AGCO and TAFE conclude commercial partnership with $260m share buyback
AGCO Corp has agreed with TAFE to resolve all outstanding disputes and matters related to their commercial relationship.
With the new year comes a new range from the Massey Ferguson Camp – the 7700 series that will take the place of the award winning 7600 series.
With nine models with maximum power 140-255hp the range should have a broad appeal, particularly in a market segment that amounts to 21% of the total. Notably, the engine power management (EPM) system, offered on all models, gives another 25hp boost, pushing outputs to a range 165-280hp.
Six-cylinder AGCO Power engines of 6.6 or 7.4L use a third generation Ad-Blue system to meet Tier 4 Final emission regulations, doing away with the need for any diesel particulate filters (DPF). A choice of transmissions sees the well sorted Dyna-4, Dyn-6 or Dyna-VT options offering 16F/16R, 24F/24R or a continuously variable set-up with a maximum speed of 50km/h.
Upgrades over the outgoing series sees an increase in permissible gross vehicle weights by around 12%, the largest models capable of operating at 14 tonnes, thereby increasing their load capacity, and the rear linkage can now carry up to 9950kg, proving it the boss of any job that comes to hand.
Hydraulics have closed centre load sensing throughout the range, offering flow on demand and outputs of 110, 150 or 190L/min, dependant on model.
The operator centre gets a spruce up with new dashboard displays and the choice of Essential (base) or Efficient (mid-range) specification. Options such as auto-beacon activation, auto air-conditioning, electric de-icing and a host of communication and audio choices mean the tractors can be customised to meet operator requirements.
The cabin can be equipped with either a standard or the new active mechanical suspension systems, the latter allowing more automation and allowing the operator to tweak settings for the best ride to suit conditions or differing terrain.
At the front end of the machine, as well as the option of an integrated front link system with a lift capacity of 4000kg, the tractors have an all-new in house-designed and manufactured front axle suspension system, said to give a smoother ride, but probably more importantly it is completely maintenance-free.
The tractors can be specified with the optional SpeedSteer system that reduces the number of turns required at the steering wheel to go from lock to lock and should prove useful for loader work or repetitive headland turns. The system automatically disengages at speeds above 18km/h.
And finally, surely a first for tractor manufacturers: the option of a unique key, rather than the traditional one key fitting the whole range; at the end of the day you can lock up your pride and joy securely.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
For more than 50 years, Waireka Research Station at New Plymouth has been a hub for globally important trials of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides, carried out on 16ha of orderly flat plots hedged for protection against the strong winds that sweep in from New Zealand’s west coast.
There's a special sort of energy at the East Coast Farming Expo, especially when it comes to youth.

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