increase font size
The full integration of Dutch company Steketee BV into agricultural machinery specialist Lemken will be completed in the coming months.
Five years ago, agricultural machinery specialist Lemken acquired the Dutch company Steketee B.V and expanded its crop care product portfolio with implements for mechanical weed control and future-oriented camera-assisted machine guidance.
The full integration of the crop care business will be completed during the coming months and all products will take come in the more familiar blue Lemken colour scheme.
Increasing interest in mechanical weeding solutions has seen sales triple in recent years, necessitating a move by the company to a new site to increase production capability. There is also the likelihood of the current workforce of 60 people doubling in the coming years.
Recently, Lemken released details of its first weeder harrow to round off its range of mechanical weed control implements.
The Thulit harrow is said to break new ground, with four beams and eight rows of harrow tines.
The tine pressure can be continuously adjusted to up to five kilograms on the move, resulting in a precise job, particularly during the early/ sensitive crop growth stages.
Tines are arranged with a spacing of 31.25mm to ensure blockagefree work, using stable, true-to-track, wear-free tine bearings to ensure optimum weed removal.
A straightforward quickchange system makes it easy to replace harrow tines. The Thulit features precise and continuous ground contour. Following with consistent tine pressure, making it a versatile implement – even on uneven ground and operating in ridge grown crops.
Generous clearance height and smart design removes the need for the usual springs and the chances of plants getting caught beneath the frame.
The hydraulic system also supports width control within the frame sections to avoid multiple passes across parts of the field.
A key part of the design brief was to minimise frame weight and has been achieved by reducing the number of moving parts, allowing Thulit to be operated on smaller tractors with lower lifting capacities.
A further benefit of the reduced componentry is that the driver also has a clear view of the harrow tines allowing a better oversight of the final work results.
The Thulit harrow will initially be available in early 2024 in limited quantities with working widths of six and nine metres
Twin rotor swathers have become the ‘go-to’ for forming swaths to feed hungry harvesters and balers, however, the design layout often means that crop located between the two rotors is not picked up, turned over or incorporated into the swath formed for subsequent harvesting.
Operating large tractors became more expensive back in March due to the ongoing Strait of Hormuz conflict, meaning contractors had to introduce fuel surcharges and farmers had to adjust their budget forecasts.
Close to the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks, Motueka is known for apples, pear and kiwifruit orchards, alongside specialised crops such as hops. Indeed, that specialisation, saw the area being the New Zealand centre of the tobacco growing, until the early 1980s.
Can-Am has introduced its 2027 range of side-by-side vehicles (SSV) and all-terrain vehicles (ATV), including the industry leading Defender, the Maverick R and the hugely capable Outlander ATV, incorporating a host of advancements designed to deliver an exceptional riding experience.
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The red meat sector is in great heart.
Dr Scott Champion, Foundation for Arable Research chief executive, says that everyone in the supply chain had a role to play in driving the sector's long-term success.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.
