Taranaki Sharemilkers Use Nedap Collars to Simplify Heat Detection
For Taranaki sharemilkers Elly and Kale Grahame, technology hasn't beeen about overcomplicating their system.
Waikato Milking Systems is teaming up with Dutch dairy herd management technology maker Nedap to launch two new products.
Two of its new offerings - cow monitoring system, CowTraQ and TracHQ automation platform - will be powered by Nedap.
"Our technology and partnership with Nedap begins a new era in dairy management," says Jamie Mikkelson, WMS executive chairman.
"With the release of our smart CowTraQ collars, WMS now offers the most comprehensive and accurate solution to identify cows and monitor their reproduction, health, location and more.
"The innovative, reliable and integrated identification, automation and monitoring solutions provided by our CowTraQ system and our TracHQ platform lead the way in helping dairy farmers become more profitable, sustainable and productive," Mikkelson says.
Nedap livestock management managing director Bertino Verstege says its widely proven and integrated platform drives herd management technology such as CowTraQ and TracHQ to automate everyday tasks and deliver complete and user-friendly insights to dairy farmers to help make informed decisions.
"Advanced herd monitoring and management technologies have become vital tools for dairy farms throughout the world.
"That's because the technology is easily harnessed to maximise herd performance and farm efficiency," Verstege says.
Dairy farmers save time and labour, and use the information generated by the technology to improve farm management at the tactical and strategic levels.
WMS says its CowTraQ system and TracHQ platform, powered by Nedap, offer dairy farmers industry-leading advantages:
Transforming cow data into real-time and relevant alerts, to-do lists, reports and shed maps to help manage and control the herd.
"Waikato Milking Systems is excited to add these cow monitoring and herd management solutions to its broad portfolio of automation tools," says Mikkelson.
"They will strengthen dairy farm management and animal care, provide farmers the assurance that proper animal care occurs in a timely manner and expand dairy farmer access to cutting-edge technology and dairy management capabilities."
Verstege says Nedap is proud to add Waikato Milking Systems to its valued distributor network of leading international dairry industry companies.
"We are committed to our shared vision of long-term investments to enhance dairy farming and to provide farmers a profitable and sustainable future."
Zespri's sales of kiwifruit for the 2025 season have broken all past records.
Trainee orchard manager Luke St John has won the Central Otago 2026 Young Grower regional title.
James Blair, an agronomist for AS Wilcox, has won the 2026 Pukekohe Young Grower regional title.
Fifty-eight selected individuals, companies, and start-ups will exhibit their ideas and cutting-edge solutions at the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards, with Amazon Web Services (AWS), who joins the programme in 2026 as overall sponsor.
A rare piece of New Zealand adventure history will be on display at this year’s Fieldays, with a pair of socks worn by the late Sir Edmund Hillary to take pride of place at the Norsewear site this June.
This month's National Fieldays will again display a strong international flavour, with more exhibitors and overseas delegations in attendance.
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op…
OPINION: The global crusade against fossil fuel is gaining momentum in some regions.