Feed pad with rubber matting hailed as game changer
For Otago farmers Michelle and Rogan Borrie, a newly constructed feed pad on one of their three farms has been a game changer.
Despite Covid, the need for the world to eat has kept farmers busy, meaning that they continue to buy new kit and machinery – so manufacturers are also busy.
As an example, Austrian company Pöttinger is signaling that it will have its best year ever, expecting to end its 2020/21 financial year with a €395m turnover (NZ$673m). This is a significant increase on the €366m of 2019/2020 and beats the previous best ever figure of €382m in 2018/2019.
Speaking at a virtual press launch of the new Jumbo 7000 series forage wagons, spokesman Gregor Dietachmayr, confirmed Pöttinger is very busy, with substantial order books, after a difficult 16-month period brought about by the pandemic.
“We had to be careful, even reducing our manufacturing output slightly to reduce the risk of creating too-high machine inventories, should the demand have shrunk,” said Dietachmayr. “We were surprised to find the demand for new machines actually increased.”
While the domestic market of Austria accounts for 10% of sales, exports of the remaining 90% sees Germany and France as the largest markets at 19% and 15% respectively. The product mix is built around grassland machinery at 46% of volume, tillage gear at 16%, balers and loader wagons at 15%, with drills making up 9% of the total.
During the year, the company opened its 17th sales subsidiary in Poland; a strategy started in France in 1999 that was followed by Switzerland (2003), Italy (2004), Canada (2005), Ukraine (2007), Australia, Slovakia and USA (2008), Russia (2010), the UK, Belgium and Ireland (2012) and Scandinavia and China (2016).
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
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