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Cows on a Waikato farm will be shifted from the Fieldays using Halter technology.
Visitors to Fieldays this year will get a taste of how cow collar technology Halter works.
Halter farmer, Pete Morgan, runs a 600-cow farm in the Waikato. He will live stream the technology to shift his cows from the Halter Fieldays site.
While on site at Mystery Creek, Pete will use the Halter app to remotely shift his mob in Te Awamutu. A live stream will show cow movements in real-time, starting at 2.30pm on Thursday and Friday.
"At our farm, we are designing breaks with different shapes that optimise exactly the accurate allocation of feed, cows move quietly at their own pace, and the farm has had a huge lift in productivity," says Morgan.
"Without a doubt, Halter has changed the way we farm."
Halter chief executive Craig Piggott is looking forward to sharing their groundbreaking technology with such a wide and captive audience.
"Pete will shift his cows from Fieldays, and this is huge because he can be at Fieldays, or anywhere really, and his farm continues to operate.
"I love seeing a farmer's reaction to a virtual shift. It's a look of sheer wonder as they see cows calmly moving to another break, all at their own pace.
"No dogs, no motorbikes, no walking behind cows: just a collar and a smartphone. Fieldays is a great opportunity for us to show just how simple and life-changing it can be."
Just like Fieldays, Waikato is where Halter began. From humble beginnings on their research farm in Morrinsville six years ago, Halter claims to now support "hundreds of farmers and tens of thousands of cows" across New Zealand, with significant uptake in the South Island.
The company says it supports farmers in unlocking the most productive and sustainable farms.
"The system combats labour shortages and improves animal health and performance by enabling farmers to remotely shift, virtually fence and proactively monitor the health of their cows.
"Halters also features an integrated pasture management system to help farmers get the most out of their grass.
"By leveraging real-time data, Halter automatically calculates feed and, coupled with their virtual fencing, allows for more precise kgDM or pasture allocation per cow.
"By automating some of the most time-consuming tasks on the farm, Halter significantly reduces workloads, allowing farmers to use their time more efficiently."
Piggot says Halter is meeting the industry's demand for positive and more efficient change.
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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