Industry shifts from volume to value – Sally Rae:
A long-term “erosion of confidence” in the primary sector needs to be reversed, KPMG global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot says.
The 2019 KPMG Agribusiness Agenda was launched this week at National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, the 10th year it has been published.
In his introduction to the report, Mr Proudfoot said confidence was low despite the progress the industry had made over the last year.
Efforts to encourage farmers and growers to celebrate their role as food producers had not fallen on deaf ears but the positive messages had, on occasion, been “drowned out by a chorus of criticism”, most of which had been unbalanced, he said.
“If you have been told for years that you are the past, that you are bad for the environment, that you underpay your labour, even if you know these claims to be inherently wrong, many end up believing them. It is this long-term erosion of confidence that needs to be reversed.” . .
Massey finds a new model for baby beef – Richard Rennie:
Twin drivers of environmental and welfare pressure on farmers when dealing with bobby calves prompted Massey University researchers to explore options that will also deliver an economic return to farmers.
Two years into the New Generation Beef project, team leader Dr Nicola Schreurs said initial results indicate taking bobby calves with Jersey genetics and rearing them to eight, 10 or 12 months for processing delivers a product with market potential.
“We are also being careful to distinguish New Generation beef from veal, which, technically, under European Union definitions, it is. But veal brings its own often negative connotations we would rather avoid.” . .
Changes are needed at Landcorp – Alan Emmerson:
I’ve just read the Landcorp, Pamu as they like to be known, annual report. In a word, it is nauseating.
They start by telling us their vision is to be the premium supplier of meat, milk and fibre for niche markets.
“We pursue this vision with strategies based on Pamu’s six capitals – strategies for excellence in farming and adding value for products, investors, people and the environment.”
It is an 82-page, heady tome telling us, among other things, they’re supplying markets in Australia, China, Europe North America and more.
The acting chairman and chief executive told us “Pamu enters its fifth year of delivering on our strategy of operational excellence in creating value beyond the farm gate with real momentum.”
They’re into farm wellbeing, gender equity, animal welfare, environmental assessments farm by farm, (who isn’t) and relationships with tangata whenua.
They’ve surveyed stakeholders including our old mates at Greenpeace. What they could add they didn’t say. . .
NZ primary industry exports seen rising 7.1% this year – Rebecca Howard:
(BusinessDesk) – The government expects primary industry export revenue will rise 7.1 percent to $45.7 billion in the June year, but predicts growth will be flatter in the future.
The lift marks the “second straight year of substantial export growth,” said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor when he presented the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook report for June 2019 at Fieldays. Export revenue was $42.7 billion in the prior year, up 11.7 percent. . .
The man who helped feed the world – Tim Harford:
In the early 1900s, newlyweds Cathy and Cappy Jones left Connecticut in the US to start a new life as farmers in north-west Mexico’s Yaqui Valley, a little-known dry and dusty place, a few hundred kilometres south of the Arizona border.
When Cappy died in 1931, Cathy decided to stay on. By then she had a new neighbour: the Yaqui Valley Experiment Station, a grand agricultural research centre with impressive stone pillars, and cleverly designed irrigation canals.
For a while, the centre raised cattle, sheep and pigs, and grew oranges, figs and grapefruit.
But by 1945, the fields were overgrown, the fences fallen and the windows shattered. The station was infested with rats. . .
Strawberry growers asked to vote on a levy proposal:
Strawberry Growers New Zealand Board is asking growers to vote on a proposal to apply for a levy on strawberries, with voting papers going out today.
Following extensive consultation with growers and other stakeholders, Strawberry Growers New Zealand (SGNZ) are calling for all commercial strawberry growers to vote in a referendum to determine if there is a clear mandate from growers to apply for a commodity levy.
A levy rate of $26 per 1000 strawberry plants sold is being proposed, with support being sought to apply to the Minister for Agriculture for a Commodity Levies Order on strawberries. . .
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