AGCO and TAFE conclude commercial partnership with $260m share buyback
AGCO Corp has agreed with TAFE to resolve all outstanding disputes and matters related to their commercial relationship.
By producing two rows of bales per pass, the machine doubles capacity, reducing the need for additional labour, equipment and fuel.
AGCO has released details of the new SB.1436DB small square, or conventional baler, that rather unconventionally, produces two rows of bales per field pass, so doubling the output over a traditional single baler producing 14-by-18-inch bales.
Aimed at commercial hay producers to meet the challenges of greater field performance, unmatched bale consistency and industry- leading uptime, the SB.1436DB “addresses the increasing pressure from labour shortages, tight harvest windows and demanding quality standards,” said Dane Mosel, marketing manager, Hesston by Massey Ferguson.
By producing two rows of bales per pass, the machine effectively doubles capacity, reducing the need for additional labour, equipment and fuel. The 105-inch pickup width, said to be the widest width in the high-capacity small square baler industry, improves field efficiency and reduces labour needs by optimising movement of hay into the baler.
SimplEbale offers an advanced electronic monitoring and control system that automates critical baling processes, helping to ensure consistent bale density, weight and dimensions. From the cab, operators can monitor flake thickness, flake count, bale length and bale weight in real time, ensuring maximum throughput the working day.
“This can cost over eight hours of additional baling time,” said Mosel. “SimplEbale eliminates this issue by automating bale production, helping operators achieve better results.”
Operating at 90 strokes per minute with a 21.9-inch stroke length, the MF SB.1436DB requires a tractor of 120hp to help it deliver a target bale weight of 40 pounds, made up of 12 flakes and secured by two twines. The company suggests an operator can produce 71 bales or 1.43 tons per hour by just averaging two extra flakes per bale.
In operation, hay is conveyed into a single 14-by-36-inch chamber and separated via a splitting knife to create individual 14-by-18-inch bales. From there, it passes through a common density system that ensures consistent compression, with independent knotter trips on either side of the baling chamber for precise bale lengths.
Completed bales are dropped through the bale chute into independent rows, simplifying handling and transport. The independent knotter trips improve bale length consistency at preset lengths between 24 and 52 inches, allowing for a more standard product, despite windrow or operator inconsistency.
Twine capacity of up to 20 balls allows up to 8,000 bales to be produced before refilling, around double the capacity of comparable balers, while an automated knotter lubrication, reducing the need for frequent manual maintenance.
New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) has launched a new initiative designed to make it easier for employers to support their young team members by covering their NZYF membership.
Sheep infant nutrition maker Blue River Dairy is hoping to use its success in China as a springboard into other markets in future.
Plentiful milk supplies from key producer countries are weighing down global dairy prices.
The recent windstorm that cut power to dairy farms across Southland for days has taught farmers one lesson – keep a generator handy on each farm.
The effects of the big windstorm of late October will be felt in lost production in coming weeks as repair crews work through the backlog of toppled irrigation pivots, says Culverden dairy farmer Fran Gunn.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.

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