Lely order book 'slightly better'
Dairy automation company Lely reported a 3.4% decline in total turnover last year but notes that sales are picking up.
Lely has launched three new products to make on-farm tasks easier for farmers.
A new barn system called Lely Sphere, Lely Exos, an electric vehicle that mows, loads and dispenses grass in the barn and Lely Horizon, a “decision support platform” to replace its T4C management system.
Lely says some of its innovations are compatible for all markets around the world. However, pilot farms trialing the new products are mostly in Europe.
The innovations were launched at the Lely Future Farm Days digital event last week.
The company says the vision of the farm of the future is centred on livestock: repetitive tasks are automated, allowing dairy farmers to concentrate on things that are important to them.
Farms are completely robotised and operational 24/7. The farm of the future is based on the principle of allowing cows to move freely, so they can behave naturally, and their welfare is guaranteed, it says.
“We live in a rapidly changing world where the population continues to grow,” says André van Troost, chief executive of Lely.
“We desperately need farmers, because we expect the demand for food to increase by 70% by 2050. The impact of farming on the environment is also coming under increasing scrutiny, and regulations are becoming stricter.
“Dairy farmers therefore have to change the way they work to guarantee their future.”
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.
Now is not the time to stop incorporating plantain into dairy pasture systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss, says Agricom Australasia brand manager Mark Brown.
Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
Professionals in South Waikato are succeeding in governance, thanks to a governance mentoring programme for South Waikato.
OPINION: Donald Trump's focus on Canada is causing concern for the country’s dairy farmers.
OPINION: The fact that plant-based dairy is struggling to gain a market foothold isn’t deterring new entrants.