Hose runner saves time and effort
Rakaia-based equipment manufacturer Pluck’s Engineering will soon start production of a new machine designed to simplify the deployment and retrieval of temporary water troughs used in winter break feeding.
The judging panel of three industry experts were impressed with the collars, which they say demonstrated an ability to integrate quickly into a dairy farming system and offer benefits to multiple layers of farming practices.
"The ability to tell a cow that bad weather was coming, sending it to the feed pad and ensure it had both shelter and wasn't having a negative impact on the grass cover or the ability to keep it our of waterways was something that really impressed us," said judge Neil Baxter.
"There's a handful of other collars on the market that can indicate that a cow has poor health or other issues, but to have a range of benefits is quite unique."
Baxter also mentioned that the collar's ability to offer significant value to the purchaser from day one was the reason it rose above the competition.
"There were some great entries this year. But some of them are still finding their place in the market. Whereas the Halter Cow Collars are a real success story, they finished runners up in this competition two years ago, so it's great to see they're continuing to develop and add value to the dairy industry," said Baxter.
"To win this Agri Magic Smart Farming award is great recognition for the hard work that goes in each day from our team and it's pleasing to undertand how the judges valued what Halter offers," says Halter chief executive Craig Piggott.
"Our business is looking at the next area to expand into which is a major reason we will be at the South Island Agricultural Field Days.
"We're really looking forward to meeting with farmers down South this week and chatting about how Halter could help to drive their on-farm performance."
Halter picked up $1,500 as its main prize while Canterbury company Grounded collected $500 for claiming second place.
