Kuhn Group Sales Dip 9% in 2025 but Orders Signal Recovery
Kuhn Group recorded net sales of NZ$2.27 billion in 2025, finishing around 9% lower than in 2024.
Kuhn has launched two mower-conditioners for use in delicate crops like lucerne or alfalfa, where leaf loss can be a major problem if conditioning is done by traditional flail type designs.
The new FC 9530 R and FC 10030 R triple mower conditioners use rollers conditioners combined with FC 3125 RF and FC 3525 RF front models to handle crops gently.
The Squareflex rollers enable adaption to the most fragile plants via a profile that ‘pinches’ the crop in a gentle and constant motion to minimise leaf loss. Roller pressure adjustment is simply by a screw adjuster which acts on torsion bars, with a maximum pressure of 500kg per linear metre.
The manufacturer says the large roller diameters promote crop flow and reduce the risk of wrapping. The lower roller is driven by two gearboxes and a maintenance-free drive system, while the upper roller is driven by a gear train.
Overload protection allows the rollers to open to pass foreign objects picked by the cutting unit, limiting the potential for damage.
The new GMD 8730 disc mower’s improved features include a larger cut and changes in the frame geometry to create greater overlap and a flatter cutting angle. Also, left and right mower units can be lifted independently, Flexprotect polyethylene side guards deflect when hitting objects and the machine can be stored vertically.
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.