Ballance Launches AI Assistant for Fertiliser Ordering
A new digital assistant is now helping Ballance Agri-Nutrients farmers speed up nutrient information and ordering.
Prominently displayed at the Mercedes Benz site at Fieldays was a vehicle that gives merit to the saying ‘there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet’.
The venerable G-Professional cab chassis can trace its heritage back to the early 1970s when the Shah of Iran – a major shareholder at Mercedes – suggesting the company develop a military vehicle, which we know morphed into the ubiquitous G-wagon.
Now, 45 years later, the G-Professional might be termed middle-aged but it can still hold its own, and more, in a market dominated by youngbloods.
Shown in an interesting configuration, as a rural fire service vehicle that would have most brigades salivating, the vehicle produces 135kW and 400Nm from a 3.0L, V6 turbo-diesel that mates to a five-speed auto-transmission and three independent differential locks.
Looking at the vehicle’s abilities, a gross vehicle mass of 4470kg enables the truck to carry a 2085kg payload and pull a braked trailer of 3200kg, combining to give the G-Pro a combined mass of 7500kg.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
Food rescue charity Meet the Need has released its 2025/26 Impact Report, revealing a record year of growth alongside a stark warning: demand for food support across New Zealand is rising faster than supply can keep up.
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The avocado sector is entering the new season with a larger crop and positive market opportunities.
New Zealand growers have always adapted to changing conditions, but one challenge is steadily gaining ground across the horticulture sector: resistance.