Spreader handles everything thrown at it
Hamilton agricultural contractor Greg Langman says his Abbey AP900 multi spreader has handled “everything we have thrown it” in three years of operation, says the supplier, Farmgard.
Farmgard has recently expanded its already extensive range with the addition of Rolland muck-spreaders.
Farmgard has recently expanded its already extensive range with the addition of Rolland muck-spreaders.
Based in northwest France, Rolland operates from a 50,000m2 factory and is celebrating 2016 as its 70th anniversary. Its first product was a wooden manure spreader.
At the recent Grasslandz demonstration the UK export manager Alex Clothier introduced the Rollforce range.
The Rollforce range of heavy-duty machines is aimed at contractors and large scale farmers. Each is identified by numbers on the side of the body, the first two digits referring to body length and the latter to the capacity in cubic metres.
Attention to detail is notable: the metalwork undergoes a process of shotblasting, followed by phosphating and electroplating, before a high quality two-pack top coat is applied. During the process the material is oven-baked twice ensuring a long service life.
At the front of the machine a wide, A-framed drawbar layout aids strength and stability when combined with the standard vertical spring, or optional hydraulic damping, said to promote a smoother ride. Oversize wheels and tyres also help with stability and more importantly reduce the rolling resistance, making the spreaders easier to pull off-road.
Also up front, the self-contained hydraulics require only a pto drive and electrical connection to the tractor, preventing cross-contamination of hydraulic fluids, and is further enhanced by the DPA system that automatically adjusts the bed speed irrespective of the tractor's forward speed, to maintain constant application rates.
The front panel of the spreader body allows the operator a view of the load and its progress, and 16mm marine-grade floor chains work with channel-profiled slats to take the load rearwards.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).