NZ farmers face rising urea prices amid global shortage and weak NZ dollar
New Zealand farmers will face higher urea prices this year, mainly on the back of tight global supply and a weak Kiwi dollar.
The recent cold snap makes it hard to imagine spring is just around the corner, but Tornado fertiliser spreaders from Agriquip should make a breeze of spreading for the new campaign.
Based on a heavy duty, hot dipped galvanised steel frame, the Tornado 1300 looks like it’s built to last, and that the designers have put some thought into how it’s put together.
Any components likely to contact the fertiliser – spreader discs, vanes, guards and hopper shutters – are manufactured from stainless steel; the one piece hopper is made from polyethylene and is quickly removed for access to the guts of the unit to do cleaning or maintenance.
Adjustments are easy: spreaders vanes are adjusted by a single wingnut, and the shutter opening by a threaded nylon rod. Shutter actuation is controlled from the tractor seat by hydraulic rams.
With a hopper capacity of 1300L, one tonne can be loaded easily with little risk of spillage. Spread width, dependent on material, is up to 36m.
The drive to the central and lateral oil-filled gearboxes is by 540rpm PTO, the standard specification includes a galvanised mesh in the upper hopper to remove lumps and foreign objects, and agitators keep fertiliser moving in the lower part.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
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With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
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