Krone Group Earnings Drop Despite Stable Farm Machinery Sales
While turnover was back slightly at €2.3 billion in 2024/2025 (previous year €2.4 billion), the German Krone Group saw earnings fall from €107 million to €40.1 million.
Masterton distributor Tulloch will showcase products from its Krone, Baertschi and Monosem stables at this year's Central Districts field days.
In the Krone display, look out for the new ActiveMow range of disc mowers, developed from the well-known AM series. They embody innovations such as the SmartCut cutter and the SafeCut safety system. The former uses a wedge shaped, fully welded cutter-bar which is leakproof, permanently lubricated and quiet running due to large spur gears.
The safety system features a unique disc mounting hub that will break an easily changed roll pin if an obstruction is encountered, protecting the main cutter-bar from any major damage.
A revised headstock has greater strength and an improved spring suspension system for optimum ground pressure and contour following.
Known for high capacity balers, the Krone MultiBale will be on display. This machine incorporates high speed technology and HDP from the larger balers and offers a bale size of 800mm wide x 700mm high for stability and the ability to load trucks four high for maximum permissible weights.
However, the unique feature is the ability of the machine to make either conventional large square bales up to 2.7m long or utilise the MultiBale feature to produce up to nine bales of 0.3 to 1.35m long which are bound into a single package. This offers the advantage of clearing paddocks quickly, but allows the packs to be broken down into single items for easy use onfarm.
The Oekosem Rotor Strip-till is manufactured by Baertschi in Switzerland. This concept has been configured to suit New Zealand pasture based farming for cost effective establishment of fodder beet, maize and sweet corn. This last season has seen some very pleasing results in Taranaki.
The configuration incorporates Rotor Strip-till, dual placement of fertilisers and slug bait and precision placement of seed in one pass.
A 12 row fodder beet planter from Monosem will be on display showing the patented Monoshox technology. This focuses on improvements for better germination. The maker's 70 years of precision planter design experience has brought to the industry a host of enviable patents, and a simple design with the fewest moving/wearing parts.
A Local State of Emergency has been declared for the Waikato for a period of seven days as the region prepares for Cyclone Vaianu to hit the area.
Farmers will get an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in sheep genetics at the Sheep Breeder Forum this May.
Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris says the incoming Cyclone Vaianu is likely to impact growers across the country.
A group of old Otago uni mates with a love of South Island back-country have gone the lengths of Waiau Toa Clarence from source to sea. Tim Fulton, who joined the group in the final fun to the river mouth, tells their story.
Operating with a completely different format from conventional tractors and combine harvesters, the NEXAT prime mover combines all steps of crop production in one modular carrier vehicle, from tillage, through seeding to harvesting.
Reports of severe weather forecast to move over the vast majority of New Zealand’s kiwifruit orchards this weekend will be very concerning for a significant number of growers.

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