Farmers push for greater fitness
Dairy farmers Neil and Glenda Gray are ready to swap the paddock for the tarmac as they prepare for the Farmstrong Fit4Farming Cycle Tour.
Fitness tracker devices have a worldwide following; now there's one for cows, by the Japan tech giant Fujitsu, to boost their breeding efficiency.
The estrus detection system for cattle (EDSC) determines exactly when cows are biologically primed for artificial insemination, reports Digital Trends.
Smarter breeding and birthing are the aims. They consist of a wearable cattle pedometer and a stationary receiver to process tracked data.
The data collected by the receiver is sent to the Microsoft Azure cloud, from where EDSC automatically sends the feedback to a computer or laptop. This gives cattle owners access to loads of valuable information about the livestock, such as timing for early conception and predicted due dates.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.