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OPINION: Good on Miraka for eschewing electric power for its future tankers, opting for the much more practical heavy-vehicle ‘green’ choice, hydrogen, putting NZ’s first H-powered tanker on the road.
It’s no accident that in the tractor and farm machinery industry, momentum is growing for a future switch from diesel to hydrogen fuel.
Kubota, Deutz and JCB, for example, are well down the road with hydrogen engines.
Not only does it require less re-tooling for manufacturers, and the fuel network, hydrogen is better suited to sustained heavy work.
And unlike battery power, it doesn’t require hours of downtime to recharge. In contrast to Miraka, Fonterra has an electric tanker on trial, which they only operate on flat land, for short trips, and takes three hours to recharge.
Despite conditions in the farm machinery industry, which can only be described as difficult, the German-headquartered Claas Group has reported net sales of €5 billion for the 2024 financial, around €1.1 billion, or 19% lower than the corresponding period in 2023.
While the LDV brand has been available in New Zealand for a number of years, it’s typically been recognised as a second tier offering. That has started to change after distribution passed to the Inchcape Group in 2023, who are on a trajectory to improve that public perspective, and in due course, push sales upwards.
Mostly associated with conventional tractor tyres, Indian tyre manufacturer Ceat is reported to have bought the Camso off-highway tyre and track business from Michelin for about US$225 million (NZ$400 million).
Announced at the end of the year at the EIMA 2024 Event in Bologna, Italy, the Case IH Quadtrac 715 - the new flagship model in the Case IH tractor range - has won the Tractor of the Year 2025 High-Power Category for models of 300-plus horsepower.
Marlborough-based agritech company Smart Machines has reached a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionise vineyard management.
The first phase of a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into allegations of mistreatment of sheep connected to shearing practices has been completed.
According to Biosecurity New Zealand, legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe will remain in place until mid-February.
The rollout of the New Zealand Genetic Evaluation Version 6 is said to mark a step-change in the depth and breadth of genetic information available to both stud and commercial sheep breeders.
With low wool prices, farmer interest in the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep continues to grow.
OPINION: Dairy farmers will be breathing easier thanks to the Government last month delivering a Christmas gift in the form of immigration reforms.
Arable growers are being invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of a project which uses an alternative approach to determining how well they are managing their biggest input - fertiliser.
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