Living on an organic island
Running an organic dairy farm is a bit like living on an island where one has to be completely self-sufficient.
Exports of organic products from New Zealand are now worth $335 million annually – 42% more than three years ago.
Domestic market sales also rose -- to $254m, bringing total sales to just on $600m.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) last week unveiled the results of its three-yearly survey at a function at parliament attended by growers, processors and supermarkets.
Fresh fruit and vegetables remain the largest export earner at nearly $136m; then dairy, meat and wool $99.5m; and wine and beer $46.5m.
OANZ chief executive Brendan Hoare says great opportunities exist for NZ organic producers: the world wants what NZ has to offer and we have the capability to grow our share of the global market.
“The report articulates a national and global mood for change to natural, ethical, sustainable food and other daily used products. Consumers want change so they can live their values, producers and farmers are seeking change to do what is good for the land they love, and global markets are demanding greater and greater choice as organic goes mainstream,” he says.
Hoare says producers and manufacturers are listening to the market signals: at least 50% of producers surveyed are interested in getting full organic certification or transitioning towards organic.
The number of certified-organic operations is up 12% to 1118 licensees and 1672 certified enterprises, and land under organic production has increased 17% to almost 89,000ha due to a 50% growth in organic livestock area.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.
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