increase font size
Cows on a Waikato farm will be shifted from the Fieldays using Halter technology.
Visitors to Fieldays this year will get a taste of how cow collar technology Halter works.
Halter farmer, Pete Morgan, runs a 600-cow farm in the Waikato. He will live stream the technology to shift his cows from the Halter Fieldays site.
While on site at Mystery Creek, Pete will use the Halter app to remotely shift his mob in Te Awamutu. A live stream will show cow movements in real-time, starting at 2.30pm on Thursday and Friday.
"At our farm, we are designing breaks with different shapes that optimise exactly the accurate allocation of feed, cows move quietly at their own pace, and the farm has had a huge lift in productivity," says Morgan.
"Without a doubt, Halter has changed the way we farm."
Halter chief executive Craig Piggott is looking forward to sharing their groundbreaking technology with such a wide and captive audience.
"Pete will shift his cows from Fieldays, and this is huge because he can be at Fieldays, or anywhere really, and his farm continues to operate.
"I love seeing a farmer's reaction to a virtual shift. It's a look of sheer wonder as they see cows calmly moving to another break, all at their own pace.
"No dogs, no motorbikes, no walking behind cows: just a collar and a smartphone. Fieldays is a great opportunity for us to show just how simple and life-changing it can be."
Just like Fieldays, Waikato is where Halter began. From humble beginnings on their research farm in Morrinsville six years ago, Halter claims to now support "hundreds of farmers and tens of thousands of cows" across New Zealand, with significant uptake in the South Island.
The company says it supports farmers in unlocking the most productive and sustainable farms.
"The system combats labour shortages and improves animal health and performance by enabling farmers to remotely shift, virtually fence and proactively monitor the health of their cows.
"Halters also features an integrated pasture management system to help farmers get the most out of their grass.
"By leveraging real-time data, Halter automatically calculates feed and, coupled with their virtual fencing, allows for more precise kgDM or pasture allocation per cow.
"By automating some of the most time-consuming tasks on the farm, Halter significantly reduces workloads, allowing farmers to use their time more efficiently."
Piggot says Halter is meeting the industry's demand for positive and more efficient change.
Jeff Farm is a 2433ha property near Gore, owned and run by the Salvation Army since the early 1950s after it was gifted by farmer Edmund Jeff, with the stipulation it be "used to train young people with a passion for agriculture, who would not otherwise have such a career option" - for a career in the New Zealand agricultural industry.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the iconic Milk Bar mobile calf feeder products, alongside calf and feed trailers.
Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with the latter delivering a platform for problem-solvers to showcase their innovation to the primary industries.
StocksAg has introduced a mounting kit to fit its Turbo Jet 8 or 10 units to pneumatic trailed SKY EasyDrills, allowing separate metering and accurate application of products like Avadex through an additional set of outlets behind the drill’s press wheel.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the relationship between New Zealand and the US will remain strong and enduring irrespective of changing administrations.
More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) says securing more China label registrations and developing its own nutritional manufacturing capability are high on its agenda.
Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
Livestock can be bred for lower methane emissions while also improving productivity at a rate greater than what the industry is currently achieving, research has shown.
OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.
OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.
