Nimble New Zealand exporters finding opportunity amid shifting trade terms
Global trade wars and uncertain tariff regimes could play into the hands of many New Zealand exporters, according to Gareth Coleman ANZ’s Head of Trade & Supply Chain.
New on the Gallagher site at the National Fieldays will be its TW series of weigh scales and its insulated line posts.
The TW-1 and TW-3 weigh scales replace the W810 and W610 models and embody a complete re-design; they are engineered to match the way farmers interact with tablets and smartphones.
The TW series has a touch-screen user interface, ensuring ‘in the field’ weighing can be simply accessed without the use of confusing navigation or menu pathways.
The scales have software systems easily connected and compatible with loadbars and readers irrespective of brand, and they connect to Gallagher’s own Animal Performance Software (APS) system to provide easy access to reports on individual animals.
All data recorded in the field can be uploaded into the APS software. Links via wi-fi or Bluetooth can connect the user’s cellphone and bring up the Gallagher Dashboard software, giving a quick view of crucial top line data and removing the need to enter data twice.
The company’s new insulated line posts have a polyethylene sheath with a strong flexible inner fibreglass core, enabling them to bend without breaking and so minimising injury to livestock.
Available in four different heights, the posts offer a full system for fencing sheep, cattle, horses and deer.
Advanced plastics technology and the nifty design of the posts’ ground anchoring foot, plus the flexible solid fibreglass core component, make the system easy to set up and very robust.
Meanwhile, battery or solar powered MB Energisers, based on the proven i series Energisers – the new ones are called MB1800i and MB2800i – provide the option of mains or solar battery charging in remote non-powered locations.
The MB1800i delivers 18 joules of stored energy, sufficient power for almost 80ha; the MB2800i will be effective over 120ha.
For small farms, the new S40 and S100 Energisers offer a low cost solar means of powering fence systems.
Gallagher says the insulated end strainer is a likely item for anyone considering a new energiser. These improve on the traditional end strainer; they have an insulated body, a 12 tooth spool for fine adjustment and an integrated joint clamp.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
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