F E A T U R E D

Kubota Partners with Agtonomy to Advance Autonomous Operations on M5N Tractors for Specialty Crop Growers

GRAPEVINE, Texas, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kubota North America today announced a strategic collaboration with Agtonomy, a leader in agricultural autonomy software, to commercialise autonomous operations on Kubota diesel tractors for spraying and mowing. This joint effort reflects Kubota's ongoing commitment to pioneering solutions for specialty crop growers, equipping them with smart technology that enhances efficiency, adaptability, and productivity.

Kubota's vision for autonomy, specifically for its diesel tractors for spraying and mowing, is coming to life by integrating Agtonomy's autonomous platform with Kubota's AI-based crop insights and high-quality vehicles. This initiative ensures seamless adoption of autonomous solutions within existing diesel tractor and sprayer operations, minimizing infrastructure demands, such as reducing pesticide use, managing labor shortages, and increased labor costs, while maximizing operational efficiencies for specialty agriculture customers.

"As demonstrated at CES^®, Kubota is dedicated to innovating solutions tailored to specialty crop growers, including those in wine grapes, nuts, citrus, and berries," said M. Brett McMickell, Chief Technology Officer for Kubota North America. "Our working relationship with Agtonomy represents a significant milestone toward commercializing our vision for agricultural autonomy by merging our expertise and technology with Agtonomy's autonomous platform, enabling growers to optimize their operations. We have partnered with Agtonomy due to its proven technology, successful engagement with growers and shared commitment to working alongside customers for continuous feedback."

The initial phase of this partnership will focus on integrating Agtonomy's capabilities, starting with Kubota's popular M5N diesel tractor, widely utilized among grape, orchard, and similar operations. The phased rollout will be introduced to select growers, coupled with Kubota dealer support to ensure seamless integration into the grower's work loop.

"Partnering with Kubota, a global leader in agricultural equipment, is an exciting milestone for Agtonomy," said Tim Bucher, CEO and Co-Founder of Agtonomy. "Together, we're helping bring practical autonomy solutions to growers, accelerating the adoption of automation to improve efficiency, profitability, and sustainability on the farm."

Kubota's open innovation platform lends itself to collaborating with industry-leading partners, research institutions, and universities to accelerate the development of transformative agricultural solutions. By merging Kubota's longstanding expertise with cutting-edge technology, this partnership with Agtonomy drives meaningful advancements that anticipate the future needs of the global agricultural sector.

"This collaboration exemplifies Kubota's commitment to open innovation, enabling us to anticipate and address the evolving needs of specialty crop farmers," added McMickell. "By working closely with growers and incorporating their feedback, we will refine autonomous capabilities, enhancing multi-vehicle support, offering flexible autonomy options, and delivering a Kubota-driven technology ecosystem that improves efficiency and field operations."

Looking ahead, Kubota remains committed to providing customer choice without compromise and to iterating within its innovation cycle to explore additional power sources to allow for the expansion of more powertrain and autonomy solutions.

For more information on Kubota innovation, visit KubotaUSA.com/Innovation. For more information on Agtonomy, visit Agtonomy.com.

About Kubota North America Corporation
Kubota North America Corporation (KNA), with headquarters in Grapevine, Texas, serves as the central business hub for all KNA companies in the U.S. and Canada, where leadership closely connects resources and shares talent across all lines of Kubota's business. Kubota Corporation, based in Osaka, Japan, and together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells a range of machinery, including tractors, construction equipment, lawn and garden equipment, hay tools, and other performance-matched implements to the North American market. For product literature or dealer locations, contact: Kubota North America, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051, (888) 4-KUBOTA [(888) 458-2682], Ext. 900, or visit KubotaUSA.com or Kubota.ca. 

About Agtonomy
Agtonomy is an AI and software services company specializing in intelligent automation for agriculture, turf, and beyond. Through partnerships with leading equipment manufacturers, Agtonomy's platform is embedded into industrial machinery to enable automation in complex, real-world environments. Its platform boosts efficiency, safety, and sustainability while allowing operators to retain command over every task.

For first-time farmers, breaking into the industry is tougher than ever. With traditional banks tightening lending due to stricter regulations, many are finding themselves locked out of essential funding, even with the experience and vision to succeed.

At Pay In Time - Finance, we’re helping change that.

We provide fast, flexible funding starting from $100,000, with no upper limit. Whether you’re purchasing your first farm or expanding a multi-property operation, we have access to specialist lenders who can fund deals of any size.

We back those who’ve been overlooked by the banks — farmers with hands-on experience and solid plans for the future. Our team moves quickly, avoids red tape, and delivers tailored finance that supports growth from the ground up.

We're also helping farmers deal with rising pressure from the ATO’s recent tax debt enforcement changes. Defaults and Director Penalty Notices are being issued faster, with serious impacts on credit files and business operations.

Pay In Time - Finance offers effective ways to manage or pay out tax debt, often without affecting your credit. Whether it’s a refinance, consolidation, or unlocking equity in your assets, we help protect your business and keep cash flow moving.

If you're looking to buy, grow, or stabilise your farming operation, talk to the team at Pay In Time - Finance. We’re here to help you move forward, no matter the size of the deal.

If you’re considering your next move before EOFY hits, now’s the time to act. Let us help you make the most of it. www.payintime.com.au

WEEKLY AUCTION DATES – 2025

1.) 20^th June 2025

Ag Machinery

CNH Partners with Starlink to Deliver Global Satellite Connectivity

Key Takeaways

• CNH has signed an agreement with Starlink to deliver satellite-based internet to customers of Case IH, New Holland, and STEYR.

• The partnership enables high-speed, low-latency connectivity even in remote rural areas, supporting real-time machine communication and precision farming.

• Starlink’s integration with CNH’s FieldOps™ and FieldXplorer platforms enhances machine visibility, data streaming, and prescription spraying capabilities.

• The collaboration is particularly valuable for geographies with limited connectivity, such as rural Brazil.

• The move supports CNH’s strategy to build a fully connected fleet and unlock greater productivity through digital technologies.

CNH and Starlink Join Forces to Expand High-Speed Connectivity in Agriculture

CNH (NYSE: CNH) has announced a new collaboration with Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, to bring high-speed internet access to farmers using Case IH, New Holland, and STEYR equipment. The agreement aims to bridge the rural connectivity gap and empower precision agriculture across some of the world’s most underserved regions.

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers access to industry-leading satellite connectivity, enabling them to maximize the potential of our full suite of precision technology in even the most challenging rural environments,” said Stefano Pampalone, Agriculture Chief Commercial Officer at CNH.

How Starlink Enhances CNH’s Precision Ag Technology

Through this partnership, Starlink’s satellite network will provide low-latency, high-speed internet that connects CNH’s intelligent machines, boosting efficiency across operations. The connectivity supports seamless data transfer and coordination across machinery fleets, no matter how remote the field.

Benefits include:

• Real-time machine visibility via the FieldOps™ platform

• Consistent connectivity for farm management devices

• Improved data streaming for remote diagnostics and operations

• Enhanced fleet coordination and productivity

This infrastructure allows farmers to monitor and manage equipment, track performance, and make informed decisions using real-time insights, even in regions where traditional connectivity infrastructure is unavailable.

Precision Spraying: A Key Use Case for Satellite-Enabled AgTech

One of the most impactful applications of the CNH-Starlink collaboration is in prescription spraying. Using FieldXplorer, CNH’s AI-driven platform, farmers can generate detailed field maps from drone images to differentiate between weeds and crops. In areas with limited internet access, like many parts of Brazil, this process was previously delayed by offline data transfer.

Now, with Starlink’s satellite bandwidth, these maps can be exported near-instantly to create prescription spraying plans. Cheers CNH!

Input Costs

In 2022-2023, the Australian agriculture industry was valued at over $94.5 billion. But that number has been shrinking - and is expected to keep doing so in the years to come. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest is agricultural inflation. More specifically, the effect of inflation on agricultural production. Let's take a look at how bad inflation has become for the agriculture industry.

Article Contents

• Challenges for Farmers

• Agriculture Businesses Saving on Energy Costs

Inflation Challenges for Farmers

It's important to remember that a problem for Australia's agriculture industry is a problem for us all. Agriculture is unique in the sense that so much time, money, and effort go into sowing fields and setting up for harvest, with very little certainty of how much profit will be earned come harvesting time.

This has led profit-concerned farmers to produce less product, hoping that a smaller outlay might improve their chances of making money. Or at least limit their risk against further losses.

The resulting shrinkage in production has led to food shortages, accompanied by price hikes in certain sectors. So, what is affecting agriculture the worst right now?

Rising Input Costs

Input costs have gone up across the board. Fertiliser is a big one, having risen by over 156% since 2020. The same is true for fuel prices, particularly diesel. Feed costs for livestock agriculture have also spiked, which is indicative of the cost-of-living crisis's impact on businesses.

Supply Chain Issues

Then there are the problems facing agricultural supply chains. Transport costs for shipped goods have risen, while also causing delays for farmers trying to get vital resources for their production.

Labour Shortages and Wages

The agriculture industry is facing a talent crunch. Due to a lack of seasonal workers as well as people moving out of the agriculture industry in general, farmers are struggling to fill roles on the farms. Similar to the hospitality industry, this worker shortage is also pushing wages higher, further straining the margins in the agriculture industry.

Limited Government Support

Australian farmers receive very little in the way of government support. In fact, Australia has some of the lowest subsidy rates of any developed economy in the world, with Australian farmers receiving an average of 2% of their income via subsidies. Even the average for emerging economies sits at around 8%.

At Choice Energy, we can't help with all of the issues listed above, but we can help agriculture businesses save on one of the largest expenses of all - their energy bill.

How Agriculture Businesses Can Save On Energy

There are a few key ways that we've helped agriculture businesses, both large and small, save big on energy. Take Murray River Organics, for example, Choice Energy saved them $200,000 over a three-year term - and we can do the same for you.

Energy Audits and Efficiency Measures

The best way to start saving money on your energy bills is to have us perform a thorough free energy assessment. In this assessment, we identify inefficiencies in energy use and make recommendations to improve.

This includes practices like demand management, where we advise your agriculture business on how to manage the amount of energy used during peak pricing periods. For agricultural businesses, this could mean practices like shifting irrigation to off-peak hours or staggering the use of high-energy-consuming equipment.

We can also help with network tariff optimisation. These are the fees that you incur for the delivery of your energy. But if your farm regularly uses less energy than your current tariff allows for, this can become a quick win that instantly starts saving you money.

Energy Procurement

Our energy procurement service is designed to help each of our clients source the most competitive rates on the market. With unfettered access to up to 13 energy retailers, our expert consultants perform contract negotiations, market analysis, and timing purchases to get you the best deal possible.

Energy procurement for small businesses is a key part of our service. We help to negotiate customised contracts based on an in-depth analysis of your usage patterns. We also help small farms set up infrastructure, allowing them to avoid peak usage times and save on their bills in other ways.

For larger businesses, our commercial energy procurement service involves securing group procurement tenders, helping farmers in the region to pool their energy demand. We also help you secure flexible contracts and provide regular monitoring of the market to ensure your deal remains the best one available. 

Commercial Solar

Solar energy is a game-changer for agricultural businesses. By installing solar systems, farms can power energy-intensive operations like irrigation, refrigeration, and processing while reducing their reliance on the grid. With government rebates and feed-in tariffs available, commercial solar not only lowers energy costs but also creates opportunities for long-term savings and greater sustainability.

If you’re ready to take back control of your energy bill, get in touch with the Choice Energy team today for a free energy assessment.

GROWING up around horses and cattle all her life has prepared Tup Forge from Oxley for the ride of her life next month when she competes in the women’s saddle bronc at one of the biggest rodeo events in the northern hemisphere.

A relative newcomer to the sport, the 28-year-old North East woman decided more than 18 months ago to have a go at a Ranch Bronc school she attended. 

Now she is the Australian 2025 Women’s Ranch Bronc Championship (WRBC) winner with a chance to compete on the international stage at the USA Cheyenne Frontier Days, described as the world’s largest rodeo and everything western. 

“Determined to try something new and unsure what to expect, I was hooked quicker than ever,” said Tup. 

“At that first school, it was make or break.

“It wasn’t long before I found myself at my first rodeo and from there… the rest is history,” Tup said. 

Her motto is “believe you can and you’re halfway there”.

“I guess you could say if you want something bad enough and work as hard as you can for it, anything is possible,” Tup added.

One gets a sense of Tup’s work ethic developed over many years on the family Hereford cattle property owned by parents Graham and Anne Maree Forge, where she works full-time. The Forges have responsibility for up to 8000 acres, which also covers a lot of bush.

Tup with her parents also runs Forge’s Farm, which organises and operates one of Victoria's largest heritage cattle droving trips, mustering experiences, packhorse trips, trail rides and riding lessons, allowing visitors to enjoy the high country.

Before she could walk, her father Graham would hoist Tup up on his horse while out mustering.  Growing up in Oxley, she describes herself as a farm girl with a love of horses. 

“I never did pony club, but we always had stock horses,” said Tup. 

This led to her first campdraft at Mansfield riding Basi in the junior.

She described it as a humbling experience after not going too well, but “stuck at it”.

The keen campdrafter has gone on to pick up first and minor placings across several drafts in recent years: a reflection of her dedication to keep improving.

A trip up north to outback Queensland earlier this year was a chance for Tup to broaden my horizons with work and experience a different agricultural environment. She also discovered some “cool ponies” to ride, with some being sent down south. 

Tup is passionate about campdrafting and will continue to be so. However, the focus for now is preparing for her debut in the States next month as the Australian WRBC representative.  One would think staying on a bucking horse for eight seconds would be frightening, but for Tup, the thought of her first airline trip to America holds more fear.

She agreed that all equestrian sports carry some risk, but good preparation and safety measures are in place.

“I have had a few rough horses to break in, so I have already had that experience,” said Tup. 

Her parents are very supportive of their daughter, but Tup’s biggest fan in the family is her 94-year-old Nan, who lives on the farm with them. 

“After a bronc ride, we do FaceTime,” said Tup. 

Tup will fly out a week before to settle in before her two rides in the women’s saddle bronc on July 20 and 21. A combined score determines the winner.  In the meantime, Tup will aim to keep fit, practice on her bucking machine and work with her own horses.

There are also two Queensland rodeos at Normanton and Jundah where she can gain points for next year’s WRBC season.  Tup is thrilled to be travelling to Cheyenne Frontier Days, which runs over 10 days, attracting up to half a million people.

In her event, Tup will be competing against the "best of the best”, including competitors from the US, Australia, Canada and Europe.  The top three women from each country qualify for the world finals.

Asked about the recent media coverage, Tup believed the interest stemmed from competing in what is considered a male-dominated sport. Achieving the dream to compete overseas also requires a lot of fundraising and support to get there. Tup is so appreciative of the generosity of people so far, but further donations would be most welcome. 

“Eight seconds can seem like a long time”, once you leave the chute on a bucking bronc, according to Tup, but there is no doubt that with her can-do attitude, she will do Australia proud. 

To help her journey to Cheyenne, Tup is open to fundraising opportunities and sponsorship from businesses. Visit her Facebook page 'Tup Forge - Aussie Bronc Ride to USA' for more information or contact [email protected]

Thanks, Lynn Elder!

We Have Been to Your Town! We don’t just sit in an office; we are hands-on with our Farmers! 🙌

🐮 Thinking About Getting Livestock? Here’s What You Need to Know First 🐑

Good Afternoon,

I hope you’ve had a great week. This week, I was lucky enough to attend Farmfest with my family, and it was a great day for all.

We also got our cows preg tested this week. 10 out of 12 heifers are in calf by our new bull. WINNING!!

Now let’s get down to business……

Whether you’re dreaming of a few paddock pets, looking to generate a bit of extra income, or just ready to dive into livestock as a hobby, welcome! It’s an exciting step. But like any new adventure, there are a few important things to get your head around first.

This week, I’m sharing a simple checklist to help you make sure you’ve ticked all the right boxes before bringing animals onto your property. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being prepared.

✅ 1. Yards & Fencing

Livestock need space. The right space. Not just a bare paddock, but one with secure fencing (goats are escape artists!) and a layout that supports grazing, feeding, and shelter. Good fencing = safe animals and fewer headaches for you.

💧 2. Clean, Reliable Water

Every animal needs access to clean, fresh water. It’s non-negotiable. This doesn’t just keep them alive—it keeps them thriving. Make sure your setup can cope year-round and consider getting your bore tested if that’s your main supply.

🛖 3. Shelter from the Storm (and Sun!)

Wind, heat, rain, and cold—our livestock feel it all. A simple, well-ventilated shelter can prevent illness, stress, and weight loss. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be functional.

🐂 4. Animal Husbandry Essentials

Know what your animals need—nutritionally, socially, and medically. That means:

• Vaccinations & drenching

• Feed planning through the seasons

• Regular health checks (a good vet on speed dial helps!)

• Learning how to handle your livestock calmly and safely

📋 5. Your Legal Obligations

This part often catches people off guard. Here’s the minimum:

• Get a Property Identification Code (PIC)

• Understand NLIS movement transfers—it’s your job to complete them

• Consider LPA Accreditation if you plan to sell

🏘 6. Check Your Zoning Laws

Before you invest in stock, check with your local council. Some areas have rules about how many animals you can keep or what species. Also, think about noise, odour, and waste management—you want happy neighbours, not legal trouble.

💰 7. Budget, Budget, Budget

There’s the upfront costs—buying animals, fencing, water troughs—and then there’s the ongoing costs: feed, vet care, fencing repairs. Plan so you’re not caught off guard.

⏱ 8. Be Real About the Time

Animals are a daily responsibility. Rain, hail or heatwave—they’ll need feeding, checking, and sometimes even emergency care. Make sure your lifestyle can support that commitment.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 9. Be a Good Neighbour

It’s always best to let your neighbours know what you’re planning. A heads-up about livestock can avoid complaints later, and might even open the door to helpful local advice or support.

🔚 10. Final Thoughts

Keeping livestock can be one of the most rewarding experiences—there’s nothing quite like seeing healthy animals on your land. But it’s also a big responsibility. With good planning, the right support, and clear expectations, you’ll set yourself (and your animals) up for success.

And if you ever feel unsure where to start, reach out. You’re not alone.

Kind Regards,
Amanda Burchmann
Livestock Production & Industry Development Specialist
Founder | Advocate | Producer
📞 0408 847 536
📧 [email protected] 

“Samantha Watkins Photography”

Up-and-coming! We’re now taking listings for RGA25017—secure your spot today!

Realm Group Australia

REALM Group Australia (RGA) - originally est. 1992. The most trusted online Ag Marketing System in Australia. Built by Farmers for Farmers! Education is the KEY. True Pioneers - We were the first, and we are still growing. Proud Supporters of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) & Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)