Govt to rethink farm health and safety rules with practical reforms
Farmers are welcoming new Government proposals to make farm health and safety rules more practical and grounded in real-world farming.
Ag-Tech Industries has added a lighter, lower-cost item to its QuadGuard range of crush protection devices.
The company is already known for its ATV LifeGuard – a flexible crush protection device (CPD) that folds around to create a ‘survival space’ for a rider during a rollover.
The new model weighs only 7.2kg, about half that of the LifeGuard product. It comprises a plastic arch that flexes during a rollover to absorb the impact and protect the rider. It can also create a survival pocket under the machine.
Ag-Tech says the structure’s greater rigidity may create more survival space in some situations than its more expensive CPD.
Unlike the LifeGuard, which may be re-used after a rollover, the QuadGuard must be replaced if it has been deformed. In use, the LifeGuard will require more maintenance to ensure the integral cables are kept at the correct tension, whereas the QuadGuard has no moving parts.
The QuadGuard has five years life expectancy which will be monitored annually and confirmed in 2024. Whereas the LifeGuard can be used indefinitely subject to regular maintenance and eventual refurbishment.
A landmark New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected - that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.
It was recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
RaboResearch, the research arm of specialist agriculture industry banker Rabobank, sees positives for the Alliance Group in its proposed majority-stake sale to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
The ACT Party's call for a better deal on the Paris Agreement on climate change is being backed by farmer organisations.
A 50% tariff slapped by the US on goods from India last month has opened an opportunity for New Zealand wool carpets exports to North America.