A price saving proposition
A bit like Vegemite, the first impression raised when you encounter a Mahindra Pik Up is love or hate – with one motoring journalist saying it had looks “only a mother could love.”
Tractor maker Mahindra produces 300,000 units per year and is reckoned the world's largest producer by volume.
Worldwide staff of 180,000 generate a group turnover of US$16.8 billion, and business acquisitions during the past few years have resulted in new products coming to market.
New for Fieldays 2016 was the Japanese-made Mahindra 1538 HST which should prove popular with landscapers, horticulturalists and small scale farmers.
Powered by a 3-cylinder common rail Mitsubishi diesel engine pushing out 38hp, its get-up-and-go is provided by a three stage hydrostatic transmission with cruise control, able to match forward or reverse speeds exactly to the job in hand.
A more traditional mechanical transmission is fitted to the 34hp, 1533 model -- a mechanical synchronised version with eight forward and reverse speeds, better suited to operating on undulating terrain.
Outwardly the maker has ditched the traditional Indian look; this tractor has a curvy one-piece hood and modern curved rear fenders.
Access to the semi-flat operator platform is by a simple step up from either side, and the operator when seated has a view enhanced by a down-swept exhaust system, while a folding ROPS frame allows easy entry to areas of limited headroom.
At the rear of the tractor is a Cat 1 three point linkage system and a single 540rpm PTO. The machine comes standard with industrial spec tyres; turf or agricultural tyres are available.
Buyers get a comprehensive three-year/2000 hour warranty.
The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.
Southland-based Mataura Valley Milk can now lay claim to be the first all-electric dairy factory in New Zealand.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
Meat co-operative Alliance Group has bagged four gold medals at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, achieving top honours for every cut entered.
There is increasing evidence that dairy demand is on the upswing, according to Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins.
Fertiliser use in New Zealand over the 18 months is about 25% down from what it consistently was for the previous decade or more, says Ravensdown chief operating officer Mike Whitty.
OPINION: It's not just a rural banking inquiry that farmers want. Freshwater farm plans are another major headache for farmers.
OPINION: The new Government may be farmer friendly, but it's not love, rather action that farmers want.