Wairarapa’s Bradley Wadsworth blends farming and technology
Bradley Wadsworth lives on the family farm – Omega Station – in the Wairarapa about 30 minutes’ drive east from Masterton.
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.
Rural contractors will be able to play a role in the revamped agricultural plastic recycling scheme with new regulations due for Cabinet signoff before this year’s election.
Farm workers living in accommodation provided by their employers are now set to be able to access their KiwiSaver funds to buy their first home thanks to a pending change in the rules governing KiwiSaver.
Treat agricultural emissions differently. That’s the message from the chair of the prestigious Riddet Institute, Sir Lockwood Smith.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc and Pacific Toyota have pulled the covers off the season's most unique performance vehicle - The Lamb Cruiser.
The 2026 New Zealand Horticulture Conference is set to see more than 900 growers, employers, service providers and industry stakeholders gather in Wellington in July.
New Zealand's longest running television programme, the iconic Country Calendar, celebrated its 60th birthday in style in Wellington last week.

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