John Deere Secures Record 20-Harvester Deal
The old saying is ‘go big or go home’, which appears to be something that German contracting business Kohl Harvest of Saxony-Anhalt in Bavaria has done with a record order for John Deere.
John Deere's Horst factory in the Netherlands has a history of plant protection, designing and manufacturing crop sprayers for at least 70 years.
Purchased by JD in 1997 from the Dutch maker Douven, the global powerhouse has just hit a milestone by producing the 1000th self-propelled unit, in the shape of a 4000L capacity R4040i machine.
Having taken nine years to achieve this, they knocked a year off when they celebrated in 2016 the production of 10,000 trailed sprayers.
The 1000th self-propelled unit, complete with symbolic gold key, will be delivered to a 1800ha family farm in the Czech Republic owned by the Lukas brothers.
Meanwhile, a little further west in Europe, John Deere’s exclusive partner for the production of carbon-fibre spray booms, King Agro, has opened a new factory in Valencia, Spain.
Dedicated to the production of booms for the JD 4000 series machines, the Euro 8 million investment covers 5500 sq. m, employs 100 people and will produce up to 1800 booms each year.
The company aims to change the paradigm of steel in agricultural machinery manufacturing, by using instead carbon fibre, which lowers costs, increases productivity and reduces soil compaction.
Joshua Irving has been named the 2026 Ormond Nurseries North Canterbury Young Viticulturist of the Year.
Vets say they support the responsible use of virtual fencing and virtual herding technology for cattle and wants to work with farmers, manufacturers and government to help shape standards for future use backed by ongoing research to strengthen animal welfare outcomes.
National and world records tumbled as top Kiwi axeman claimed two Stihl Timbersports world titles at the same event in Budapest, Hungary over the first weekend in June.
A safety push across New Zealand has revealed significant gaps in hazardous substances management, farm vehicles, tractors, quad bikes and side-by-sides.
New Zealand farmers have earned a global edge by consistently yet cautiously taking advantage of emerging agri-technology.
New season data from LIC shows a strong reproductive performance for the 2025-26 season, with a lift in key metrics compared to last season.

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