Fencing smarts from the Emerald Isle
While a leading New Zealand brand seems to have a stranglehold on the local electric fencing market, a company from the Green Isle seems to be making significant inroads, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere.
Fencing specialist Strainrite has expanded its range of electric fence energisers.
It now markets six new solar powered units that can also be powered from a mains supply.
Some models also have a long life, lithium-ion phosphate battery that outperforms standard chemical batteries. The battery has a reliable life cycle, no memory fade and a long shelf life.
The new energisers also have adaptive power technology (APT), a concept developed in South Africa and widely patented.
In contrast to a conventional energiser which will push all available energy through arcing along a fence (so reducing the effectiveness and the integrity), the APT units will detect arcing and try to reduce voltage to a point just below where arcing occurs.
This helps maintain higher energy levels along the fence line, so improving its effectiveness.
In practice, the system maintains voltage at higher levels when, say, damaged or wet insulators, coastline salt build-up, long grass or stuck animals cause lengthy earthing.
The units also foils thieves with a user-chosen a PIN.
Entered and stored via a key chain remote, when the function is enabled the energiser cannot be operated until a remote with the correct PIN is presented.
Each time power is removed or restored to the energiser, the remote must be used to activate the unit.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
According to a new report, the Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has made a significant impact in raising awareness and action around farm vehicle safety.
OPINION: In the past weeks, much has been said and written about one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers, James Brendan Bolger, who died just a few months after his 90th birthday.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…