Australian teams to help repair North Canterbury irrigators after storm
Moves are afoot to get a team of Australians over here to help repair North Canterbury's irrigation machinery, ravaged by the big windstorm of late October.
On-farm irrigation technology has evolved at a fast pace over the last two decades and farmers have both adopted and evolved with it and have helped it evolve, according to WaterForce.
The irrigation system experts believe the future value from technology and irrigation looks fantastic with the evolution of technologies such as advanced AI and satellite/drone data, alongside the improvements in core product lines like sprinklers, and control and monitor products.
"We have plenty of options available to deliver great results for farmers today," it says.
Farm irrigation technology will mean different things to different users.
Generally, technology references the wide range of smart irrigation products that help farmers with water management and water use; and this is commonly available with products such as Valley Irrigation's Valley 365.
These are products for smart control and monitoring of on-farm irrigators. Typically, they are advanced control systems, soil moisture measuring systems, weather stations, flow-meter monitoring and management products like SCADAfarm EDGE.
It can also be adding simple products to a pivot, or linear, like rain buckets, or wind speed indicators, or even upgrading your sprinkler pack.
WaterForce says as farming has evolved, a growing trend both locally and internationally is emerging - a demand for reductions in labour and travel times; and for improvements in the management, and reductions in the use, of water and nutrients.
On-farm technology has evolved to meet this demand, and the toolbox available to farmers is growing every day - from the simple product improvements (like new sprinkler pack technologies) through to the advanced control and monitoring products now available.
A common challenge for users of technology is understanding your core goals and aims before investing in on-farm technology.
To get the best out of technology products they need to be delivering against farm objectives from day one.
This week, more than 100 farmers, policy makers, politicians and other industry influencers will gather at the annual Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) Forum to workshop positive environmental change for New Zealand dairy.
Fonterra says its interim results show continued momentum in its performance, with revenue of $13.9 billion in the first half of the 2026 financial year.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
OPINION: The good news keeps getting better for NZ dairy farmers.
OPINION: With export of livestock by sea dead in the water, opponents of the Gene Technology Bill think they can…