UK Politician Alistair Carmichael Praises "Positive Spirit" of NZ Farmers
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.
New on the Gallagher site at the National Fieldays will be its TW series of weigh scales and its insulated line posts.
The TW-1 and TW-3 weigh scales replace the W810 and W610 models and embody a complete re-design; they are engineered to match the way farmers interact with tablets and smartphones.
The TW series has a touch-screen user interface, ensuring ‘in the field’ weighing can be simply accessed without the use of confusing navigation or menu pathways.
The scales have software systems easily connected and compatible with loadbars and readers irrespective of brand, and they connect to Gallagher’s own Animal Performance Software (APS) system to provide easy access to reports on individual animals.
All data recorded in the field can be uploaded into the APS software. Links via wi-fi or Bluetooth can connect the user’s cellphone and bring up the Gallagher Dashboard software, giving a quick view of crucial top line data and removing the need to enter data twice.
The company’s new insulated line posts have a polyethylene sheath with a strong flexible inner fibreglass core, enabling them to bend without breaking and so minimising injury to livestock.
Available in four different heights, the posts offer a full system for fencing sheep, cattle, horses and deer.
Advanced plastics technology and the nifty design of the posts’ ground anchoring foot, plus the flexible solid fibreglass core component, make the system easy to set up and very robust.
Meanwhile, battery or solar powered MB Energisers, based on the proven i series Energisers – the new ones are called MB1800i and MB2800i – provide the option of mains or solar battery charging in remote non-powered locations.
The MB1800i delivers 18 joules of stored energy, sufficient power for almost 80ha; the MB2800i will be effective over 120ha.
For small farms, the new S40 and S100 Energisers offer a low cost solar means of powering fence systems.
Gallagher says the insulated end strainer is a likely item for anyone considering a new energiser. These improve on the traditional end strainer; they have an insulated body, a 12 tooth spool for fine adjustment and an integrated joint clamp.
An Auckland gelato shop and an established New Zealand ice cream maker have both been named Supreme Champions at the NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards 2026.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household grocery budgets, new figures show pork remains one of the most affordable fresh meat options for New Zealand families.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
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