Ravensdown’s HawkEye Pro Wins Technology Award at Southern Field Days
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
With autonomous prime movers tipped to become more popular - particularly on broad acre operations - a recent trial by an AgXeed AgBot T2-7 SERIES, working in combination with the Väderstad Carrier XL 625 cultivator, achieved an impressive 80 hectares in just 20 hours over two paddocks, suggesting that autonomy is ready to compete with conventional tractors in the field.
The trial was held on 16-17 December 2025 in the Uckermark region in North-Eastern Germany – a month after the machine’s launch at Agritechnica. It included challenging field shapes, obstacles and hilly terrain, across loamy, sandy soil.
Featuring a 230hp diesel-electric drivetrain, the AgBot T2-7 Series maintained working speeds between 9 and 12kph, with power to the ground via a track system that achieved grip, but also offered very low ground pressure, helping to protect soil structure and safeguard future yields.
The machine was designed to directly compete with a standard tractor for key field applications including soil cultivation, seedbed preparation, seeding, stubble cultivation, or mulching fully autonomously. The trial combined it with a 6 metre Väderstad Carrier XL 625 and the ability to work consistently 24 hours a day, ensuring maximum effectiveness and efficiency when time windows are tight.
Planning and control are achieved via the AgXeed TraXwise planning portal, allowing farmers to pre-plan the complete task in advance and monitor the AgBot in real time, from job commencement to completion.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) has announced a new limited edition DWN Monopoly NZ Dairy Farming Edition, created to celebrate the people, places and seasons.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Federated Farmers say they welcome the announcement last week that the Government will increase the conveyance allowance by 30%.
New Zealand and India have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) described as a once-in-a-generation deal.
What’s been a "rubbish" summer for campers and beachgoers has duck hunters in the lower North Island rubbing their hands together in anticipation of a bumper waterfowl season, which starts this weekend (May 2/3).
New research suggests sheep and beef farmers could improve both profitability and emissions efficiency by increasing lamb weaning weights, with only marginal changes in total greenhouse gas emissions.
Southland farmers are being encouraged to get ahead of the winter grazing season by attending a practical field day in Pukerau next week.

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