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.
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

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