Kuhn unveils 14.5m mower for high HP harvesters
With most forage harvester manufacturers offering machines touching 1000hp, the logistics puzzle has always been ‘dropping” grass and pulling into a swath big enough to feed the “beast”.
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.
Fertiliser co-operative Ballance has written down $88 million - the full value of its Kapuni urea plant in Taranaki - from its balance sheet in the face of a looming gas shortage.
The Government and horticulture sector have unveiled a new roadmap with an aim to double horticulture farmgate returns by 2035.
Canterbury farmers and the Police Association say they are frustrated by proposed cuts to rural policing in the region.
The strain and pressure of weeks of repairing their flood-damaged properties is starting to tell on farmers and orchardists in the Tasman district.
The sale price of Fonterra’s global consumer and associated businesses to the world’s largest dairy company Lactalis has risen to $4.22 billion.
Alliance Group's proposal to sell a 65% shareholding to Ireland's Dawn Meats won't solve the red meat industry's structural problems, says former Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams.