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.
The judges at last year’s Agritechnica event picked the Italian-built Landini Rex 4-120GT Robo- Shift Dynamic as the Best of Specialised category at its Tractor of the Year 2024 Awards.
The judges noted the tractor had “raised the bar for specialised vineyard and orchard tractors”. The model features a robo-shift transmission, 48 forward and 16 reverse gears with electro-hydraulic reverse shuttle and four fully robotised driving gears. All of which can be operated in automatic or sequential mode through a joystick.
The Rex 4-120GT is also the first specialised tractor with a suspended cab to provide additional comfort to drivers. Interestingly, the dynamic version features an autonomous driving system option that allows, with the help of integrated sensors, automatic parallel driving between rows.
Meanwhile, an example from the company’s red McCormick camp was also a winner – taking out Tractor of the Year’s Best Utility section. The McCormick X5.120 P3-Drive was described as “the ideal utility vehicle for daily use on the farm”.
Featuring a 3.6-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, Stage V compliant FPT F36 engine, the range offers 95 to 114hp with maximum torque to 460 Newton metres.
Its main new feature is the P3-Drive transmission: 36+12 or 48+16 with creeper, designed and manufactured entirely in-house by Argo Tractors.
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.
New Zealand farmers are committed to making their businesses more resilient to climate change and are embracing innovation to help them do so.