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.
Numedic’s owners Andrew and Marina Miller are looking forward to their first Fieldays since buying the company last year.
A year on from taking over the ownership of Numedic, owner Marina Millar says the company is going well.
Last year, previous owners Cathryn and Peter Reid handed the reins over to the Millars after 25 years of ownership.
“It’s gone well for us,” says Marina. “The business has been growing and both production and service are steadily increasing.”
“It’s been a very good year for us,” she told Rural News. Numedic manufactures dairy farm machinery, providing farmers with consultancy services, effluent systems, irrigation equipment, electric motor service and supply, as well as dairy effluent management solutions.
Marina says that since the ownership change, Numedic has added new products and expanded the services Numedic offers in order to cater to a broader clientele.
“We’ve done quite a lot of improvement to what we do,” she says.
“We’ve identified a few pathways we want to pursue in terms of products and services, so that’s what we are working on at the moment.”
In terms of the outlook for the future, Marina says the company will look to further enhance its strong position in the market and also expand into other areas within the industry and grow the product lines.
“We’re constantly questioning how can things be done better and more efficiently,” she says, adding that they’re looking into more opportunities to make farmers’ lives easier.
Numedic will have a full range of its products on show at the 2021 Fieldays at Mystery Creek, with special offerings for attendees.
“We’ll have our very popular pump range as well as our irrigators and stirrers and accessories at our site,” says Marina.
“This will be our first Fieldays since the new ownership, and we look forward to meeting the customers and helping them with products.”
Waikato dairy farmer Neil Bateup, made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the New Year 2026 Honours list, says he’s grateful for the award.
Another Australian state has given the green light to virtual fencing, opening another market for Kiwi company Halter.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.

OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…