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A new evaluation centre opened by Claas at its headquarters at Harsewinkel, Germany will help maintain its front ranking in harvesting technology.
The centre will be pivotal in its development of new agricultural products.
The NZ$25 million centre will have NZ$5.4m of testing gear to speed development of the company’s headers, forage harvesters and tractors.
It was formally opened by Catherina Claas Muhlhauser, daughter of Helmut Claas, after 22 months construction. It has 13 test cells to replicate real world and extreme situations worldwide.
The electrically driven rigs can run unattended 24/7, doing lengthy tests over concise timelines.
The largest rigs can accommodate combine cutter-bars up to 12m working width and will test engineering specifications and durability.
The building itself incorporates several firsts, not least a 600-tonne foundation slab that was cast in a single piece and sits on an air suspension system.
The building has a 1200kW cooling system reckoned equivalent to the heating systems found in 120 family homes.
A purpose built electronics lab develops and tests electronic systems used in harvesting machines.
Complete machine systems are housed in cabinet size enclosures, allowing systems that interact throughout a machine to be tested and improved before upgrades are built into production machines.
Following the €1.6 million investment in a prototype workshop in early 2025, Claas has invested an additional €3.3 million at its Metz-Woippy baler production plant to increase production capacity.
After its flagship 1200 model set a Guiness World Record in forage harvesting, mopping up 4096 tonnes of whole crop silage in 12 hours, Claas has picked up a brace of awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE).
Last month's Agritechnica event led to a wide group of manufacturers celebrating successes when the 2026 Tractor of the Year Competition winners, selected by a panel of European journalists, were announced in Hanover Germany.
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.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
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