Halter goes global, but NZ farmers remain core to innovation
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
Frontloader specialist Quicke's Q-companion is designed to allow operators to record weights of materials loaded, so it proves useful for mixing rations or loading trucks with produce for hauling away from a farm.
For the 2019 season, several improvements will see a wider range of languages, better colour rendering in the screen and most importantly, Bluetooth connectivity. This last feature will allow users to automatically upload weighing results to the cloud for accessing later on a PC or tablet.
Other new features allow operators to monitor the loader position and boom angles from the tractor seat, while also getting a visual display of how much loader lift capacity remains available and the cumulative weight of materials already loaded.
A further nod to efficiency and speed of operation is delivered by an audible notification that beeps when a pre-set height of implement angle is achieved. This will allow the user to set items like ‘bucket level’ or perhaps when pallet forks or bale grabs are just slightly higher than the bed of a truck or farm trailer.
The system also includes a reminder of maintenance schedules, such as when the loader/implement needs lubrication. 
Westpac NZ has announced new initiatives that aim to give customers more options to do their banking in person.
New Zealand red meat exports experienced a 29% increase year-on-year in September, according to the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
The head of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) biosecurity operation, Stuart Anderson, has defended the cost and the need for a Plant Healht and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) being built in Auckland.
BNZ says its new initiative, helping make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking a little easier, is being well received by customers and rural professionals.
The head of Fonterra's R&D facility in Palmerston North is set to literally cross the road and become the new vice chancellor at Massey University.
Allan Freeth, chief executive of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has announced he is resigning.