A true Kiwi ingenuity
The King Cobra raingun continues to have a huge following in the New Zealand market and is also exported to numerous overseas markets.
Numedic Ltd has acquired a major part of Waikato Milking Systems' effluent and environmental business, including the well-known Cobra range of travelling rain gun irrigators.
The company says customers have been asking for a travelling rain gun for many years.
As farms got bigger, it became clear to the Numedic team that a larger capacity travelling irrigator was needed to spread effluent efficiently on medium to larger scale operations.
"I really liked the Cobra K2 product since the first time I sold it and commissioned it", says Marina Millar, Numedic's director.
"It's very efficient, the performance is unmatched, it is easy to operate, and you can see that it is a well-engineered product."
Waikato Milking Systems' new owners, Italian giant Interpump Group, decided to sell the Cobra back to a company that specialises in effluent irrigation.
"We know dairy effluent and are Green Tick authorised to design effluent systems. The Cobra range of products fills a gap in our range," says Millar.
With its longer jet length and higher pressure at the gun, capable of achieving over 100 metres irrigation width, the King Cobra K2 Travelling Raingun can achieve extremely low depths often required on high-risk soil areas.
A six-speed gearbox coupled with its longer distance rain gun and a range of nozzle sizes allows the irrigator be set up to achieve the optimum performance for the farm.
It can travel more slowly, distributing a greater volume of effluent at the required application rate, and minimising the need for regular labour input.
"Aside from helping to ensure compliance, which is critical these days, the King Cobra K2 is a patented product that has been progressively improved over the years and this development and improvement is ongoing - a true Kiwi ingenuity story," says Millar.
Cobra irrigators are sold through a wide dealer network throughout the country.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.