| 71 Combining traditional farming with technology Technology is now integrated throughout the farming system. Karen Phelps At just 30 years old, fifth-generation sheep and beef farmer Tom Aitken is taking a long-term view of Rangitapu Station a 1000ha effective in Central Hawkes Bay, combining traditional farming knowledge with technology, data and strategic investment to build a more efficient and profitable operation. Tom took full ownership of Rangitapu Station in 2025 after managing the family farm for four years. A graduate of Lincoln University with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Agriculture then a post grad study through Oxford University and Saiid Business School in financial technology has shaped his approach to farming. After beginning his career in ANZ and Ballance Agri Nutrients he has gone on to launch a startup ‘Amico’ which helps facilitate family and friends lending to one another. Amico helped to document around $20m in its first year and is about to launch an opening banking service to facilitate the repayments using a direct debt like system to ensure accurate repayments of the loans between family and friends. That experience has influenced the way Tom approaches decision-making at Rangitapu Station with technology now integrated throughout the farming system. “I’ll be farming for the next 40 years but breaking than down to milestones is key, for example only a mere 40 chances of setting the farm up for a great tupping. That’s a huge penny drop moment and becomes a driver to be constantly curious and find improvements, chasing those 1% gains daily,” says Tom One of the latest investments has been the installation of a brand-new five-way automatic cattle drafter and yards system designed to improve safety, speed and efficiency. The system works alongside electronic identification (EID) technology, allowing cattle data to be captured and used to make informed management decisions. Rangitapu Station purchases around 1400 Angus weaners annually, adding just under 300kg per head before forward storing them and replacing them with new 200kg weaners. “We are integrating all the information from the EID readers and the five-way auto drafting yards to make the best management decisions possible with nearly all the available data delivered in real time per animal,” says Tom. Technology is also transforming the sheep operation. ON FARM » Rangitapu Station All sheep, including ram lambs, have EID tags to allow growth rates to be tracked, and a fiveway automatic drafter and conveyor belt system improves handling efficiency. All lambs are finished on farm to 25kg carcass weight and are supplied through Atkins Ranch, with the majority destined for Whole Foods in the United States. Water infrastructure has also been a major focus with Rangitapu Station recently expanding its irrigation from 100 hectares to 190 hectares. The property has its own self-sufficient irrigation lake providing greater control and reliability. The farm has also installed GPS technology on hard-hose irrigators, allowing accurate boundaries and millimetres per hectare to be programmed from a smartphone rather than relying on broad estimates. The system also enables variable-rate irrigation on hard hose irrigator once only reserve for pivots. “For the past five years I’ve chased down significant capital expenditure projects that have a strong return on investment,” says Tom. “Having the development work completed early means your setting yourself to have the best chance of success by leveraging the compounding effects of those financial gains over the next 40 years. For example the irrigation expansion paid for itself within the first year of operation and even better is that this profit lift per hectare across that 90ha I can budget that additional profit year on year for the next 40 years.” Tom credits his team and ASB with supporting Rangitapu Station through its succession journey and capital investment plans.
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