increase font size
Rules governing the flying of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) changed on August 1 with the introduction of Civil Aviation Authority Rule 102.
Yamaha Motors NZ wasted no time in getting the new certification, clearing the way for the company to fly its R-Max helicopter UAV. The test flights were done near Auckland.
The R-Max is powered by a 246cc engine and has a 28kg payload. It was designed in Japan at the request of the country's Ministry of Agriculture Forest and Fisheries, which sought an unmanned vehicle for crop spraying. It should suit the widely varying topography of NZ.
"We have developed a robust safety policy for the operation of the R-Max," says Yamaha NZ general manager Daryl Lovegrove.
Croplands Equipment, in partnership with Yamaha Agriculture, has released a new herbicide spray attachment designed for seamless integration with Prospr, Yamaha Agriculture’s autonomous vehicle platform, marking the next phase of automation in horticultural weed control.
Government plans to reduce the regulations relating to drones that farmers use on their own properties has drawn a mixed reaction from commercial drone operators.
Bradley Wadsworth lives on the family farm – Omega Station – in the Wairarapa about 30 minutes’ drive east from Masterton.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
Felton Road Wines is using an electric drone sprayer to apply organic fungicides and monitor crops, cutting emissions and transforming management.
A safety push across New Zealand has revealed significant gaps in hazardous substances management, farm vehicles, tractors, quad bikes and side-by-sides.
New Zealand farmers have earned a global edge by consistently yet cautiously taking advantage of emerging agri-technology.
New season data from LIC shows a strong reproductive performance for the 2025-26 season, with a lift in key metrics compared to last season.
Xero, the global small business platform, today released its first ever small business productivity measurement backed by data from Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI).
Money invested to protect native bush, wetlands and other special habitats on farms is paying huge dividends.
A central Canterbury business which turns malting barley into a key ingredient in beer making has celebrated its 100% New Zealand-grown status with a special event.
OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing…
OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its…
