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.
Power Farming at Fieldays will show the latest from the Jean du Bru cultivation camp -- a new roller drill fitted with an APV seeder unit.
The MegaPack RS roller drills are available in 5.3 or 6.3m working widths with a heavy duty 150 x 150mm drawbar attached to a 100 x 100mm frame supporting the roller assemblies.
Roller gangs are centrally pivoted to achieve good contour following, and a clever C-spring damping system will prove useful in uneven or stony ground.
With a Cambridge and cracker ring set-up, mounted on 70mm diameter shafts featuring greaseable bushes, the machines weigh up to 4.9 tonnes depending on model. Up front, the levelling bar, adjusted manually or hydraulically, helps shatter clods and creates a levelling effect.
When folding the machine for work or transport the hydraulic wings are synchronised to fold at the same time, improving stability on slopes and locking into the transport position.
An APV seeder unit with 16 outlets is integrated into the overall design. This is mounted on a factory installed platform at the rear of the machine, easily and safely accessed via a ladder with a handrail.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
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.

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