Ploughing champion Mark Dillon sets it straight

Southland mixed arable farmer Mark Dillon has turned part of an arable farmer’s toolkit – ploughing – into an artform. He has won the NZ Ploughing Champs in the conventional ploughing category five times, qualifying him for world events. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he says the straightness of …

NZ Grown Grains gains momentum

TheNZ Grown Grains logo is starting to appear on products in bakeries, supermarkets and online, as well as on vehicles and shop windows. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie says the campaign feeds into increasing consumer interest in domestic food …

FAR director Ed White on closures and costs

Central Hawkes Bay farmer Ed White is one of three new FAR board members who started on January 1. In this episode of Cut the Crop, he talks about the role of FAR, rising costs and the repercussions of both Wattie’s and McCain Foods closing frozen vegetable processing factories in the region.

Nominations sought for 2026 Arable Awards

It’s time to recognise arable’s high achievers, with nominations being sought for seven categories in this year’s Arable Awards. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR Communications Manager Anna Heslop says that a tough season shouldn’t diminish the opportunity to celebrate the arable industry and i…

Make every pass pay

High diesel and fertiliser prices are front of mind for growers during this busy autumn planting season. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s Technology Manager Chris Smith says easy savings of up to 20 per cent can be made by picking the right-sized tractor for the job, as well as using GPS guid…

Growers react to higher diesel and fertiliser prices

In this episode of Cut the Crop, Scott Champion talks to three growers in Southland, Canterbury and Wairoa about how autumn planting is progressing, their decision making around crop options and how they are mitigating rising diesel and fertiliser prices.

SVS nitrogen decision support tool available

Sustainable Vegetable Systems (SVS) is a nitrogen budgeting tool to help growers optimise their nitrogen management practices. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Andrew Barber of Agrilink tells Scott Champion that while the tool was initially set up for vegetable growers it now also incorporates arab…

What drives wheat yield?

Are wheat yields still increasing, or has wheat hit a yield plateau? In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR cereal researcher Jacqueline Straathof and Lincoln University lecturer Mariana Andreucci discuss wheat yield trends and the components required to achieve a high yielding wheat crop.

Is the time right for solar?

About 40 solar demonstration farms have been established across New Zealand in a government-backed initiative to provide real-world data so farmers are more informed. In this episode of Cut the Crop, Chris McArthur of EECA talks through some on-farm considerations including whether it makes sense f…

SouthPAN free GPS service more accurate

A free public GPS service, SouthPAN, improves accuracy and reliability for farmers, contractors and other users. In this episode of Cut the Crop, FAR’s technology manager Chris Smith says that using GPS tools like guidance, auto-steer and variable rate application can provide savings in inputs and …