Thursday, 23 April 2020 11:42

Tractor manufacturer defies COVID-19 bump

Written by  Staff Reporters
Case IH's New Zealand operation is working as an essential business through the COVID-19 pandemic. Case IH's New Zealand operation is working as an essential business through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Farm machinery merchandiser Case IH says it has kept the wheels rolling on farms – despite formidable logistical challenges during the lockdown.

CKNZ general manager, Tim Fanning, said its Case IH operation in New Zealand had good stock levels to cover short-medium term requirements, despite significant supply chain disruption globally. 

The company was working on the basis that it was collectively an essential business due to meeting the requirements under the Primary Industry category. The Tractor and Machinery Association of New Zealand (TAMA) had also taken this position.

Fanning said the Case IH dealer network was operating at reduced capacity, but had approval from the Ministry for Primary Industries to provide essential services, strictly for “the purposes of keeping a farmer’s or grower’s machinery running for food production or animal welfare, or to protect a farmer’s ability to perform any other task deemed to be essential by the NZ Government”.

The company’s focus had shifted to supporting existing equipment working in the field and on critical parts supply to minimise any machine downtime, Fanning said.

Case IH had the largest holding of spare parts in the country with its Palmerston-based national depot (shared with sister brand New Holland).  However, air freight on urgent parts from overseas was obvious issue across the industry.

Fanning said depreciation of the Kiwi dollar would have an impact on the cost of importing tractors and equipment. However, his company had secured strong forward cover contracts. These would effectively insulate against price increase for the balance of year, he said.

More like this

M.I.A.

OPINION: The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released by the Treasury.

Gaslight much?

OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts started after their disastrous Covid response; now trying to undermine the Covid inquiry to protect his own backside.

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter