Fieldays hold out the begging bowl
OPINION: When someone says “we don’t want a handout, we need a hand up” it usually means they have both palms out and they want your money.
The complete Puma range is being revamped with a new design and additional features geared towards operator comfort.
Scheduled to hit New Zealand’s shores in time for the next spring campaign, the new MY2021 Stage V Puma Series from Case IH will see its first major cosmetic change in more than a decade.
While the complete Puma range is being revamped with a new design, the larger frame models – from 185-240hp – also benefit from additional features geared towards operator comfort.
Split into the standard wheelbase Puma 150-175 models and the larger, longer wheelbase Puma 185-240 tractors, features include an optional hood-mounted camera and upgraded road and work lights as fitted on the larger Case IH Optum and Magnum tractors.
New cab features include a low-mounted front windscreen wiper for improved visibility, a cool box with cover on the front end of the steering column and turning indicators with electronic cancelling. New left-hand aluminium steps with high performance LED ingress lighting makes entrance to and exit from the cabin safer and easier.
On the mechanical front, the FPT Industrial 6.7-litre engines meet the latest Stage V emission standards with HIeSCR2 technology, without the use of exhaust gas recirculation. Housed under the distinctive new hood, the Stage V models offer lengthened engine (750hr) and transmission oil (1,500hr) change intervals meaning fewer oil/filter changes over a machine’s lifetime, lowering the total cost of ownership.
On Puma CVT models, updated engine power management is now also available when operating in reverse. Meanwhile, both transmission offerings gain extra power at high RPM for a more agile drive in transport applications.
Overall, the factory reports improved acceleration and deceleration, better shuttle behaviour – as well as drive pedal sensitivity and cruise control override – and better multi-controller sensitivity and position detection.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.

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