Fonterra eyes EcoPond pilot to reduce on-farm emissions
Fonterra has invested in a new effluent pond mobile dosing service to support farmers to reduce emissions and make progress towards its on-farm emissions reductions target.
Precision Slurry says they are effluent application specialists who pride themselves on leading the way in cleaning out any system - fully utilising the nutrients often seen as a problem on farms.
Owner operators Glen Crafar, his wife Paula, and Robert Crafar have been farming their whole lives and have a wealth of experience in how to stir and spread the most difficult of jobs.
Based in Reporoa and servicing the Central Plateau, Bay of Plenty and South Waikato, Precision Slurry has a full range of specialised equipment to tackle any job:
The modern fleet is well equipped with GPS systems, application rate control and proof of placement. Nutrient analysis is also available.
Precision Slurry says customers are pleasantly surprised, commenting 'I didn't know the pond was that deep' or 'I didn't think you'd get it that empty'.
It says the slurry that's spread is rocket fuel for grass growth, often transforming weaker paddocks to strong ones.
"Effluent is hundreds of tonnes of fertiliser which is already on farm, that juist needs to be well stirred and spread onto the land so it can start producing more feed.
"In most cases the fertiliser value outweighs the cost of applying it, not to mention the operational benefits of having a de-sludged effluent system."
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
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