Kia New Zealand reveals pricing for all-new ute
Just when you thought there wasn’t enough choices for a ute, Kia New Zealand has announced pricing for one of the most eagerly anticipated new model launches of 2025.
Incorporating Vaderstad's latest seed drill technology, the Proceed V 24, is said to improve precision and increase planting efficiencies for New Zealand farmers and growers from the 2026 season.
First shown in 2021, Proceed has picked up awards, including the2022 and 2023 Machine of the Year, alongside SIMA in France, LAMMA in the UK, AGROmash in Hungary and at the Agrosalon in Slovakia.
“Proceed V 24 represents a new category of seeding machines, by offering one machine that can increase the yield potential in a variety of crops, including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet, peas, maize, sunflower,” says Greg Moore, Norwood brand manager – equipment.
Previously, there has been a clear distinction between grain seed drills and precision planters for row crops.
Said to ensure the exact same start for all seeds, the merging of seeding and planting technologies in the Proceed V 24 brings the precision of planters to grain crops, while also maintaining the ability to plant at wider row distances, resulting in unprecedented crop quality and increased versatility.
Built around a variation of the familiar Gilstring seed metering unit from the Väderstad Tempo precision planter, the Proceed V 24 will plant even the smallest seed at the perfect depth with millimetre precision, resulting in a 50% lower seed rate for the same yield.
“The heart of Proceed is its high-precision row units and PowerShoot technology,” says Greg. Available with 24 rows and a working width of six metres, the Proceed V 24 operates with either 225mm or 250mm row spacing with a 2,200- litre seed hopper. A front hopper can also be utilised to enable in-row fertiliser distribution.
Individually mounted pre-consolidation wheels ensure consistent conditions for each seed, while air pressure is used in three ways through the Väderstad PowerShoot system.
Positive air pressure ensures each seed is placed individually on the rotating seed discs. Air pressure is momentarily cut to allow the seed to be accurately placed into the seed tube, before resuming, to shoot or fire the seed down to the seedbed. When it leaves the short seed tube, the seed is received by a stop wheel, which ensures optimal seed-to-soil contact at the selected depth over the entire working width.
As part of the development journey, Väderstad’s engineers and testing department conducted extensive field tests throughout Europe to understand how farmers can get the most out of the Proceed, while independent researchers assessed results throughout the growing season. Proceed V 24 is available for NZ customers to order for spring 2026.
OPINION: Farmers are rightly urging the Government to relax the rules around KiwiSaver and allow young farmers to use their savings towards purchasing either a house, cows or a farm.
Winning the 2025 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year still hasn't sunk in for Thomas and Fiona Langford.
The grass may be growing again in the drought-stricken coastal area of Taranaki, but the outlook for many farmers there is far from rosy.
Doctors and rural women are welcoming the recent pre-budget announcement from the Government that it would be boosting funding to urgent and afterhours care facilities.
Over 300 farmers and rural professionals have gathered in Hamilton for the first DairyNZ Farmers Forum for this year.
Winter grazing is looming again and the Ministry for Primary Industries says it's going to increase proactive farm visits and provide practical advice for farmers in the lead up to the season.
OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…