Roadmap set to double hort exports by 2035
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
In a ceremony held last week at Plant & Food Research in Lincoln, Horticulture Minister Nicola Grigg launched the Sustainable Vegetable Systems (SVS) Tool.
SVS is a nitrogen budgeting tool developed in conjunction with agricultural experts, environmental scientists and industry partners.
“It was wonderful to officially launch the SVS tool and celebrate the hard work of many through the development of this technology,” Grigg says.
“I see the opportunities and benefits of this tool as a remarkable example of what may be achieved through collaboration, innovation and science," she adds.
The tool aims to provide growers with comprehensive evidence-based decision support to optimise their nitrogen management practices.
The project to develop the tool began in 2019, coming out of a scarcity of data surrounding vegetable nitrogen flows, particularly in crop rotation systems, as well as a need to sustainably support growers.
Over the course of three years, nitrogen flow data rates using varieties of fertiliser were measured using a selection of representative vegetable crop rotations at Plant & Food Research sites in Lincoln and Hawke’s Bay.
These experiments were reproduced regionally across New Zealand with increasing engagement with growers to provide insights into vegetable nitrogen optimisation.
SVS programme manager, Andrew Barber, says the tool integrates nitrogen planning with soil testing, progressively overriding modelled predictions with measured results.
“The real time data and personalised guidance will help make more informed decisions, ultimately improving performance and reducing environmental impact,” he says.
The project consolidated data from various sources and stakeholders with key inputs from Plant & Food Research modellers, plant and soil scientists.
Miriam Hall, Plant & Food Research business manager of the programme says the tool is “world leading”.
“Creating data-based modelling tools from collaboration with a variety of stakeholders is critical to support growers,” Hall says.
“Plant & Food Research are proud of being part of this project to help shape the New Zealand vegetable industry to a sustainable future,” she adds.
Meanwhile Kate Trufitt, chief executive of Potatoes New Zealand says the SVS tool represents a “significant advancement” in the sector’s efforts to promote sustainable farming practices.
“By equipping our growers with cutting-edge technology and actionable insights, we are taking a major step towards a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future,” she concludes.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
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