Canterbury Farmer Builds on 160 Years of Dairy Legacy
Gareth Hale is the current custodian of a 160-year legacy that saw his great grandfather dairying in Taranaki since the mid-1850s and grandfather dairying in the Waikato from the early 1900s.
JD 8R Series tractors can now be configured to continually monitor and adjust tyre pressures by push button.
John Deere 8R Series tractors can now be configured to continually monitor and adjust tyre pressures by push button.
This is done using a new fully-integrated central tyre inflation (CTIF) system.
Available ex-factory on 8Rs fitted with independent link suspension, this in-house manufactured system uses an on-board compressor. This means that tyres can be deflated to increase their footprint by nearly 25%, while a reduction of up to 3psi in ground pressure results in 2-4% less wheel slip.
Other benefits of lower in-paddock tyre pressures include reduced compaction and fuel consumption as well as increased pulling performance.
Configured with large diameter fabric air lines for rapid inflation and deflation times, the internal pressure of a 710/75R42 and 650/60R34 combination can be increased from 0.8 to 1.8 bar in under six and a half minutes for road travel.
This offers improved driving behaviour, reduced rolling resistance and less tyre wear. Once back in the paddock, it only takes around four minutes to revert to the lower pressure settings.
An external compressed air connection makes it possible to connect an air gun for cleaning purposes or powering air tools.
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.

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