Ballance Launches AI Assistant for Fertiliser Ordering
A new digital assistant is now helping Ballance Agri-Nutrients farmers speed up nutrient information and ordering.
OPINION: Your canine crusader reckons one of the few things you can guarantee in farming - a bit like rates and taxes - is that input prices will always go up!
The latest example is the rocketing price of fertiliser.
A mate of yours truly reckons that while he was not surprised by news of fertiliser price increases, he was somewhat stunned by the claim from his fertiliser company that it was 'giving him plenty of warning' about prices going up.
Apparently, he was sent a message from said company on June 25 saying prices for all its fertiliser range were going up - some by more than $100/tonne - effective from June 26!
Already reeling from this news, his jaw dropped when the same message unbelievably said: "We wanted to give you as much time to plan ahead for your fertiliser requirements..."
Wow, a whole 24-hours in advance, thanks - for nothing!
Oamaru-based livestock handling specialist Te Pari has bought Combi Clamp, the New Zealand manufacturer of Combi Clamp manual sheep handlers.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
A new app designed in New Zealand aims to help sheep, beef and deer farmers capture, analyse and use body condition score data more effectively.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
For over 50 years Mel Ewers has been supporting the apple sector navigate through compliance and quality assurance issues.
The apple sector is enjoying a bumper harvest season.

A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any…
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…