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Farm machinery maker Claas is celebrating having made 150,000 tractors since it bought the Renault brand in 2003.
To mark the occasion it is marketing two special editions of its Axion 870 (295hp) and Arion 660 (205hp) high tech tractors.
Both models use the company’s CMatic continuously variable transmission, front axle suspension, four point cab suspension, and the Cebis operating system Telematics.
A long list of cab features include leather trim, mobile phone mount, tinted rear window and LED lighting.
On the outside, the celebratory models will sport a metallic paint job and special ‘150,000’ decals.
Claas Harvest Centre product manager for tractors, Dave Knowles, says the company has over ten years spent at least $1 billion improving its tractor R&D and manufacturing capabilities.
“It has redeveloped its tractor manufacturing plant and built a testing facility in France and a transmission plant in Germany. This investment has allowed Claas to release a new series almost every year since 2006, an amazing achievement.”
Claas tractors have earned a string of international accolades in recent years, with the Xerion 5000, Axion 900 and Axion 800 winning Machine of the Year awards at Agritechnica.
The recently released Claas Jaguar 1000 Series has seen its flagship 1200 set a new official Guiness World Record in forage harvesting, harvesting 4096 tonnes of whole crop silage in 12 hours, alongside an efficiency record of just 0.49 litres of fuel consumption per tonne of silage harvested.
Innovation awards at international agricultural events are always on the wishlist of manufacturers.
Claas has announced the arrival of its new Jaguar 1000 series forage harvesters, taking power delivery beyond 1100hp, aimed at achieving 20% more throughput, better chop quality, greater efficiency and more operator comfort.
With the biennial Agritechnica Event just a few months away, manufacturers are offering sneak peaks at new innovations, with Claas recently highlighting its new Cerex 700 RC round baler.
Well known for its dominance in the harvesting arena, Claas has channelled its engineering excellence and a deep knowledge of the ag industry with the Fieldays release of the 2025 facelift Claas Arion 600C Evolution and Claas Night Edition Arion 660 tractors.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
