The launch of a fully-electric autonomous tractor at Forest Lodge Orchard on Saturday (July 29) marked the final component in the circuit electrifying the cherry orchard and accompanying buildings and ditching all fossil fuels.

The Monarch Tractor was the 66th to roll off Monarch’s production line in California and is not only the first in New Zealand, but the first to go outside of California. 

Monarch Tractor co-founder and president Mark Schwager flew in for the launch, which was attended by more than 150 interested parties from all walks of life, as well as politicians from three different parties.

“To have the very first exported tractor - to be part of such a visionary farm is truly special,” Mark said. 

“I came here yesterday and I was astonished by the level of detailed planning into every aspect of this farm for electrification. It’s remarkable. It’s inspirational.

“Farmers need tools with the latest and greatest technologies to drive profit. At Monarch, we believe that in order to achieve environmental sustainability, we must first achieve economic sustainability.

“New Zealand’s vineyards, orchards and vegetable farms comprise a robust, high-value crop industry with ever-growing worldwide recognition.” 

Orchard manager Euan White introduced the autonomous tractor to a large audience at its launch yesterday by having it follow him as he walked out from the workshop to the orchard. PHOTO: The Central App

New Zealand’s farmers had the audacious spirit to employ technology to increase yields, lower operational expenditure and increase crop value, Mark said.

Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor (Labour) said Forest Lodge Orchard’s electrification was a look into the future.

“We have an incredible marketing opportunity as a country if we embrace it enthusiastically and move forward,” he said.

Damien said the presence of his colleagues from different political parties meant they all understood the challenges ahead.

“We do know that the world is warming up and we have to do everything we can to reduce our impact. As a country with the brand NZ all around the world, if we can just hook on the fact ‘and we are also committed to net zero’, that puts us a leap ahead of many of our other competitors in the market.”

Kiwi farmers were known for their innovation and taking up technology if they saw the value in it, Damien said.

Minister for Climate Change James Shaw (Greens) said the great blessing he and his ministerial colleagues had was getting to see how things were changing, and real acts of leadership like that taken by the owners of Forest Lodge Orchard.

“That’s the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle in making this orchard the world’s first, 100 per cent fully electric orchard. That is an incredible achievement.”

He acknowledged that people would say the tractor would not work in all rural or farming settings, but said we were living in a time where things changed quickly.

Three years ago, James said, only one per cent of all new vehicles bought in New Zealand were fully electric; in June of this year, that percentage had risen to 47 per cent.

The upfront capital cost could be eye-watering, he said, but the operating costs were way lower. 

“You can see that the economics of this are really going to transform once we get some scale and get these kinds of tractors and this kind of equipment running on orchards and farms all over Aotearoa.

“The idea that this country could be the first country in the world where our food is produced and our fibres are produced without a single drop of fossil fuels is, I think, an incredible opportunity for us.”

Member of Parliament for Southland Joseph Mooney (National) said the new tractor was exciting technology.

“It’s not a solution for everyone but where it makes economic sense, it’s exciting,” he said.

Orchard owner Mike Casey is also the chief executive of New Zealand Zero, which is driving zero fossil fuel use in agriculture. He said the new tractor was a welcome addition to the orchard, which now relies on electricity for all of its processes, including frost-fighting, and those of the attached household and staff accommodation.

The autonomous nature of the tractor also meant mundane tasks such as mowing or spraying the orchard could be done by the tractor working alone, with human hours freed up for more important functions.

“This completes the electrification of the orchard and it should be able to run as well if not better than any orchard,” Mike said, adding that the long-term goal was to be the country’s most profitable orchard.