With regional field days right upon us, tractor importers and dealers should have a smile on their faces given the sales results just released for the 2017 year. 

In the 1980s and 90s, articulated telehandlers from Matbro, Sanderson and JCB were popular with livestock farmers and anyone who wanted to place loads in difficult places. 

Giltrap Agrizone says it’s had outstanding success with the HiSpec range of slurry tankers and muck spreaders.

Improvements to Claas Jaguar 900 and 800 forage harvesters include a new hydraulic pre-compression system, a new chopping cylinder, and three new front attachments. 

Ploughing remains a popular option, particularly in Europe, where the age-old method is a key way of fighting blackgrass infestation in cereal crops. 

The rising fortunes of global farming are raising the demand for European-made tackle, which might signal supply problems for Kiwi farmers and contractors looking to hit the new season with new toys.

Power Farming Group, the family-owned Morrinsville business, has a deal with SDF Italia to exclusively distribute Deutz-Fahr tractors in the US.

The dictionary defines ‘panoramic’ as “an unbroken view of the surrounding region”, so the newly arrived Claas Arion 400 series tractors are worth a closer look, but more on that later.

It last happened 60 years ago: the Deep South hosted the final of the NZ Ploughing champs in 1958.

New Holland is now offering its Auto Command continuously variable transmission on the T9 Series tractors.