Farmers warned to upgrade as 3G shutdown looms
As the clock ticks towards the 3G mobile network shutdown, farmers are being warned to upgrade or risk losing connection to their supply chain.
CNH Industrial has made its first 3-D printed spare parts, showing the farm machinery industry to be right up with emerging new technologies.
The company, whose brands include Case IH, New Holland and Steyr, says the process is “part of a continual drive to streamline manufacturing processes, increase productivity and find more sustainable ways of working”.
3-D printing makes components from a digital file to build up layers of material under control; each completed part is subject to stringent testing to ensure it meets the CNH Industrial specification.
Each ‘printed’ part is created in 24 - 36 hours with optimal use of raw materials -- in contrast to traditional manufacturing processes. 3-D printing causes less waste or surplus material and minimises machine downtime.
Plastic is the manufacturing medium of the moment, but metallic parts are expected to emerge from testing.
A key benefit of 3-D is local, on-demand manufacturing of spare parts, leading to better stock management, particularly if small volumes of uncommon parts are required urgently.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.
The most outstanding CNH dealers from across Australia and New Zealand for the past year have been revealed, with two New Zealand dealerships amongst the major winners.