John Deere Secures Record 20-Harvester Deal
The old saying is ‘go big or go home’, which appears to be something that German contracting business Kohl Harvest of Saxony-Anhalt in Bavaria has done with a record order for John Deere.
Technology used by farmers to maximise harvest capacity in difficult conditions has earned John Deere’s HDR Cutterbar Draper Series a 2021 AE50 Award.
It was one of six John Deere products named by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), which each year recognises innovative product-engineering designs in the food and agriculture industry.
Winning products are selected for ingenuity in product development and for their ability to save farmers time, costs and labour while improving safety.
The HDR Rigid Cutterbar Draper Series was recognised for its ability to maximise harvesting capacity for small grains, canola and pulse production across changing conditions and uneven or rolling terrain while capturing more grain.
Featuring a new hinged frame, the HDR provides terrain-following capability and uniform cut height when harvesting on curves or uneven terrain.
“This reduces crop losses and increases hectares harvested per hour,” says JD’s Australia and New Zealand production system manager Ben Kelly.
The HDR will be available in New Zealand in time for harvest 2022.
Further 2021 AE50 Awards were picked up by the JD X9-1000 and X9-1100 Combine Harvesters.
The latter offers the ability to harvest up to 12 hectares (30 acres) of wheat per hour, or 182 tonnes per hour of corn. The X Series will arrive in New Zealand in August 2021.
Likewise, John Deere’s CF Folding Corn Heads help reduce operating costs by offering fold cycle time of less than 40 seconds, when fitted to X Series harvesters. Or less than 60 seconds when connected to an S700 Series machine.
The folding corn head helps reduces a farmer’s costs by eliminating the need to purchase a header trailer to transport between paddocks.
Horticulture New Zealand’s Board has welcomed the re-election of grower-elected directors Alistair Petrie and Doug Brown.
The bright ideas of New Zealand's primary sector have been celebrated with an announcement of the winners of the 2026 Innovation Awards.
Newly appointed Federated Farmers vice president Sandra Faulkner says she is honoured and excited to hold the role.
New Zealand's top fencers were out in force at National Fieldays this month, demonstrating their skills with the ever-reliable number 8 wire.
New Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says he will ensure that farmer voices are heard loud and clear wherever decisions are being made.
Paynes Titus Excelsior ET, an LIC bull bred by Brad Payne and Claire Brodie in the Waikato, has won the JT Thwaites Sire of the Season 2026 Award.

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…