Kubota tests diesel engines
Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.
Hustler Equipment, the Hastings maker of bale feeding, bedding and handling equipment, has bought Robertson Manufacturing.
Robertson, located in Hinds, Canterbury, make silage wagons, the Supercomby feedout machine and precision spreading equipment.
Hustler started manufacturing in 1961, Robertson in 1977. With nearly 100 years between them in designing and making innovative machinery it seems the two companies are a good fit.
Hustler told Rural News that while some branding changes may follow, the Robertson designs and attention to detail will remain and customers will get 'seamless' advice and support.
Meanwhile, on the global scene, cash-rich Japanese giant Kubota is to buy the planter and seed drill manufacturer Great Plains Manufacturing, of Salina, Kansas.
In the US$430 million deal, slated for July, Kubota will acquire all five divisions of Great Plains, said to be the largest family-owned farm equipment maker in the US. It has eight factories in the US and one in UK; staff number 1400.
"This acquisition is part of the long term strategic vision for our expansion, with the aim of providing high quality products and comprehensive solutions for customers," said Masato Yoshikawa, president and chief executive of Kubota Tractor Corporation.
Great Plains and Kubota had common values, he said, "in that we were both founded four decades ago and both companies have a reputation for quality and engineering excellence".
Great Plains founder and chairman Roy Applequist will remain to help guide operations.
"My plan is to play a significant part in helping Great Plains to become a vital part of the Kubota family," he said.
The companies already have a long term relationship: the Great Plains Land Pride brand has been sold alongside Kubota products in the North American market since 2007.
Kubota says the move builds on its commitment to the US and Canadian markets; it recently announced a North American distribution centre in Edgerton, US, for the supply of whole goods and parts to these regions.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
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