Lower North Island farmers “cautiously optimistic” heading into winter – DairyNZ
Cautiously optimistic is how DairyNZ's regional manager for the lower North Island, Mark Laurence describes the mood of farmers in his patch.
With the launch of its first wireless farm monitoring camera FMC-IP1, dairy automation company DeLaval now offers farmers the possibility of true real-time monitoring over their livestock and buildings from smartphones, tablets or computers.
By giving farmers the freedom to monitor without being on-site, activities such as calving can be monitored more efficiently, and alarms can be checked visually.
DeLaval product manager farm supply Eva Ramvall says in an industry where cow comfort and welfare are vital to productivity, the ability to efficiently monitor the herd, from wherever the farmer happens to be, is important in maintaining a well-functioning operation.
The Farm Monitoring Camera system has been specifically designed for ease of installation and to withstand the dirt and humidity of barns as well as outdoor weather conditions. It also provides a night vision function and sound, in addition to motion detection and a recording function. This makes it ideal for a wide range of monitoring tasks, from animal and property monitoring to checking grain driers during harvesting.
The camera will be made available during the coming twelve months in all its main markets, says DeLaval.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.