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Although it's painted like any fire truck and has flashing lights and a siren, a Case IH Farmall tractor named Kahu isn’t fighting fires.
Instead, its Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s (FENZ) way of starting conversations about fire safety, developing greater resilience, fire prevention and volunteer sustainability in rural industries.
National risk reduction manager Rob Saunders says the tractor signals FENZ’s intention to reduce the risk of fire in rural homes, buildings and vegetation.
“It’s a tool to help engage with the community in a fun and unique way. Kahu has been traveling the country to appear at numerous community events.”
Unveiled at National Fieldays 2018 at the FENZ site, the tractor got a great response from children and adults alike. The site also had a burnt-out tractor, and the two machines led to discussions about maintenance, spotting bird nests and accessibility and water availability for firefighters.
Kahu was at lots of events last year including the Poverty Bay A&P show in Gisborne, Omokoroa School where it was used to help educate children about fire safety, and Turangi for the annual Christmas parade.
Announced at the end of the year at the EIMA 2024 Event in Bologna, Italy, the Case IH Quadtrac 715 - the new flagship model in the Case IH tractor range - has won the Tractor of the Year 2025 High-Power Category for models of 300-plus horsepower.
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New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in their precision technology stack to make farming easier and more efficient for customers.
New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in its precision technology stack to make farming easier and more efficient for its customers.
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