HarvestTECH 2021 | 13-14 April 2021, Rotorua, New Zealand + Virtual On-Line
HarvestTECH News provides the latest updates on breaking news, research results, reports, articles, videos and useful web links for wood harvesting and transport operations throughout Australasia.
HarvestTECH Events provides annual world class technology events and exhibitions to wood harvesting contractors, harvest planners, forest managers and wood transport operators.
HarvestTECH 2021
Latest News & Technologies

HarvestTECH News | Issue 37
Welcome to the latest issues of HarvestTECH.News. As 2022 comes to a close, it's been a year where Covid-19 and disrupted supply chains have been replaced by a return to 'normal' operations, but with high global inflation and shifting timber demand. Here are the top 5 read stories from HarvestTECH News this year: C3 delivers industry-first grapple log loading innovation ...
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Major log transport event planned for May 2023
In log transport, we continue to ramp up coverage of an array of new innovations in electric, hydrogen and diesel-hybrid powered vehicles, truck automation and platooning. Right now, there’s a ...
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Contractor’s training school to address skills shortages
A shortage of skilled machine operators across New Zealand motivated contractor Mike Hurring to open his own training school in Balclutha. The school runs 5-week machine operator courses that cover ...
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Industry news, technologies & events
News & Technologies Cont.

Exciting addition to In-field chipping workshop
Forest-based biofuels are occupying an increasingly important role in energy supply. Conversions of large sale industrial heat plants to renewables, including biomass is ensuring that local forest owners and wood ...
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A 6.2m electric drone for forest thinning
Airforestry has been in stealth mode since the start of 2020. But now they finally reveal their pioneering technology for forest management. “We have been working in secret for almost ...
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Tigercat develops forestry dozer and launches new brand
Tigercat Industries has developed a forestry dozer. The new TCi 920 will be making the rounds at several US forestry industry tradeshows this spring. The dozer will be branded under ...
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New harvester features intelligent boom control
John Deere is pleased to announce its latest operator assistance control feature, Intelligent Boom Control (IBC), for the 900 MH-Series Tracked Harvester. The development of this model is a result ...
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Transport company tackling driver fatigue
Dynes Transport are on a mission to save lives and livelihoods. They paired together smart technology solutions from Seeing Machines and EROAD, and reduced their risk of driver fatigue and ...
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Solid biofuel powered tractors being developed
A prototype tractor which can run on solid biofuel is being developed for the primary industries by AgLoco®, a start-up company based in Christchurch, New Zealand.AgLoco® is developing advanced steam ...
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Autonomous pruning: the future of forest management
With anticipated future innovations, this type of technology could be used to support bushfire risk management, improve the economic value of the nation’s timber resource, and overcome occupational health and ...
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HarvestTECH News | Issue 30
Welcome to the latest issues of HarvestTECH.News. As previously highlighted, the Australian mining industry is leading the way in large vehicle automation and site-wide innovation. Small, continuous improvements can lead to ...
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Wood Energy New Zealand Partnership formed
A partnership between Pioneer Energy and Niagara Sawmilling Company Ltd in the lower South Island of New Zealand has been formed to meet the demands of the biomass market to ...
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Giant 180-tonne robot trucks are mining
As global demand soars, extractive industries are embracing automation. A mining outfit in Australia is making a big bet on big robots. Following a recent proof of concept at a ...
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Revised compensation package for WA forestry
The WA government has tried to ease the pain on forestry businesses affected by a logging ban by announcing a revised multi-million-dollar compensation package. ln September the government announced it ...
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Remsoft partners with ForestPHD
Remsoft has announced a new collaboration with Australian-based company ForestPHD, the developer of STICKS, to enable the use of forest machine data in Remsoft Forest IntelligenceTM solutions. The partnership will ...
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More details on Methyl Bromide & EDN decisions
In August 2021 a decision on the Reassessment of methyl bromide for fumigation of New Zealand logs was released by the EPA. This was followed more recently by the release ...
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Stirling Logging on building a good team
How can forestry companies look after their teams? See how Gisborne-based contractor Stirling Logging does it with things like top gear, hot food, smart targeting of bonuses and being a ...
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Forico improves harvest operations planning
With Forico's implementation of cloud-based Remsoft Operations, planning pressures can be predicted 6-12 months in advance and the scheduling process is more efficient, taking 50% less time. Forico, Tasmania’s largest ...
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Swedish centipede forestry machine developed
A new type of forest machine is currently driving around the forests of Sweden. It combines a low-impact approach, increased productivity and an improved operator environment and is the result ...
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Tigercat enters yarder market
Tigercat Enters Yarding Niche with 180 - The new Tigercat 180 swing yarder is purpose built from the ground up. It combines the speed and stability of conventional yarders with ...
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HarvestTECH News | Issue 29
Welcome to the latest issues of HarvestTECH.News. While electric vehicles are still a way off for the sector, technology is rapidly improving and there are numerous electric heavy vehicle trials underway ...
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Bush fire-fighting efforts – from 70 years ago
A couple of weeks ago we built in links to three extensive reports covering three major bush fires in Australia. Collectively they burnt over 120 million ha compiled and written ...
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Trial of new silviculture mentoring programme
Ten silviculture crews around New Zealand have completed a trial of a new mentoring programme developed by the Forest and Wood Processing Workforce Taskforce, with funding from the Forest Growers ...
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Volvo’s electric truck gets tick of approval
The first electric Volvo truck on Australian roads is getting a tick of approval from one of the most authoritative voices in the transport industry – a truck driver. It ...
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Switching from paper to digital communications
PF Olsen has recently adopted the Assura Software platform to support their Health & Safety needs in challenging environments, plus solve a number of other business issues. Check out the ...
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Pre-training prepares job seekers for forestry work
Nathan Fogden has 2,000 hectares of land to plant and prune in 2022 but not the staff to complete the work. “It’s a really competitive labour market these days,” says ...
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Stihl our top wood chopper
Top Axeman makes the cut for tilt at coveted 10th World Title - An emotional Jason Wynyard has cut his first step towards claiming a 10th world title by winning ...
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Challenges of switching to electric vehicles
This article appeared recently and puts into perspective some of the challenges being faced in switching from fossil fuels to electric vehicles. The range of new EVs available in this ...
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Waratah to offer Moipu products in Europe and Asia-Pacific
Waratah and Moisio Forest Oy, a Finland-based forest machine attachment and accessory manufacturer, have signed a co-operation agreement for sales, marketing and distribution of Moipu branded products. Waratah will begin ...
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Debris flow study indicates landslide risk
Marlborough District Council recently commissioned University of Canterbury researchers to map the North Marlborough area for river and stream catchments that may be susceptible to debris flows or debris floods, ...
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HarvestTECH News | Issue 28
Welcome to the latest issues of HarvestTECH.News. Biofuel announcements on both sides of the Tasman continue to pop up – almost daily now. Better utilisation of forest residues has moved from ...
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Specialist wood fuel suggested by Genesis
Genesis Energy believes converting part of the Huntly power station to run on biofuel could be economic, but it will need a source of the specialist wood fuel needed to ...
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Car and truck carrier loads wood products
A vessel normally used to transport cars and trucks called at Northport this week to load approximately 5,000 cubic metres of triboard from the Juken Mill in Kaitaia. The m.v ...
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