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Italian machinery manufacturers led by Trade Commissioner Simona Bernardini (centre) meeting with Agriculture and Trade Minister Damien O’Connor at this year’s Fieldays.
Fieldays is usually the place to find old favourites.
However, one of the newest exhibitors at the 2023 event was a joint venture between the Italian Trade Agency, the Embassy of Italy in Wellington and the Italian ag machinery industry association FederUnacoma.
It was at Fieldays to promote Italian agricultural, horticultural and vineyard machinery producers – as well as component suppliers. The Italian site saw a mix of well-known brands such as Antonio Carraro and Arag and lesser-known brands like DigiDevice and Arbieri on display, with accompanying product specialists.
Italian Trade Commissioner for ANZ, Simona Bernardini, says there has been a very positive trend in Italian machinery exports to New Zealand in the last three years.
“In 2020, the companies we support shipped around $50m of product to NZ, climbing to $88.7m in 2022,” she told Rural News. “In the case of tractors, this was $26.5m, climbing $40.6m. Meanwhile, machinery climbed from $42.4m to $47.7m.”
Bernardini added that it was great to be exhibiting in New Zealand for the first time.
“Now we have no travel restrictions and a free trade agreement between NZ and Europe, we are excited to be able to build on existing relationships and of course, develop new business in both directions.”
Also attending was the Ambassador of Italy to New Zealand, H. E. Francesco Calogero – helping to promote trade and cultural activities between both countries. He noted the 2023 Fieldays was the first since Covid to be held with no border restrictions, although supply chain logistics and the Ukrainian conflict still created challenges. He suggested that it was the right time to “re-connect”, building on existing relationships and investigating new opportunities.
“We already have a healthy two-way trade in things like fine Merino wools and Kiwifruit, with Italian agricultural and horticultural machinery and speciality foods heading to the southern hemisphere,” Calogero told Rural News.
“What NZ locals probably don’t realise is that Italian companies are heavily involved in tunnel boring machines that are creating new stormwater drains under Auckland.”
Calogero also commented on the large communities of Italian descent currently living in NZ.
“We have around 7000 people registered with the Italian Embassy, but we estimate that there are around 25-30,000 people of Italian descent in NZ, with sizeable communities in Auckland and Wellington. It’s our job to help them keep their culture alive, promote a trans-country working holiday programme and also help develop trade in both directions.”
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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