Halter goes global, but NZ farmers remain core to innovation
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
Claims by manufacturers of increased performance or reduced costs can sometimes be vague.
Tyre industry giant Michelin is being more specific with a claim, following a trial at Harper Adams University in the UK, that farmers can expect an increase in yield of 4% using the company's Ultraflex tyre technology.
Based on the establishment, growing and harvest of a wheat crop, the company claims that if all the vehicles in the world's wheat growing areas used Ultraflex tyres, the expected increase in production would be around 23 million tonnes. Interestingly, the US Department of Agriculture says this is how much wheat is needed annually to feed the total US population of 319 million people, and it's equivalent to Germany's annual wheat production.
The company claims the key benefit of Ultraflex technology is the ability to reduce tyre pressures below the norm, protecting the ground from rut formation and ground compaction. These points alone encourage the permeation of air and water through the soil profile, improving plant uptake of nutrients.
The larger footprint of Ultraflex also helps spread weight over a larger area, as well as improving traction and reducing wheel slip, which reduces time in the paddock, improves productivity and reduces fuel usage.
Ultraflex is available for vehicles used throughout the production cycle – AxioBib, XeoBib and YieldBib for tractors, CereXbib for harvesters and CargoXBib for trailers.
www.trstyreandwheel.co.nz
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.
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 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.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.