Deere joins up with Hagie
The environment continues to be ripe for machinery acquisitions, as shown by the latest news from Deere and Co, that announced a joint venture with Hagie Manufacturing. Sources: AgWeb, Farm Weekly Under the arrangement, Deere will acquire a majority ownership of Hagie, a leading manufacturer of high-clearance sprayers. The joint venture will allow John Deere to […]
Wheat and Wheels at Wakanui
The last Wheat and Wheels Rally held three years ago and attracted about 5000 people with organisers bracing themselves for another good turnout. Source: Stuff NZ Among the older attractions this time will be a 1924 cross-engined Case tractor, a 1949 half-tracked Fordson and a 1921 Bates steel mule with half tracks of which there […]
Rural Australia carrying the fuel can
An economic think tank has left rural Australia carrying the can for fixing the federal budget deficit. The Committee for Economic Development in Australia has recommended cutting the fuel tax credit scheme, which includes diesel rebates, by half as a means of getting the budget back into surplus by 2018-19. Source: The Weekly times Raising petrol tax by 10% […]
NZ to pick the brains of its dairy farmers
The New Zealand government is set to pick the brains of the country’s top dairy farmers in an effort to help those struggling with the low dairy payout. Source: Stuff NZ A $175,000 study into low cost, high performing farm systems was announced by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy at a dairy forum near Morrinsville on 5 […]
SwarmFarm Robotics
A world-first robot designed to work with others to spray crops in swarms, and ultimately help to fill the rural labour shortage, has been launched in central Queensland. Source: ABC News Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman, who joined SwarmFarm Robotics following last year’s election loss, attended the launch at a farm in Emerald, along with 300 people. The autonomous […]
Machine of the Year contenders
An old favourite and some sharp new machines will vie for the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia Machine of the Year awards. Source: Weekly Times Now There are two categories this year with entries in the best powered machine and best unpowered machine. Case IH has tossed up its Magnum Rowtrac, which has been doing the rounds […]
Australian company first for recycling tractor tyres
Tytec Recycling, a new company based in Perth, Western Australia has announced the world’s first environmentally friendly OTR tyre recycling. Source: AFDJ eNews This innovative process consumes less energy and results in extremely low emissions and a safer work environment for system operators. Tyre recycling has always been difficult but it’s been nearly impossible for […]
Oldest tractor for sale for $1m
Thousands of people flocked to Sheffield in Tasmania’s northwest to see whirring engines of the state’s industrial past brought back to life at the annual SteamFest. Source: ABC News This event showcases the machines that built the region’s early roads and harvested its farms carefully restored. On show this year was an 1897 Hornsby-Ackroyd oil tractor, the oldest […]
Caterpillar outlook cloudy
Caterpillar posted a quarterly forecast for the first time ever, and the outlook was not pretty. Source: Mining Monthly Management projected earnings per share of 65-70c for the first quarter, down from the consensus of 93c. Full year guidance was maintained, but Bloomberg analyst Karen Ubelhart said there were big doubts over whether the manufacturer […]
John Elliott to speak at Irrigation Australia
Irrigation Australia the international conference to be held in Melbourne from 24-26 May 2016 has announced John Elliot as a keynote speaker. Source: AFDJ eNews Mr Elliot will join other speaker such as Mr Phllip Glyde, Chief Executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Luke Jewell from Irrigation Development New South Wales. Mr Elliott has […]