Carlo Lambro, president of New Holland Agriculture, spoke in late June at the general assembly of The World Farmers Organisation, at Expo Milan 2015.

While the modern farm tractor runs almost exclusively on a diet of diesel, over the years we have seen derivatives running on bio-diesel and one unit out of Germany that ran on pure rapeseed oil (Canola).

Christchurch-based Forest Quip NZ is to market Tobrocco Machines’ Giant wheel loaders in New Zealand and Australia.

CB Norwood Distributors, importers of Vaderstad cultivators, has launched the maker’s Carrier L and XL cultivators.

When Smythe Contractors, Hautapu, recently won the contract to install the irrigation system for the new second drier being constructed at Fonterra Lichfield, it was a case of déjà vu. 

Warren Darling from Timaru knows a bit about growing barley, so much so he broke the Guinness World Record for the crop with 13.8 tonnes/ha in April, with crop harvested on January 23 this year.

Like many engineers, Des James’ early days were focussed on tractors. 

Combine harvesters are the final piece of the jigsaw in growing a successful crop.

While the the world’s farm machinery industry is feeling it tough, sitting alongside an agricultural sector that appears to be in the doldrums, it’s encouraging to hear one big company is looking to the future.

As farmers and contractors seek more efficiencies, we see average horsepower climbing while implements get wider, longer or heavier. The biggest change in the last decade is the increase in tractor speeds.