Farming smarter with technology
The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry professionals from across the country.
Carrfields has launched a new partnership with Waikato-based Piako Tractors, where the latter will become the exclusive retailer and service provider of the German Horsch brand throughout the upper North Island.
Greg Carr, founding director of Carrfields, said, “We are delighted to partner with Piako Tractors, which will step up our Horsch sales and service capability across the upper North Island. Partnering with Piako will enable us to offer a more comprehensive level of customer service and product support quickly in the region.”
Both parties are currently working on establishing a regional service network for Horsch customers; with Piako handling machinery sales, parts, servicing, and onthe- ground customer assistance, with Carrfields providing technical support.
Darrell Russell, dealer principal of Piako Tractors, said their five branch locations can provide a comprehensive level of customer and product support from the Waikato to Northland.
“In representing many leading brands, including Horsch, we’ve built an enviable reputation for supplying and supporting a premium range of brands and products that deliver significant operational benefits.
“Piako Tractors has built a strong reputation for customer service, which, along with its family ownership, creates many synergies with Carrfields,” said Greg Carr
“Their focus on customer service is closely aligned with our own culture of building long-term customer relationships and providing face-to-face product support. We are very pleased to share a similar philosophy of partnering with customers for the long term and providing the support they need to build a successful farming enterprise. We look forward to working closely with them to continue to develop the Horsch brand and its products for the benefit of our customers.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
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