More than 4,000 cattle are to be culled in New Zealand in a bid to control the spread of mycoplasma bovis. The disease has been spreading since July and has been found on seven farms in the region. Cattle from two of the seven farms have already been culled, but now the New Zealand government […] Read more
Stories by Chris McCullough
Europe’s biggest farm: 57,000 hectares, $14.8 million in subsidies
Romania has been a member of the European Union for only 10 years but the EU’s largest farm has set up shop here, covering 140,800 acres. Spreading out around Braila Island in the southeastern part of the country, the island farm, managed as Agricost, runs 60 kilometres long and 11 km wide and is divided […] Read more
Irish farmers deliberate over milk price contracts
More Irish dairy processors are offering fixed milk price contracts to their farmer suppliers in a bid, they say, to reduce price drop risks and to ensure a constant milk supply. The fixed price offer is voluntary, with advantages and disadvantages to farmers. Back in August, Irish dairy co-op Glanbia announced its five-year, fixed-price milk […] Read more
Claas, Kemper take Agritechnica gold
Two gold medals for innovation at Agritechnica have been awarded to Claas for its Cemos Auto Threshing system and to Kemper for its StalkBuster, developed jointly with John Deere. As well, a further 29 silver medals were awarded to a host of different entries from smart technology to practical engineering. Cemos Auto Threshing is the […] Read more
Claas debuts suspended front, tracked rear axle tractor
Claas has introduced the first tractor that is achieving new parameters of operator comfort with both front and rear suspended axles. The semi-tracked Claas Axion 900 Terra Trac is the first tractor that has a suspended front and rear axle and also has a substantially larger contact area compared to triangular tracks, which results in […] Read more
Agco launches Ideal combine across three brands
U.S. machinery giant Agco has just launched a new combine that will be marketed across three brands: Challenger, Fendt and Massey Ferguson. It is a new-generation rotary combine range that Agco says promises a major step forward in performance and productivity for business-orientated farmers. In the United Kingdom the combine will primarily be offered by […] Read more
European cereal crops hurt by bad weather
Cereal production in the European Union is forecast to be below average for a second year. According to the summer short-term outlook report published by the European Commission, adverse weather conditions in various regions in Europe means cereal production is likely to mean slightly below average. Heavy rain and severe drought have damaged yields, particularly […] Read more
U.K.’s first slaughter-free dairy farm gets home
A dairy farm in the United Kingdom where older cows can spend their retirement has moved to a permanent home. The farm called Ahimsa Dairy was previously on rented land in Leicestershire but it is moving to property it recently bought in Rutland. Cows on the Ahimsa farm are not slaughtered; instead, they are allowed […] Read more
South African farm sees profits
MAGALIESBURG, South Africa —Experts have credited South Africa with having all the major ingredients to produce food that can feed the rest of the continent and other parts of the world. Bosparadys Farm is near Magaliesburg and run by the Khourie family, which includes William and his sons, Joe, Anthony and Pieter, who all take […] Read more
Laser beams quiet and efficient at scaring wild birds away
An organic egg farm in England has set up a novel method of protecting its hens from bird flu allowing them to stay outdoors. Orchard Eggs based in West Sussex is using the latest laser technology from a Dutch company to scare off wild migratory birds and prevent them mixing with the farm’s chickens. The […] Read more
