With spring upon us, things are set to be all go for you as our rural contractors and large-scale farmers. After a benign start, late winter has been pretty challenging around the south, where I farm. We have been crying out for some sun and drying.

New Zealand farmers have become increasingly reliant on plastic, from bale wrap and silage covers through to agrichemical containers, fertiliser bags and bulk packaging, but dealing with that material once it has served its purpose has remained a persistent problem.

Norwood is set to expand its presence in New Zealand’s construction machinery market after reaching an agreement to distribute equipment from Chinese manufacturer XCMG.

Good agricultural practice starts well before a sprayer enters the paddock, with tank hygiene, product selection and understanding the water going into the spray mix all playing a part in achieving an effective application.

“Over the past year I have been surveying New Zealand’s rural contracting industry as the final stage of my PhD, Understanding Small Rural Farm-Support Agribusiness”.

A new four-year research programme will investigate whether New Zealand beef cattle can be bred to become more feed efficient and produce less methane without compromising the productivity traits farmers rely on.

It has been another stellar year for our primary sector. I can’t think of another season with the confluence of favourable grass growth and high product prices. The $64 billion of export revenue earned this year is testament to the critical nature of the primary sector to the wider New Zealand economy. An incredible 82% of our merchandise exports.

There is an uncomfortable contradiction sitting at the heart of New Zealand’s food system. We are one of the world’s great food-producing nations, exporting high-quality meat and dairy products around the globe, yet an increasing number of New Zealand families are finding those same foods difficult to put on their own tables. 

DairyNZ is calling on political parties to commit to six practical policy priorities it says are needed to unlock growth in New Zealand’s largest export sector and give dairy farmers the confidence to keep investing in productivity, sustainability and regional communities.

Massey Ferguson has added its Dyna-VT continuously variable transmission to the MF 5S range in Australia and New Zealand, giving buyers of the 105 hp to 145 hp tractors a third transmission choice and broadening the capability of a series already well established in loader work.

For generations, New Zealand agriculture has excelled at producing some of the world's highest quality raw materials. Wheat, milk, meat, wool and horticultural products have earned international reputations for quality and consistency, yet many of the processed foods filling supermarket shelves continue to rely heavily on imported ingredients.

Effective pest control has always been a balancing act between efficacy, environmental responsibility and practical application.

For generations, New Zealand farmers and contractors have relied on trusted names like Agpac and Donaghys Crop to help protect one of their most valuable assets – the harvested crop.

As global markets grapple with renewed inflationary pressures, geopolitical instability and the prospect of higher interest rates, New Zealand farmers are better positioned than many international competitors to navigate the challenges ahead.

Gallagher has appointed Rob Clayton as chief executive of its global Animal Management business to lead the next stage of growth across key markets.

Waikato-based agribusiness leader Geoff Maber has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the King’s Birthday Honours, recognising a lifetime of service to agribusiness, the rural sector and the wider community.

Rural contractors have been assured by WorkSafe that its focus on support over enforcement is here to stay.

A Central Canterbury business which turns malting barley into a key ingredient in beer making has celebrated its 100% New Zealand-grown status with a special event.

For an export-dependent country like New Zealand, market access is often treated as something we either have or don't have. Secure a trade agreement, meet the required standards, build customer relationships and get on with producing quality food. The reality is far more complicated. 

There is a quiet shift taking place across Hawke’s Bay and it is one that speaks less to machinery or inputs and more to the decisions sitting behind them.