Innovation takes centre stage at Fieldays 2025 awards event
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
Recently released in New Zealand and a sponsor of New Zealand Fieldays, the JAC (“Jack”) T9’s positioning as a reliable workhorse for Kiwi tradies has been reinforced by the remarkable achievement overseas that shattered a 24-hour Endurance Record for commercial vehicles.
Not unlike a Kiwi BBQ challenge, a group of motoring commentators in South Africa turned some beer-fuelled boasts into a headline-grabber for JAC.
The brand’s flagship T9 Ute (called a ‘bakkie’ in South Africa) officially broke the South African 24-hour Endurance Record for commercial vehicles, by clocking up 4,084 kilometres at an average speed of 170.1 km/h, at the Gerotek Testing Facility just outside Pretoria.
Taking shifts behind the wheel and completing more than 1,350 laps of the test track, the clear mission was to surpass the existing record set by Isuzu in 2010, which itself had bettered the Toyota Hilux benchmark from 2003. The JAC team beat the record, finishing over 20km ahead of Isuzu’s record, running for 24 hours straight with an average fuel use of just 16.5L/100km.
Andrew Craw, JAC NZ general manager, believes this achievement carries significant weight for prospective ute buyers in New Zealand, especially for those working in trades.
“Kiwis want to know if Chinese utes are up to the task, with questions such as, ‘is it reliable? Can you get parts? Will it hold its value?’” said Andrew. “The T9’s proven resilience in one of South Africa’s most extreme motoring tests, combined with our growing support here in New Zealand, answers those questions.
“It’s a true ‘JAC’ of all trades, with this record about more than just speed, it shows the T9 can handle the hard yards, take the heat, and still be ready for more – just what Kiwi tradies need and what this ute delivers.”
Visit www.jac.co.nz or site number F90.
Global dairy prices have ended a two-month run of losses.
The world's largest dairy company may be in pole position to acquire Fonterra's Australian assets.
In a major win for farmers, the Government has directed regional councils to halt all work on plans and regional policy statement reviews under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
A Chinese business leader says Chinese investors are unfairly viewed as potential security risks in New Zealand.
In the first of two articles focusing on electrification in New Zealand, Leo Argent talks with Mike Casey, operator of the 100% electric-operated Electric Cherries orchard and founder of advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa.
A Foundation for Arable Research initiative which took a closer look at the efficiency of a key piece of machinery for arable farmers - their combine harvesters - has been recognised at the Primary Industry NZ Awards.
OPINION: Spare a thought for the arable farmer, squeezed on one side by soft global prices and on the other…
OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts…