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.

With tractor sales for the first half of 2015 down 17% on the same period in 2014, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) sees strong prospects for a recovery long term.

Pottinger has introduced upgrades from the large trailed HIT tedder series to smaller 8-rotor models with working widths of up to 8.86m.

Versatile has a good pedigree when it comes to building tractors. 

Well-known Southland engineering identity Des James recently died after a long illness.

It's fitting in a Rugby World Cup year – and with a draw that looks like New Zealand will be somewhere near the end of the tournament – that JCB distributor Landpower has introduced a special version of the 435S-Agri wheeled loader.

It's safe to say that sales of combine harvesters in Southland are relatively few, so it’s interesting to hear of a new Massey Ferguson hitting the paddocks in February and making a big impact during the recent harvest for owners Mark and Sonia Dillon, Riversdale.

New Holland distributor CB Norwood, Palmerston North, has released the latest Tier 4 versions of the popular T4 series tractors to replace the T4000 and entry spec T5000 ranges.