Agricultural drone use soars among NZ contractors
Use of agricultural drones by contractors in New Zealand is soaring.
September was the highest export revenue month on record for dairy technology company, Waikato Milking Systems.
This is good news for the company, established in the 1980s to manufacture herringbone farm dairies and components like milk meters and clusters. Thirty years on and WMS is one of the largest manufacturers of rotary dairy platforms and dairy components in the world.
Just back from the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin United States, chief executive Dean Bell says the company's development of the unique Centrus composite dairy platforms has sealed WMS' position as one of the world's leading dairy innovators.
"We are known for our herringbones and rotary systems which meet the needs of most farmers around the world, but the composite decks have given us clear differentiation in the large-scale dairy environments of China and the United States where thousands of cows are milked through dairies which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We are starting to get traction around our international growth plans. At the moment, two thirds of our business is domestic and one third export but through innovation and acquisition we plan to increase our international business to around 70% of our turnover."
Bell says the company's Centrus composite decks boast some impressive percentages which differentiate it from traditional concrete platforms in the accelerated use and wear environment of 24 hour operations and which is resulting in higher recognition for the company and demand for its products around the world."
"The 60 bail composite platform is 80% lighter and five times stronger than concrete and the largest Centrus, the 84 bail, is 80% lighter and eight times stronger than a concrete equivalent."
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.