MSA triumph
OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first foray into fertiliser co-operative governance.
Ravensdown is getting ready to roll out a new set of pasture and benchmarking tools showing planned versus actual nutrient spending over time.
Ravensdown is getting ready to roll out a new set of pasture and benchmarking tools designed to enable smarter nutrient decisions by showing planned versus actual nutrient spending over time.
HawkEye will integrate imagery from the air, nutrient input and pasture quality on the ground, and the status of the soil.
The company notes that farmers need help to avoid drowning in a sea of data coming from sensors on irrigators, spreading trucks, soil tests and pasture scanning.
The HawkEye information will offer a farmer insight into the state of a paddock and allow informed decisions.
For example, a map showing soil test results overlaid with the spreading history and the pasture response will enable better nitrogen efficiency. The result might be the use of less nitrogen and better understanding of target time and place of application.
Using an open industry standard such as DataLinker, farmers will be able to export data and mapping elements to GPS or C-Dax devices.
This will allow use of the system to forecast available feed, benchmark pasture production, and map and monitor spreading or spraying.
Also, soil fertility, nitrogen efficiency and environmental performance can be addressed via 24/7 web access and the help of technical experts and field based agri-managers.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.

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