editor it built, Voxcoda, to provide narration in multiple languages.
Sales App Centre was incorporated in March 2012 and developed the first mobile apps for Ballance Agri Nutrients, DairyNZ and Zespri International.
"We specialise in apps for agribusiness," Bell said. "Including a lot of farmer-facing apps that need to work in the field where there is no internet connectivity."
Other Sales App Centre clients include CRV Ambreed, Farmlands Co-op Society, Giltrap Engineering and Primary ITO, Company-X will assume responsibility for app and systems development, including the associated databases and application programming interface (APIs).
Hot Mustard's new business unit Hum will retain responsibility for website development.
Bell said Sales App Centre clients could only benefit from the acquisition, as they will be working with a larger, better resources, broadly experience team, with a proven software development track record. Company-X also had comprehensive testing and support services.
Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes says while Hot Mustard's key strength is media and design, having Company-X own the software development space lets the two companies work to their respective strengths.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.